Serious Eats Asks Lisa What Her Top 5 Bakery Picks Are!

If you’re following a vegan or gluten-free diet, restrictions are a way of life, especially when it comes to dessert. But at Petunia’s Pies & Pastries it’s the exact opposite: absolutely everything is gluten-free and vegan. “I wanted to take the guesswork out of it all,” says Lisa Clark, who opened the brick and mortar shop in March, three years after she began selling her goods at local farmer’s markets (which she continues to do—see a list of local markets and retailers here).

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Lisa, who herself has a gluten allergy, clearly derives a lot of joy in setting up locals (and visitors) with sweets they can eat without guilt or distress. “People cry when they come in and find us for the first time because they haven’t had cake in 10 years,” she says.

Even if you don’t have dietary restrictions, the bakery is still worth a visit, whether you go for a gooey salted caramel cookie bar (the shop’s top-selling item), or make a trip early on a Saturday or Sunday morning for freshly fried doughnuts. With so many worthy treats to choose from, it’s tough to know where to start, so we turned to Lisa for her top 5 picks. Click through the slideshow at the top for the full list.

Read the full Post here:

http://sweets.seriouseats.com/2013/05/ask-a-pastry-chef-what-to-eat-at-petunias-pies-and-pastries-in-portland.html