La Monarca
Chocolate Butter Cookie, Walnut Butter Cookie, Mexican Wedding Cookie, Polvoron
Capirotada Bread Pudding – Coconut, Agave, Golden Raisins
Taco de Crema
Pan de Elote
Cuernito de Cajeta
Dulce de Leche Cake
Tres Leches Cake
Expanding from one store to several through a strategy that appears to focus on diverse communities where diners are less likely to enter a traditional Panaderia, La Monarca has been described by purists as “Mexican Panera,” and although the space undoubtedly does trend commercial in many ways with standardized recipes as well as menus the feel is somehow a bit less ‘contrived’ than similar eateries while the staff is just as gracious and eager to please.
Admittedly underwhelmed by several Mexican sweets, cornmeal and bleached flour bases often lacking the textural elegance of European pastry, or even “American” baked goods, La Monarca utilizes Industrial ovens in most of its craftsmanship while producing cakes at one central location, the staff of three left to the duties of customer service such as answering questions and constructing all-day sandwiches, many of which seem quite popular as a grab n’ go breakfast or lunch bites.
Personally sticking to baked goods, ten options including four 50-cent cookies tallying just twenty bucks, it was at one of two counter seats that I laid out my bounty while browsing in-house Wi-Fi and with free parking an added benefit first bites of Bread Pudding were unexpectedly shocking, the base neither creamy nor overly softened, but offering crispy cubes soaked in agave with toasted coconut and plump raisins instead.
Moving quickly through the cookies, each a mere bite with both butter cookies and the Mexican Wedding round reminding me of the sort of things traditionally made at Christmas time, La Monarca’s Cornbread would provide the next menu highlight as whole kernels helped to fortify the base beneath a moist and savory crumb, the laminated “Cream Taco” a bit too pasty in its filling while the caramel horn ate like a croissant with far less levity due to a core piped full of caramel that was expectedly both sticky and sweet.
Rounding out the sampling with two slices of cake, Tres Leches a personal favorite that is well executed at La Monarca without being *too* soggy or sweet, the Dulce de Leche is unfortunately far less compelling in part due to a dry sponge like that of stale Angelfood, but also as a result of frosting that was more granulated-sugar in texture than it’s name would lead guests to think.
http://www.lamonarcabakery.com
