Regardless of your perspective of the heart- and love-themed celebration that is Valentine’s Day, most everyone can get behind its focus on buttery confections topped with sugar, chocolate, icing, strawberries and other sweet ingredients.
Whether you’re in the market for treats for loved ones, coworkers or yourself this Valentine’s Day, San Francisco bakeries more than cover things when it comes to pastries. Here are 10 standouts:
It’s a familiar sight on a weekend morning in the Inner Richmond: a long line on Arguello Boulevard’s sidewalk, some people glancing at their phones; others posed beside friends and partners, some with stroller-seated children in tow, chatting about life. It’s also a giveaway for passersby that Arsicault Bakery is so good that people willingly wait for the pastry wonders that await them. Menu items—a list is posted in the window—include a sizable white powdery chocolate almond croissant, a coated morning bun and a delectable chocolate chip cookie featuring a signature chocolate orb at its center. Arsicault also has a shop in the Civic Center area that features apple turnovers, palmiers and blackberry almond hazelnut croissants. Join the bandwagon at 397 Arguello Blvd. and/or head to 87 McAllister St.to discover why this French bakery is a fave.
The workers-owned cooperative Arizmendi Bakery always has a great selection to choose from in San Francisco locations in the Inner Sunset and Noe Valley. Grab a lunch-style brown bag from a shelf and a sheet of parchment paper to reach for pecan rolls, iced buns, scones, muffins, brioche knots, “chocolate things” (brioche dough with crushed dark chocolate callets and wafers) and “kookie brittle,” a crunchy, buttery offering with chocolate and almonds. Mardi Gras king cakes will be available at both locations on Feb. 13. On Feb. 14, the cooperative will have Valentine’s Day-themed cupcakes and cookies, available until they sell out. Arizmendi is located at 1331 Ninth Ave. (closed Mondays) and 1268 Valencia St. (closed Tuesdays, except open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mardi Gras).
Belinda Leong’s and Michel Suas’ French-style pastries are a popular draw in Lower Pacific Heights, where b. patisserie has been a fixture since February 2013. Items on b. patisserie’s menu include kouign-amanns, sugar brioche, chocolate caramel toffee mousse, chocolate banana almond croissants, butter cakes, apple tarts and cherry oatmeal toffee cookies. For Valentine’s Day, the bakery will have vanilla, cassis berry and almond cakes and chocolate, passion fruit and hazelnut cakes available. These and other thoughtful, tasty creations await purchase and consumption at 2821 California St.
Black Jet Baking Co. is another strong contender when it comes to sweet treats in the city. This Bernal Heights bakery’s menu is delightfully vast, with breakfast pastries, layer cakes, pies, cupcakes, cookies (including a “sprinkledoodle”), bars, blondies, brownies and other treats. It’s also creative, with items such as a “Pop Pack.” The five-pack of rectangular pastries (their take on Pop-Tarts) includes apricot, brown sugar, Nutella and salted hazelnuts, raspberry and strawberry. Black Jet has folks covered when it comes to Valentine’s Day, offering cakes such as an old-fashioned chocolate buttercream red heart cake and an “I f—ing love you” vanilla buttercream cake, as well as mini and regular-sized cupcakes and Valentine’s Oreos. Head to 833 Cortland Ave. to see this amazing-ness in person.
If the Food Network and Bon Appétit and Food & Wine magazines have given Craftsman and Wolves rave reviews, one can surmise a visit to the French-inspired patisserie is necessary. In its Mission Dolores and Bayview locations, C&W offers a rotating menu, featuring unique, carefully crafted treats such as croissant pudding, banana travel cake, cocoa carrot muffins, pound cake, petits gâteaux and a macadamia blueberry white chocolate chip cookie. For Feb. 14, C&W has an “anti-Valentine” black cocoa cheesecake. Craftsman and Wolves’ addresses are 746 Valencia St. and 1598 Yosemite Ave.
With three San Francisco locations—the Outer Richmond, the Outer Sunset and the Financial District, there’s really no excuse not to check out Devil’s Teeth Baking Company. The Balboa Street spot—featuring gently used books and local artist David Starfas’ philosopher-themed prints for purchase—typically has a line, but, as with others in this list, it’s worth the wait. Cookie offerings include chocolate chip peanut butter, ginger and a shark-shaped shortbread. There also are lemon bars, carrot cake, coffee cake, donut muffins and cinnamon rolls, which may be heated up behind the counter, then served in a brown to-go box with a compostable fork. Devil’s Teeth’s addresses are 3619 Balboa St., 3876 Noriega St. and 1 Embarcadero Center.
Jane the Bakery, in the Western Addition, never disappoints in terms of its wide variety. The bakery, which opened in 2016, is housed in what used to be a KFC and Taco Bell combo, the signs for both still appear faintly on the side of the red awning. Has the replacement of fast food chicken and tacos with fresh, delicious pastries been an absolute upgrade? The short answer is yes. Mentioning Jane’s morning buns, lemon bread, banana bread (regular and gluten-free), black bottom cupcakes, various croissants, muffins, cake slices and rows of cookies is simply a roundabout way of getting to the same affirmative response. Jane first-timers, when asked “What can I get for you?” often reply, “I’m going to need a few minutes,” which is fine. It’s something the staff certainly has heard many times before. Subsequently, make some tough decisions: One of each cookie plus every slice of cake and the iced cinnamon roll (available on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only), perhaps? Jane the Bakery is at 1881 Geary Blvd.
The Dogpatch-situated Neighbor Bakehouse is yet another go-to spot for all things sweet. The Bakehouse walk-up menu includes butter and chocolate croissants, chocolate hazelnut and pistachio berry twice-baked croissants, ginger pull-aparts, blueberry lemon muffins and wheat-free cocoa almond financiers. The “Sunday Bakeshop” features even more offerings, such as brown butter chocolate chip, ube snickerdoodle and red velvet white chocolate cookies, pandan coconut caramel corn, brownies, blondies and mochi cakes. Make the trek to 2343 Third St. to discover why this popular bakery has made a name for itself.
Mary and Michael Gassen’s Noe Valley Bakery, which opened in 1995, could be an annual celebration in and of itself, as the shop has become a baked goods city staple. Cupcakes galore, classic éclairs, raspberry and turtle cheesecakes, various tarts including a special Valentine’s Heart Tart, prince cakes for Mardi Gras, blueberry pecan and other scones, morning buns, pecan sticky buns, cookies—there is a cornucopia of possibilities behind the glass encasings. The 4073 24th St. storefront is right next to Flowers of the Valley, thus easy accessibility to the purchase of a dozen roses or some other bouquet for a loved one. The Gassens also have a bakery at 28 W. Portal Ave.
Founded in 2002, Tartine Bakery has garnered a reputation in San Francisco and beyond. It’s one of those places folks recommend to newcomers in the Mission Dolores area, or that comes up in casual convos (“Have you been to Tartine yet?” to which one might reply, “You mean this week?”) With morning buns, cookies, lemon poppy almond tea cakes, buttermilk scones, lemon bars, brownies, eclairs, cake slices (tres leches, lemon meringue and passion fruit bavarian), vegan crumb cake and tarts (including cream-themed lemon, coconut and banana, chocolate hazelnut and frangipane) it’s no wonder “The Bakery” draws a daily crowd at Guerrero and 18th streets. Eat your selection n the bakery or outside at one of the four tables; show restraint and first get in some grocery shopping at nearby Bi-Rite; or bring your Tartine treats to Dolores Park, a mere block away on Dolores Street. Valentine’s Day items at the 600 Guerrero St. location, such as a 4-inch or 6-inch “Lover’s Soufflé,” are available for preorder here.
Two hands brought together forming a heart for those who head to these bakeries on Valentine’s Day, purchase at least one pastry from each and unapologetically plan to eat most, if not all of them, by her/him/themselves while watching Hallmark channel “Loveuary” movies.