Vicente

Description: Vicente is a bakery and open kitchen where guests can watch pastries and breads made from scratch, blending science, artistry, and tradition. Inspired by Venezuelan, North American, and Buenos Aires roots, the menu offers globally inspired treats with familiar, comforting flavors.

Comments: Small spot, maybe not ideal for an extended stay, but perfect for grabbing a bite or meeting a friend for a chat. There’s outdoor seating so on warm days finding a seat isn’t hard. There’s also Wi-Fi so you’re welcome to hangout a while if you want. Just be warned, inside it’s all high chairs, so not much back support.

But let’s talk about what’s most important at a bakery, the pastries. They're known for their croissants so definitely get one if you go. Then we have the focaccia or croissant breakfast sandwich, expensive ($11 when last I went), but good. All of that though is secondary to their cinnamon rolls. They call them coffee rolls, but I protest that label. Let’s dissect.

A coffee roll is basically a yeast doughnut ring that is fried, coated in a sugar glaze, and rarely holds much cinnamon. A true cinnamon roll is baked, shaped into a spiral with cinnamon-sugar folded between the layers, and usually finished with a cream cheese or vanilla icing. Completely different textures and flavor profile.

They’re similar enough that most people call them the same thing, but they’re different. What Vicente sells are cinnamon rolls. Both the icing and the cinnamon sugar are flavored with a hint of coffee (hit or miss on if you'll like this, I didn't), hence their decision to call it a coffee roll, but it's a cinnamon roll. Trust me on this, cinnamon rolls are my specialty.

Finally, the staff here is very kind. A coworker of mine got into an accident right in front of the store, and they came out to check on them, made sure they were okay, and gave them a free box of pastries. Truly run by great people!