Antique malls aren’t supposed to smell this good.
But wafting around the crackling tables, old silverware and miscellaneous history piled up around the Sebastopol Antique Society are warm scents of butter, lemon, ricotta and all manner of things delicious.
They’re coming from the mall’s newest resident, Sfoglia. Having opened for business in the former Dolce V space just a few weeks ago, the tiny Italian bakery is easily overlooked by drivers whizzing down Gravenstein Highway–which is just fine, for those of us in-the-know. We don’t need them filling up our seats and eating our puff pastry, anyway.
And the most delightful puff pastry it is. The namesake Sfogliatella is a triangle of impossibly thin layers of crackling, buttery goodness, filled with ricotta cheese and orange zest. It may possibly bring you to tears.
Nestled in the cold case are rows of lemon and chocolate tartlets–tiny pies delicately supported by crumbly, light shortbread ill-advised for eating in the car (my stained pants as testimony). A warm sausage tart, filled with tomatoes, cheese and herbs was quite possibly the best thing I’ve eaten in weeks. I kid you not.
But that’s hardly the full extent of baker Patrick Lum’s talents. The former Mezzaluna baker (he is currently pastry chef at Sassafras in Santa Rosa) also offers up biscotti, grilled pannini, pizzetta, focaccia along with coffee and espresso from 10am through the afternoon.
Wander by and chances are good that you’ll find something fresh out of the oven. It’s easy enough to find. Just follow your nose.
Sfoglia, 2661 Gravenstein Highway South, Sebastopol, 707.829.5721 Inside the Sebastopol Antique Society.