Superba Snacks + Coffee
Pumpkin Pie Pop Tart
Kouign Amann
Baked French Toast, Roasted Apple, Maple Syrup, Powdered Sugar
Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Cookie
Gran Fondo Cookie
Superba Churro, Horchata Cream
Almond Croissant
Although Jason Neroni long ago left for Rose Café and James Trees came back to Las Vegas with Esther’s Kitchen it was still with excitement that Superba Snacks + Coffee was visited in Pasadena, the Restaurant opened in September featuring an open air design similar to its Food + Bread siblings though the menu has been truncated significantly.
Still something of a hidden gem, an address at 12 South Arroyo Parkway allowing for plenty of free parking with Pasadena’s plethora of Craftsman-style homes not far off, guests entering the newest Superba will quickly find themselves face-to-face with a small stand offering menus and pre-order forms, a bar full of snacks oddly including Pringles behind it while the service counter resides right.
Perhaps best thought of as a Bakery and Café, a rack of housemade Pastries on display with Salads, Sandwiches and more made-to-order from a small kitchen, it was after concocting a seven part order that tables were rearranged to accommodate five, first bites of a Pop Tart filled with pureed Pumpkin and Baking Spices a reminder of Thanksgiving just-passed while Superba’s Kouign Amann reminisced of Carlos Enriquez’s tenure as Pastry Chef thanks to intense caramelization and plenty of layers with a liquid Butter middle.
Laid back and oh so California, almost every four-top occupied by parallel partners no longer eating but basking in the ambiance, it was with name called out from the counter that “Baked French Toast” was collected, the saturated Bread in cast-iron a far cry from what was once offered in El Segundo though still featuring quality ingredients while two Cookies both showed well, particularly one dubbed “Gran Fondo” that was built on a base of Oats and fortified with plenty of Butter, dried Fruit and Flax Seeds.
Hoping to have saved the best for last, a pair of Croissants visually calling out from Baker’s racks, it was beginning with the Sugar-coated Superba Churro that shattering shell led to honeycombing and light Horchata Cream, the follow-up Almond version unfortunately not executed nearly as well and frankly disastrous with an overly sweet interior and soggy bottom that eats as one might imagine a microwavable Frangipane Hot Pocket.
www.superbasnacksandcoffee.com
