OC Bakery With Cult-Like Following to Open in San Diego

Blackmarket Bakery, which specializes in from-scratch pastries, breads, cakes and sandwiches, is expanding to San Diego; it'll land at 4688 30th Street, adjacent to Polite Provisions. The award-winning bakery was founded by pastry chef Rachel Klemek, who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley and founded Blackmarket in 2004. In 2012, the bakery opened its first retail location in The CAMP complex in Costa Mesa; its expansion plans include a new shop in downtown Santa Ana in addition to the San Diego branch.

Eater got the scoop from Blackmarket's Alison Horn, who will be running the San Diego bakery; the buildout of 3,000-square-foot space includes a new 1,500-square-foot patio which will be shaded and dog-friendly. Horn says that the menu will be similar to the original location, which ranges from morning pastries and savory sandwiches for breakfast and lunch to tarts, cookies and confections. Blackmarket is known for its house-baked breads, from lemon rosemary sourdough to almond six-grain, and its decorate-it-yourself layer cakes, which include Uber Coconut (coconut buttermilk cake with coconut syrup, shredded coconut and vanilla buttercream) and the Metropolis, which frosts a chocolate cake soaked in coffee simple syrup with chocolate-caramel buttercream.

The eatery will serve coffee and espresso drinks and eventually, wine and beer. Horn told Eater that while the 30th Street shop will function has the bakery's home base in San Diego, they may open smaller outposts around the city.