Grand Central Awesomeness!

So nice, I've been there thrice. What is this haven of baked goods and beautiful coffee? Why, Grand Central Bakery, of course!

Located in the rectangle of Pioneer Square is this passageway to pastry heaven. Grand Central specializes in artisan breads and other assorted baked goods from scratch. They also have a cafe menu with some interesting sandwiches available. My experience with them was love at first sip. The atmosphere is also what keeps me going back and singing its praises to the multitudes. The music is loud, the baristas sing along, the customers laugh and have a good time, and the bakery smells give you a euphoric contact high.

Couple that with the cozy yet spacious dining area and it's way more fun than eating grocery store croissants at home while drinking from the coffee pot.

The lattes are like artwork with their milky designs on top, making me feel special as the one who is about to partake of it. "You made that leaf just for me?" And even though that's standard with their drinks, that's how the staff at Grand Central Bakery makes you feel. The pastries are so flaky you'll definitely need more than one napkin (so you can clean yourself up and the mess you make on the table). Biting into their confectionery delights is like hosting a holiday party on your tongue. It's that enjoyable. If you are going to venture to try lunch there (and I certainly hope you do), I recommend the Mediterranean Tosti. It is action packed with cheese and the kalamata olives give it a crave-able touch. Make sure you pick up a cookie or a pastry for dessert. It would be a tragedy if you passed up the opportunity to eat fresh, buttery sweetness to balance out the savory sandwich. If you decide you can't live without Grand Central baked goods in your home, they have loaves of happiness available for purchase so you can make your own fantastic sandwiches (that seriously will probably not be nearly as good as theirs so you might as well plan on going back again).

Make sure you pick up a punch card while there as well. You'll need it once you try this place.

http://www.grandcentralbakery.com/home