Welcome to Mayfield

Back in the day, south Palo Alto was a independent town called Mayfield.  Apparently, Mayfield was kind of a rowdy place, and refused Leland Stanford's offer to place his university there. Thus Stanford was founded in Palo Alto.  You know the rest.  In the 1920's, the two towns merged but the Mayfield name pops up from time to time.  Well now, Palo Altans of all stripes can enjoy the Mayfield Bakery and Cafe, another new arrival to the revitalized Town & Country Shopping Center.  So far we've visited the bakery twice and been happy each time.

Our first foray was for a weekday pastry run.  The bakery is sparkling with lots of white tile. There are two small tables if you want to stay, but it's definitely more of a carry-out location. The display case holds individual desserts and sandwiches.  Behind the counter are baskets holding a variety of fresh-baked breads including baguettes and a killer ciabatta, not too crunch on the outside and light and airy inside.  We selected a cream cheese danish, cinnamon sugar danish and a huckleberry muffin.   The pastries were delicious.  The dough was flaky, and the filling fresh.  I am not usually a muffin eater.  Typically they are a calorie and vegetable oil laden stomach bomb.  But, I was intrigued by the huckleberry and didn't want to go off the deep end with the pecan sticky buns (but boy did they look good).  It was light, fluffy and not too sweet or too large.  Nice way to start the morning.  As usual, Georges tried the espresso and pronounced it surprisingly good.   We decided to pick up a few desserts for later.  

The desserts were a mixed bag.  I loved my lemon tart with crystallized ginger.  It was smooth and tart, although I think the ginger could have been more pronounced.  Giselle had the Smore, which was a re-imagining of the childhood treat.  A homemade marshmallow topped a very rich chocolate ganache and graham cracker crust.  It was beautiful and delicious, but only a real chocoholic could finish it.  Georges had tiramisu which was also a twist on a classic.  I think your enjoyment of this one would depend on your willingness to let go of the traditional preparation of this dish.  All the flavors were there, the creamy mascarpone, the coffee and chocolate, but it resembled more of a tiered mousse than the layered ladyfinger and custard dish we all love.  Pastry chef Nancy Pitta has an impressive resume (Hawthorne Lane and Boulevard in SF) and her talent is evident.  I look forward to more treats from Mayfield's ovens.  I must add that all this deliciousness comes at a price.  My wallet was about $40 lighter after this little adventure.

Today, we decided to take-out a rainy day lunch.  We sampled three sandwiches: spit-roasted pork loin on the aforementioned ciabatta.  It had grilled red onions, cheese and a red pepper mayonnaise.  The pork was tender and well-seasoned and the combo worked.  Also good was the roast beef with the same onions, and asiago on a baguette.  Not as successful was a pulled chicken sandwich with bacon, brie and arugula on the same baguette.  The bacon had an unappealing pale look and fatty texture which gave the sandwich a greasy mouth feel. Combined with the buttery brie, it was not a pleasant experience.  

Next up, we'll review the Mayfield Cafe for lunch or dinner.