Oy! An Allergy Friendly Bakery!
By Mia Hanuska
Finding safe restaurants and bakeries as someone with many food allergies gets very difficult, but do not fear! Each issue I’ll be suggesting and rating a new place to try, allergies or not. We’ll begin with my favorite gluten-free and allergy-friendly bakery: Oy! Gluten Free Baking Co.
Oy! Gluten Free Baking Co. is tucked snugly off the main road of downtown Los Gatos and boasts a fully gluten and soy free kitchen with most items nut free and select dairy-free and vegan. This bakery offers many delicious pastries and everyday breads, from basic white sandwich and focaccia to scones and cinnamon rolls. Their baked goods have amazing texture and flavor, and have a variety of uses. The everyday breads are perfect for sandwiches or toasted with a simple spread on top, such as jam or pumpkin butter. Although the costs can be a bit high, it’s honestly a good price for gluten-free worth it for the tastiness. I visited again the other day, and will be rating and describing a few of their offerings.
Abbreviations: GF = Gluten Free, DF = Dairy Free, NF = Nut Free
Focaccia (GF, NF, DF, Vegan)
Oy! somehow manages to blow my taste buds away every time I have a bite of their olive-oil and rosemary focaccia bread. Light and fluffy, this bread is definitely worth the $18 and would make an amazing substitute for dinner rolls or pre-dinner bread; however my favorite way to eat it is just plain, cutting piece by piece off. The corner pieces are the best, where you get the most out of the flavors from the small flakes of salt and pieces of rosemary scattered on top. My only complaint is that the olive oil leaks through the packaging it comes in, but with me it’s gone before that can become a problem, so if you plan on eating this slowly make sure to store it on a plate or in another bag.
Chocolate Donut (GF, DF, NF)
This chocolate donut was truly the best donut I’ve had since going gluten free at 5 years old. It was gifted with my purchase (since it was a day old it couldn’t be sold) but no matter the price, which I assume is around $7, I would buy this again. Even day-old this pastry was so amazing I couldn’t believe my mouth. The chocolate topping is very, very, dark, and pairs perfectly with the slightly sweet donut base. The texture is what I would imagine a real donut would have (although my mother and brother disagree), and where the chocolate meets the top of the fried goodness tastes like the smell of Krispy Kreme donuts. Also, did I mention the size of this thing? I swear it’s like the size of my head, and can be enjoyed as a full breakfast paired with coffee or tea. If I could eat this every day in every flavor they offer, I would without hesitation.
Coffee Cake (GF, DF, NF)
Unexpectedly, the coffee cake was decent. I love a good coffee cake, and this one checked almost all the boxes. The texture is cakey but not too dense, and the inside isn’t overwhelmingly sweet. The cinnamon and sugar on top added a nice crunch, but besides that it was slightly disappointing. I feel like the inside could have a little more cinnamon-y flavor, as after the outside is eaten all the cinnamon is gone. Also, this thing is giant, and with that there needs to be more flavor after the “crust” is consumed. For $8, it’s a pretty good deal for a coffee cake every once in a while.
Apricot Scone (GF, NF)
A delicious breakfast food, this scone is not bad. The texture is quite dense, and requires a bit of arm strength to cut through, but the taste makes up for it. It’s pretty savory, and would pair well with a nice tea or berry jam, and the apricots are definitely the star of the show. While I wish there were more apricots, the sweet yet tartness of them make up for the more lackluster interior. Compared to legendary breakfast chef and senior Luke Hanuska’s scones, I think $6 is a bit steep for this pastry, but if it were my only option for a gluten-free scone I wouldn’t be mad.
Flourless Chocolate Cake (GF, NF)
I find it interesting that this is classified as a cake. To me, the texture of this $7 flourless cake was definitely leaning more towards a fudgy brownie, but that doesn’t anger me. I think as a brownie this is really tasty, with a combination of melt-in-your-mouth inside, crunchy top, and chewy edges. My recommendation would be to eat this with ice cream or even share with someone as it’s really sweet. As in, you’ll need a glass of milk after because of how sweet it is. Besides the crazy sweetness, the chocolate flavor is really nice and not too overpowering to someone who isn’t the biggest fan of chocolate. I think it’s a great treat to spread out throughout the day and would probably buy again for someone who has a large sweet tooth.
