Dianda’s Italian American Pastry
St. Honore Balls
Cream Puff
Open since 1962 and one of those old-world places where there are staff members who’ve been around since before I was born my primary reason for visiting Dianda’s was the oft raved St. Honore – a cake that is unfortunately not sold in individual portions but is instead reinterpreted by the bakery as small balls of choux covered with a crystalized shellac of sugar overlying light pastry cream inside. A remarkable dessert/pastry on its own but all the better when paired with a custard cream puff – also choux based but featuring dense yellow custard similar to that constituting the base of the St. Honore cake both at Dianda’s and in Paris – I really have no idea how or why an Italian Pastry shop is serving such an impressive take on a French classic but be that as it may I’d strongly suggest stopping by to anyone venturing this part of the Mission, especially given its proximity (and earlier opening hours) to Mission Pie.
http://www.diandasbakery.com/