A photograph of a street with a church on the horizon

Outstanding baker category

Kathryn raved about Café Mochiko and the pastries of James Beard semifinalist Chef Elaine Townsend in the outstanding baker category.

We met up this Saturday morning to sample from the menu and the line was almost to the door. She picked out some of her favorites and a few new things to try. We tailgated outside of her new Bronco Sport and ohmyword everything was awesome—from the savory kimchi and egg croissant to the not-too-sweet dulce banana danish.

★★★★★

Pastries in a display case at a Japanese bakery
Cafe Mochiko pastries (photo by Kathryn)
A selection of pastries in a box
A selection of pastries (NO, we didn’t not eat all of them.)
A hanging sign outside of a modern brick building that reads "Cafe Mochiko"
Cafe Mochiko

The weather was lovely for a bonus walk around East Walnut Hills to round out the morning.

A t-shirt with words that say "Somebody in Cincinnati Loves Me" in a swash serif typeface
T-shirt on display at Originalitees
A classic building with illustrations of owls in the windows
I think of DJ whenever I see the owls of Branch
An ornate door with yellow panels and the word Branch written in matching yellow above it
(He developed their identity)
Two buildings at an angle, one ornate, one that looks decorated like the old west
A centered building that is decorated like an old western store
Totally dig the wild western vibes of Schulhoff Equipment Co.
An empty foundation with a sculpture of three figures entwined
Fountain dedicated to Virginia Powers Berten