Welcome back to mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog with varied daily posts. Today, Kirk is resting from the heat as is ed (from Yuma). Cathy is writing about another bakery she has enjoyed for years.
Hi. I've mentioned that one of my first jobs was working in a corner Polish Bakery in Detroit. Working there made me appreciate baked goods, both breads and pastries. There is one bakery I make certain to drop in to for a sweet treat whenever I'm near. Since I live in Santee, I am not near it very often.
Hans and Harry's is located in an out of the way mall, East of the E Street/Bonita Road/Plaza Bonita exit…way East, in the area where Bonita Road goes down to one lane each way, just past where the unimaginatively named Bonita Golf Course veers North from Bonita Road at Central (there is a Starbucks at that corner of the mall). The mall is pretty large, and has gone through many businesses and was very popular about 20 years ago. This was Old Bonita. The parking lot now is pretty empty and you can find Hans and Harry's easily, even though it is not right on a curb.
There are a few tables outside and inside and the selection of pastries are exquisite.
Real whipped cream cakes, fruit strudels, pies, tarts…all very fresh
as well as individual sized selections, including cupcakes, cookies, brownies, scones…pretty much any type of baked pastry. I can say nothing bad about this place. The freshness and quality are consistent. If you get here near clsing, the close to 100 daily available selections are down to a handful. Every day.
This is a $2 almond croissant that made it home. I enjoy the crispy sliced almonds on top of the crispy fresh pastry. The pastry is flaky and sweet on its own. Not too sweet, though.
Just the right amount of home made almond paste in the flaky layers. Just enough; it is not overstuffed; the way I like pastries. Because the pastry is the star. Very crispy exterior…
This is a $1.85 bear claw. This is a soft pastry dough filled with a layer of the almond paste and a cinnamon paste. Again, not too sweet. The softer, fresh pastry is a bit more sweet than the almond croissant pastry. .
Then there is the Danish for the undecided ($1.95). Soft Danish dough and filled with both cherry pie filling and the home made Bavarian Creme that makes this German Bakery famous. Looks kind of small?
NO! This is a pie shaped piece of Danish, the pie part being filled with the fillings.
Hans and Harry's is worth the drive and a stop.
Hans and Harry's Bakery Corp 5080 Bonita Road, Bonita, Ca 91902 (619) 475-2253 M-F 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m, Sat 6:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Sunday Website
Yay! I love Hans and Harry’s! Their fruit strudel is the best! I also like their heart shaped tea cakes. This is our go-to bakery for Valentine’s day! 🙂
A person at work brought one of the fruit tarts, and it was delicious. Hans and Harry is out of the way for me, too, but I’m thinking of stopping here on my next salt & pepper chicken wing run. Or should it be a taco run?
So very good and always so fresh, cc. Valentine’s Day-another excuse to be in the area! I really like that it isn’t an uppity/pretentious type of bakery, but more like what I grew up with: simple quality.
Everything from here is good, Sandy. TJ Oyster Bar is right down the street…but I would think the dessert and or breakfast stuff from here would go with salt & pepper wings… and it will be on your drive.
@Sandy, and don’t forget Maye’s Empanadas on Bonita Rd as well.
The fruit strudel is really good! The only problem is that the workers can be quite rude at times.
I just had a piece of the fruit strudel yesterday, Paulina-It is yet another piece of baking perfection. I’ve been lucky enough to never encounter anyone unpleasant working at H&H. Welcome to the commenting side of our blog.