Old Post 5: Potomac Bakery- Delicious!

The Potomac Bakery is nestled between a random assortment of local shops on Potomac Ave in Dormont.  You could easily miss it as you drive by and the lack of enticing window displays means you might even walk by it without noticing.

But take care to notice- despite the fact that it appears rather empty, they don't have window displays to draw foot traffic in, and you can see the kitchen better than the food through the windows, Potomac Bakery has a world of offerings to satisfy that sugar-loving craving you might have.

Reviews around the city will tell you a variety of things- good and bad.  Here's a few things you might have heard and the Sugar Love opinion.

1.  They look like they might be closing- This is kind of true, depending on the day. At the Dormont location during the week, the display cases aren't always fully stocked and the store area is kind of small.  In addition, if you come by in the afternoon, the kitchen is practically vacant (although it is impeccably clean).

2.  They have incredible buttercream icing- This is actually very true.  Their buttercream icing is very smooth and not sickeningly sweet.  It tastes rather good on their Lemon Chantilly Cake- it's not too heavy and doesn't take over the other flavors of the cake.

3. They are inexpensive- TRUE! But it doesn't mean you sacrifice taste.  To purchase a 7-in lemon chantilly cake, a lady lock, a canolli, two cookies, a cupcake and a petit four, it only cost $20.

4.  Their brownies are to die for- This is a matter of debate.  It depends on if you like cakey, light brownies, or dense fudgy brownies.  If you like dense and fudgy, than you would love the brownies at Potomac.

5.  They are offering 20% off their cakes-  True, but you have to mention the ad you found on this link.

Given the discount on cakes, you should definitely try one of their cakes. The Cookies n Cream, Lemon Chantilly or Tiramisu cake would all be great options.

But if you wanted to venture over to their pastries, you must try their lady lock and one of their petit fours.  Their lady lock is to die for, unlike the dry and tasteless lady lock from Kriebel's last week.  The flaky, crispy, tender pastry crust is baked to a golden perfection and then filled with silky vanilla pastry cream.  A lady lock may be one of the most standard pastries, but it is one of the hardest to do really well.  Potomac Bakery's lady locks are worth the trip.

Then they have their petit fours.  If you are hosting a party and don't want to do the desserts yourself or don't want to have a huge cake, petit fours are the way to go.  Often, petit fours are dry and boring.  Potomac Bakery manages to serve a moist and delicious white cake filling with a pretty and sweet white icing with pink rose topping.  This is one of many flavors they have, but it is sure to satisfy.

Potomac Bakery manages to be an all-around hit, with a lot of really good pastries at a fair price.  Stop by in Dormont or Mt. Lebanon and grab a lady lock as soon as you can- it won't disappoint.

Potomac Bakery's Lady Lock on the Sugar Love Scale

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5 ♥'s out of 5!

Old Post 4: A bakery or a lottery ticket stand?

There are several types of bakeries in Pittsburgh- specialty shops like the Pie Place, bread bakeries such as Mancini's, candy and confection stores like the Chocolate Moose, and traditional bakeries like Prantl's.

Kriebel's in Brookline is a traditional-style bakery, assuming you can still call it that.

With older bakeries, you have to expect a few things: their pastries aren't going to look as modern as something you might see on Cake Boss, their store is probably going to be old with a few cracks and dents here and there, and the taste of the pastries might not be as sweet as you are used to.  These traditional bakeries tend to do things the same way they did them 50 years ago.  The tastes are a little different from home, but they are often the original flavors you would find in a bakery.

Kriebel's went a little beyond the expectation of a traditional-style, older bakery. For starters, the lights in the front of the shop weren't on. The doors of the shop are plastered with advertisements that they sell lottery tickets.  When asked what their best-selling items were or what people seem to buy the most, they didn't have much to say, but after a little prodding, they offered the lady lock, the pineapple upside down cake, a napoleon and an apple nest.

You lose the excitement and anticipation you have about eating anywhere when the service or experience isn't quite up to par.  Kriebel's doesn't instill the excitement about their baked goods in their store appearance.  The feeling that they are mostly a lottery ticket stand and not a bakery lingers still.

Kriebel's Bakery Lady Lock on the Sugar Love Scale:

Taste ♥♥

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Overall ♥ ♥