UPDATE: As many of you smart cookies have surmised by now… April Fools! Though it now breaks my heart to let down so many sweet supporters, no, I’m not opening up shop in the east bay. Honestly, I’m floored by the wild success of this mild prank. Does it say more about the need for new vegan eateries at large, or the desire to get my recipes without heading into home kitchens? Either way, I’m humbled, touched, and inspired by the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response. Maybe one day, BitterSweet Cafe can become a reality… Just not anytime in the foreseeable future!
Crazy is as crazy does. No one has ever accused me of being sane, rational, or anything near “normal,” however you might qualify such an inscrutable term, and that’s not about to change anytime soon. Quite the contrary, I’m preparing to taking a plunge that could drive even the most measured people into the depths of madness.
After years of staunchly denying any interest in jumping into the cut-throat restaurant industry, despite my dabbling behind the scenes all the while, there was always a kernel of hope buried within. Disregarding my complete lack of business acumen, and the stone cold sober knowledge that the odds for success would always be stacked against me, still that dream persisted.
Over a decade in the making, from the time that BitterSweet Blog started to establish itself as a legitimate online resource, BitterSweet Cafe is about to become a reality. Offering all of my favorite recipes previous only available to cooks and bakers motivated enough to start from scratch, this brick-and-mortar outpost is really just the next evolution in my drive to share some sweetness in a somewhat bitter world.
100% plant-based pastries, including flaky croissants and tender yeasted doughnuts, chewy cookies, layer cakes lavished with aquafaba buttercream frosting, and buttery scones will be just the beginning. Savory options will join the ranks after soft opening, along with brunch offerings and daily specials. Coffee and tea will come with either homemade macadamia or oat creamer, and bubbly sodas made from real fruit syrups will soon be standing by to quench your thirst.
This is all just the beginning. Coming at you late spring/early summer, Oakland is about to get a lot more BitterSweet.