June 20, 2018

Pitango Bakery & Cafe

I cannot tell you how many things I’ve purchased or places I’ve been to based off of an ad or account I saw on Instagram. It’s sad really. But, some kinda way I started following Pitango Bakery & Café on Instagram (@pitango_bakery_cafe and they also have an account for their gelato shops @pitangogelato) and I knew I had to check it out. It took me a while but I finally made my way out to Baltimore’s Fells Point neighborhood to take in the gloriousness that is Pitango Bakery & Café.

Before even entering the café, let me tell you what I appreciated about it:

First, it’s directly on the waterfront. Great views of the Patapsco River, boats, barges, and Tide Point directly across the water.

Second, plenty of parking nearby. I so struggle with parallel parking, which is also quite sad but by now just a fact of life despite living in an area that is committed to parallel parking. However, there is lots of street parking including non-parallel parking areas.

Third, all of the covered outdoor seating. With the excellent waterfront views of course you want to sit outside and enjoy the sights and the breeze without risking melanoma, Pitango has you covered.

Okay, so now that I’ve adequately enticed you, let me tell you about inside the café. It’s incredibly roomy, full of light, and filled with the aromas of freshly baked bread and made-to-order coffees. It’s a little weird with the line to the left and the menu to the right but luckily I had already perused the menu online and pretty much knew what I wanted.

For my first order of the day, I had an Egg croissant sandwich – egg over medium with red pepper, salsa verde, parmigiano, and arugula on a flaky, buttery croissant – and a cortado. If Pitango had pour overs, then it would probably be The Perfect Café but in all honesty the drip coffee was very, very good (Pitango serves Vigilante coffee, a local DC roaster).

I took a seat outside under the shade of the umbrellas, where I enjoyed the waterfront views and the breeze off of the water. The cortado was good but the croissant sandwich was amazing. Amazing to the point that I was tempted to order another one. The salsa verde is what took it over the top. It was simply delightful.

For my second order of the day, I ordered a polenta cake with apricot marmalade and another cortado. What I really wanted was a slice of the raspberry cake, chocolate cake, or caramel cheesecake but I told myself that the polenta cake was not really cake and therefore I could eat that without feeling guilty. WRONG! I still felt guilty because it wasn’t as delicious as I thought it was going to be. It was a bit drier than I anticipated and with such a mild flavor it bordered on bland. Polenta cake can have a depth of flavor but not this one.

When my boyfriend and I had our Baltimore staycation and visited Pitango, I immediately ordered the raspberry cake (along with a drip coffee and Red sandwich – Prosciutto di Parma, fresh mozzarella, and avocado on the most delicious tomato focaccia ever). It was everything I hoped for – light, airy, moist cake layered with a not-too-sweet-but-sweet enough raspberry preserve cream. Paired with the drip coffee, it was the perfect match.