Panaderia Paradise (also entitled: "Tito, you marry me?")

I love food. My dress size will confirm that. I have had dreams in which I was ferociously raiding a bakery. Well, my friends, last weekend, my dream came true. This wasn't just any old bakery, either. It was a panaderia. For those of you who are not aware of what a panaderia is, I will tell you. It's literal translation from Spanish to English is "house of baked fabulousness". Really. It is. OK, enough joking around, because panaderias are serious business. A panaderia is simply a Mexican bakery in which delicious sugar-and-fat-laden confections are served up in plentiful and inexpensive delightfulness. The most well-known (and a personal fave) is the concha (Spanish for "shell"). Conchas are large, fluffy, sugary, yet not too sweet buns with a crumbly top that mimics the look of a shell (hence, the name). They come in colors such as yellow, brown, white, and pink (the best one!). I love Mexican pastries; they are like kryptonite to me. I cannot resist.



A Display Case of Love

So, when my lovely friend Ariane invited me to a weekend at Disneyland (more on that food extravaganza later) which started at the panaderia of a family friend in Long Beach called Tito's Bakery, I was in speechless delight. We arrived at the bakery and were greeted with the smells of fresh bread, cake as well as a grill, serving up some of the best beans, rice and tacos I've ever eaten. If you ever find yourself anywhere near Long Beach, go there.    

Tacos al Pastor (pork marinated in pineapple juice and grilled)

 Yes, I ate pork. I hadn't done that in a while, but when it comes to food like this, one such as myself cannot resist. Of course, I didn't want to be rude, I simply had to eat what they served me!

Grillin' Up Some Meat!



At the end of our visit, we were invited to pick out as much pan dulce as we desired. We left for Disneyland carrying two very large overflowing bags of wonder. Oh, joy!