Bars Bars Bars Yeah!

Bars conjure up images of small towns and bake sales, and simple after school snacks enjoyed with a tall glass of cold milk.  Unlike elaborate desserts who are the sophisticated sisters of sweets, bars are mischievous cousins who teach you to pop wheelies and hang from the garage beams.

When it comes to baking, be it cakes, breads, cookies, or pies, I do pretty well.  But something about elusive bars leaves me feeling inept and foolish: I cannot master them.  So when I first read about Bars Bakery opening in St. Paul my hopes were high.  Four of us hit the bakery last week for lunchtime coffee, and I know now that angels have landed in the Twin Cities and brought with them the pastries of my childhood fantasies.  From modest to adorned, each creation we tasted was loaded with flavor (and butter), and the size of each bar is easily split into several servings.

My favorite thing about Bars Bakery: the attention they pay to non-sweet morsels.  They sell out of their savory pastries early in the day, but I was lucky enough to purchase their last roasted vegetable tart which I shared with a pal.  And you cannot go wrong with their mini-donut muffins and wide variety of brownies.  They will leave your feeling like a kid who has spent the afternoon with her favorite cousin.