red and blue alert!. once in a long moon, it seems, you come across a place that is so wildly successful, that you know without a trace of a doubt is going to be good. 85 degrees bakery cafe is definitely one of those places. if you happen to be in the orange county area, then there is no excuse to venture into this busy bakery. for those who love drinking tea, coffee, etc., this bakery has the selection of pastry, breads, cakes and all in between.
do not be concerned for the lines. i am willing to bet after watching the display of power today, that there always will be a line, that is how brilliantly successful this concept is. i understand that the first of its kind was started in taiwan. well, this one in irvine is the type that draws crowds and more crowds.
we had just finished a mediocre meal in another part of town, and feeling let down and a little upset, i remembered reading about how popular 85 degrees cafe is, and goggled the address, set the gps and in no time i was in a large plaza, where most of the people seem to be oriental. this is a very clean cut area, in a very expensive part of town, so the shops all looked brand new. when we saw the bakery, a line of about 25 people was outside, and inside there were so many they had to stop the line from entering! busy busy bees! once inside you pick up a tray and a tool to lift the goodies into the tray, and you commence the journey of discovery. we ended with about two dozen different creations, the most expensive among the pastries, around $2.50. standing room only, we decided to drive out of there and try everything with a home brewed cup of coffee. did not get to the displays were the delicious cakes (or at least they looked delicious, that is for sure!), but we figure being a saturday and our first time, it was going to have to do. i think the era of donuts is passé, for these pastries were all very fresh-they are constantly replenishing their supplies-and some were downright interesting.
this is one place i would recommend to anyone, just to pick the most appealing creations and hopefully enjoy them in various settings. picnic, watching a movie, with friends at a party, at a hotel room, etc. i was impressed, and it is been a long time i felt this way about a place. filled with people, incredible energy, superior bakers, it sure cheer up our day. next time i shall scope the section where the cakes are, individual slices and whole ones. they did look marvelous (like billy crystal use to say: you look marvelous, darling!). this is a red and blue alert, which is heightened type of alert, wellworthpursuing. i easily give it 4.5 stars at this moment, if only for the mad business they generate. like all good things, it might take a little longer than usual, but i saw people walking out with dozens of goodies like if there was no tomorrow. in this case so many people can not be wrong, they are in the right line and i was too. 4.5 stars!