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| Innocent facade. Sweet, sweet evil inside! |
520 Main Street
Napa, CA
I'm not sure what it is about travelling that makes me want to devour everything in sight, but that's precisely how I felt during a quick afternoon trip to Napa last Saturday.
I have a sweet tooth. Not one that causes me to crave a mint after dinner, but rather one that makes me want to shovel fistfuls of sugary anything into my mouth even after eating a four-course meal. On this particular afternoon, I had just begun my attempt at digesting chowder and half (I swear!) a tri-tip sandwich as I walked by Sweetie Pies.
This adorable little bake shop sells pies - and lots of them - in both standard and individual sizes. I had my eye on an individual Strawberry Rhubarb, glistening with juices from beneath its clear to-go packaging, until I spied cream-filled cake rolls, chocolate-dipped cupcakes and jars full of moist, chewy cookies.
I chose a towering Raspberry Coconut bar cookie that featured a thick, luscious layer of tart jam sandwiched between coconut streusel and the heftiest graham cracker crust I've ever seen. I somehow made my way through a small crowd snaking around the pastry cases only to find there were more treats to choose from! My willpower went into high gear to avoid hoarding creamy whoopie pies.
By a sheer miracle, that Raspberry Coconut bar arrived home completely intact. The first bite was heavenly. The crunchy brown top layer of coconut gave way to a tender macaroon-like texture, and the raspberry jam provided enough moisture for that crackery crust. It was a brick of sugary goodness, one I'll definitely make a trip back for. I'll add a half-dozen whoopie pies to that order, too.