Art Bakery Cafe

So I was stuck wandering around London Square while Costco worked on my tires one late Tuesday afternoon. Needing a bit of a caffeine fix, I figured that a walk over to Sergio’s for a quick shot of Cuban coffee would be appropriate.
And then… I walked in front of the Art Bakery Café. Their little flyer with the coffee menu posted on the window caught my eye. Lately I’ve been in a Vanilla Macchiato mood, needing to have at least one a week. I am soooo glad that I walked in to this place. Apparently they’ve been there quite a while, and it boggles my mind that they haven’t garnered more of a following.
I decided to order a chocolate croissant along with my macchiato and then proceeded to sit down while working on some writing. The girl up front was nice enough to let me keep my tab open when I told her I might decide to take some stuff home when I was done. I lost track of time once I got lost in writing, but I was quite aware of the deliciousness not only of the coffee but of the croissant as well. It was one of the best croissants I’ve had in a while, and for sure the best out in West Kendall. Flaky but not overly so, with a good amount of dough-​y-​ness to it. Not overly buttery or greasy, just enough butter to add a nice flavor and the chocolate inside wasn’t overwhelming. A perfect compliment to my coffee I have to say.
After sitting there lost in writing for a little over an hour, undisturbed by staff, I decided it was time to check on my car. When I ordered a croissant to take home, the nice girl at the register asked if I would like to take some empanadas home because they would be closing up soon and therefore just throwing them out. (which btw is great, because I know some places out in Kendall that keep them for the next day and sell them at full price. never good) I said sure, I’ll take two of each. To my surprise, she gave them to me FREE! I was very happy and of course tipped appropriately. At home I tried the ham and cheese empananda and the chicken empanada, of which I found the chicken to be the best. I enjoyed the spinach one the next day at work and it was quite yummy. These were the baked kind, not fried and I found the dough itself to be delicious.
Since I don’t live out in Kendall any more, I’m not sure when I’ll get to enjoy a stop at this great place again but I am looking forward to it.