Last April, a little bakery opened up in my neighborhood. So excited, we tried Crema the first weekend it opened. We were enchanted. Located in a little strip shopping center at Brodie and Davis, Crema is a bright little restaurant with a warm, homey interior.

My grandfather always said that life was short; eat dessert first. At Crema, they practice that philosophy. When you walk up to order, you pass two cases filled with cake balls, cupcakes, cookies, mini cakes, muffins, and tiny cheesecakes. Plus, they almost always have samples out on the counter. If you’re going in for a meal, you might be tempted to skip it and have dessert instead.

In addition to the sweets, Crema serves breakfast until 11 a.m., and sandwiches and salads the rest of the day. On weekends, brunch lasts until 1 p.m. We’ve been in for breakfast on a couple of occasions, and it’s really good (try their French toast), but we usually end up there during lunchtime.

One of my favorites for lunch is the Caprese sandwich, which includes mozzarella, basil, and tomato, with a balsamic reduction on grilled ciabatta. Most grilled ciabatta breads are too tough and scratchy for my tender cheeks, but Crema does it just right. The bread has a nice bite to it, but it doesn’t hurt your mouth to chew it. I also like the garden wrap and the avocado BLT.

You can get a combo — soup or salad, a sandwich, and a cake ball for $9. Yum.

Make sure you save room for dessert, because that’s where this little cafe shines. We have tried quite a few of their offerings and haven’t found one bad one yet.

Crema, which started out in 2009 as a catering company that specialized in cake balls and chocolate, makes a mini key lime cheesecake that hits all the right sweet, sour, and cheesecakey notes in your mouth. Their lemon cupcake is moist and wonderfully lemony, with a dollop of lemon curd under the frosting. (Can you tell I like citrus?)

Everyone who works at Crema is friendly and helpful, even when they’re really busy. On a recent visit, we helped ourselves to a sample of chocolate brownie while ordering our lunch. As we sat down, the person running the counter came over to bring our drinks and then came back with the last sample of brownie on a plate for us to split.

Crema is far more than the usual coffee house and bakery; it’s a neighborhood treasure. Go to Crema to pick up some coffee and a pastry or breakfast taco on your way to work. Go to Crema to relax with weekend brunch after a long, hard work week. Go to Crema to catch up with an old friend over lunch. Go to Crema to order a birthday cake for your favorite aunt. Whatever the reason, go to Crema!

Tips:

• Check Crema’s Twitter feed or Facebook page for daily specials.
• When you order a sandwich, you are given a choice between pasta salad or chips. Choose the pasta salad. Bowtie pasta with a little basil, spinach, red peppers, and smoked Gouda cheese. I don’t usually eat much pasta salad, but the smoked Gouda makes this salad irresistible.

Crema
9001 Brodie Lane, Suite B3
Austin, Texas 78745
Phone: (512) 282-1300
Open Mon – Sat: 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., Sun: 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
WiFi: Yes
Website: cremabakerycafe.com

Walk-Ins Welcome
Kids Menu Available
Take Out & Catering Available