A Los Angeles bakery week that starts with a cookie

Clementine is the opening move for cookie hunters who prefer a useful benchmark to another announcement. Ask which cookies are available, then add a scone only if comparison still sounds sensible. The kitchen makes both in daily batches, so start with the cookie rather than a full lunch. A storefront photograph gives the tasting a location. No scarcity speech required.

After Monday's cookie benchmark, Mad Lab Coffee gives espresso obsessives a pause. Its listed 7am opening offers an early start, not a pastry guarantee. Order coffee first and ask what fresh pastries are available at this Sunset Boulevard stop. Keep one drink and one pastry as the brief; photograph the pairing. A branch tour can wait for a less focused week.

Two French bakery counters on West Pico suit the friend who insists on a comparison. Begin at Bakery LA for handcrafted pastries, then take a short walk along the boulevard toward Ludivine Paris Bakery for viennoiseries. Ask each counter what is available before doubling an order. Treat one bake per stop as the assignment; photograph both separately. Two breakfasts would be a different assignment.

Bread people get their turn at Frisco Baking Co in Cypress Park. Its loaves supply The Pantry and Philippe's, which is a better conversation starter than an unverified queue story. Put sourdough before sweets on today's order of operations and ask about the Italian breads. The listed Thursday opening is 9:30am; start there, not at dawn. A whole loaf makes the case without much styling.

Pan dulce changes the conversation at Panaderia Coatzingo on South Broadway. This takeout-only counter suits a tasting-minded pair, not an afternoon campout. Start with a sweet bread, ask about the savory breads, and consider a gelatina for contrast. Keep the bread comparison central to the visit; save the storefront photograph for outside. The seating plan is mercifully short.

Du-Pars is the Farmers Market counterpoint for diners who normally chase the newest thing. Its scratch-baked pies and hand-prepared daily food make a sensible case for looking backward. Ask which pies are available before committing to hotcakes; leave room for a slice is the entire strategy. The storefront supplies the photograph. A release calendar would add very little here.

By Sunday, the tasting notes deserve a chair. Elysee Bakery & Cafe in Westwood suits friends who want to compare favorites over coffee rather than schedule another crossing of town. Ask about a Napoleon or fruit tart, then let one final pastry settle the argument. Ample seating makes lingering part of this stop's appeal. Take the table photograph before the conversation abandons the week's rankings.