GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Shop
It’s been a banner year for baked goods in Los Angeles: obsession with laminated pastries is at an all-time high, a celebrated pie shop made its way onto the Times’ 101 Best list, and a bounty of new bakeries opened to considerable acclaim.
The most ambitious of them all might be the newly reopened Helms Bakery in Culver City. The nearly century-old bakery shuttered in 1969. After a 12-year labor of love by well-known local chef Sang Yoon (Father’s Office), the reinvented, airy 14,000-square-foot space soft-opened last month.
It was worth the wait. Part shoppy shop on steroids, Helms offers everything from tinned fish to Zab’s hot sauce to Craig’s vegan ice cream. There are even a handful of Japanese snacks, like spicy crawfish Lay’s and grape-and-peach Oreos. A coffee bar sells Helms Coffee espresso drinks, as well as smoothies and soft serve in flavors like Dole whip.
Then, of course, there are the actual baked goods. The pastry case is stocked with a cornucopia of gorgeous treats: slices of cherry pie, cookies from classic chocolate chip to corn-caramel, and yuzu-passionfruit slab cake. The doughnut selection is impressive as well (note, especially, the carrot cake and espresso-glazed crullers).
Fresh-baked breads include baguettes, country loaves, pain de mie, and a croissant loaf that might make for great holiday French toast.
While lunchtime offerings are currently relegated to grab-and-go status, they’re several steps above average. Konbini-style egg- and tuna-salad sandwiches, Spam kimbap, sides like tahini carrots, and hot options like brown sugar-marinated and glazed chicken wings were flying off the shelves around midday on a recent Thursday.
If this is any indication of what it’ll be once fully baked, the second act of Helms is poised for sweet success. –Karen Palmer
→ Helms Bakery (Culver City) • 322 Helms Ave • Soft-opening hours: Thurs-Sun, 8a-2p.