Chow Lists

• 1. Boudin Sourdough Bakery & Cafe at Bakers Hall

  2890 Taylor St, San Francisco, CA 94133

  (2009) $1 – There are other locations throughout the Bay Area. <br><br> A truly unholy bun.Once the classic perfect bun, each year they get worse. <br><br> The ‘cross’ cut into the top looked more like a jagged irregular scar which the top swelled around like infected flesh. The thinnest custard coagulated in the cut … “is that custard?” I wondered, picking at it like a scab. I’m still not sure. <br><br> It has been a few years now that they put them in cupcake paper … so wrong. <br><br> It was like biting into cotton … that exact taste and texture. I think though they were going for brioche since there was a faint background butter note. <br><br> They were even stingier on the fruit this year. There were a few raisins, one tiny piece of red citron and another unidentifiable piece of clear citron… I’m guessing … hoping … otherwise what this small chewy bit might be … too horrid to contemplate. <br><br> Boudin once again takes dead last place on the hot cross bun list.

• 2. Miette Cakes

  1 Ferry Bldg # 10, San Francisco, CA

  Other locations in SF. Memorably bad. As often is the case with Miette, looks 10 taste zero. They were golden and plump with a deep cross cut in the top and filled with, my favorite, white icing. Dry, stale tasting and they used rye flour. The less than generous currents were tasteless. The icing was ok. Had to buy 4 at a stiff $6.Took a few bites and threw the rest. Tried it long ago when Miette first started selling at Ferry Plaza Farmers Market … Green St. location

• 3. Raley's

  3360 San Pablo Dam Rd, El Sobrante, CA 94803

  Chain supermarket with various locations. $2.99 for nine.Dry-ish bun. Lemon cross on the gluey side. Sparse candied fruit and raisins. No apparant spice like cinnamon or clove The classic bad supermarket hot cross bun.

• 4. Bread Workshop

  1398 University Ave, Berkeley, CA 94702

  $1.25 Nice looking brown crust with cross cut into the dough and filled with white icing, but that was the best part. It was too dry & dense with not enough raisins (maybe three) and only one piece of dried fruit which might have been a cranberry

• 5. Market Hall Bakery

  5655 College Ave, Oakland, CA 94618

  (2009) $1.95 Large bun that was more bready than a sweet roll. This was a sloppy bun. If the sign had not identified them as hot cross buns, there would be no way to know. The custard cross, while covering the top was all over the place and didn’t look like a cross. There were splotches of white icing here and there. There were some chopped raisins, no spice or citron and the bun was a bit dry. The description at the bakery said there were hints of orange … nope.

• 6. Sweet Things

  3585 California St, San Francisco, CA

  (2009) $2 Also in TIBURON A white cross that was tasty, but too soft so it rubbed off onto the paper it was wrapped in. This was dry and healthy tasting. It had a whole wheat taste and a very loose crumb. Raisins only and not enough.

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