The anticipation was palpable when I strolled into Rosalind Coffee in Garland last Saturday morning. I’d never been to the place before, I rarely find myself in Garland at all. But this day was one of La Casita Bakeshop’s pop-up events. I’d been stalking the business on Instagram for long enough and vowed to make it to the event come hell or high water.
The shop was packed upon my arrival.The La Casita folks were a bit late in setting up and a hoard of hungry fans were already filling the coffee shop as they walked in the door with their fold-out table and containers filled with baked goods. They set up quickly, laying out their large stash of pastries and scribbling the names of each item on butcher paper covering the table that held all their wares. The lines formed, wrapping around the shop several times, and everyone squeezed together to make room for those patrons still coming in the door. You see, La Casita’s faithful followers already knew that the team would sell out, and probably sell out quickly, so getting there early is crucial to acquiring your desired goods. I was early, and luckily, there was no shortage of pastry by the time I reached the table.
I’d had my eye on their menu for months, so it was difficult not to order everything they offered. I walked away with a sizable haul, hopped across the street to an adjacent park, and enjoyed my pastries under the beautiful Texas sun.
First, there was a duo of “cruffins”, the croissant-muffin hybrid. Theirs come in “lemon bar” with a sweet and tangy lemon cream filling, and “churro,” which is rolled in cinnamon and sugar and filled with dulce de leche. La Casita takes some inspiration for the treat from the famous Mr. Holmes Bakeshop in San Francisco, which I just happened to be at two weeks ago. La Casita’s was every bit as delicious.
I could not pass on their kouign amann, for which I’ve expressed my deepest love in the past. It’s sweet, sticky, and buttery, and La Casita does a respectable job with this somewhat tricky-to-master item. There was a lovely peach hand pie, salted chocolate chip cookie, a s’mores brownie with toasted marshmallow, and an oreja, a thin, crispy Mexican cookie coated in cinnamon and sugar.
A savory elotes tart was among the greatest items consumed. It’s topped with corn and cheese, all of which comes cradled in a flaky, buttery crust. But it did not get any better than the fantastic “milk and honey” croissant, a decadent and darn-near-perfect croissant coated in a shellac of crispy honeyed sugar and filled with pastry cream. It was beautiful.
La Casita Bakeshop is the work of owners, Maricsa Trejo and Alex Henderson. They’ve been cranking out these exceptional pastries for two years now, manning the ovens seven days a week since the beginning. They began doing pop-up events earlier in the spring of this year. And for good reason, their popularity has snowballed since that time.
But numerous shops in the Dallas area have also been ordering and stocking La Casita’s pastries. Places like Cultivar Coffee, Houndstooth Coffee, Tribal All Day Cafe, Parks Coffee, Lemma, Brewed LTD, Mudhen, The Statler Hotel, Stupid Good Coffee, The Merchant, and more. However, these locations generally order off a wholesale menu and selection varies between them. Honestly, for the full experience and the widest selection, you need to hunt down a pop-up event.
Do yourself a favor and follow La Casita Bakeshop closely. I doubt their pop-ups will become any less popular in the foreseeable future, but I assure you that your efforts to obtain their baked goods will be worthwhile.
