Nothing beats the smell of fresh bread and coffee in the morning, and this lovely panaderia (Spanish bakery) in Long Beach definitely won’t disappoint. Gusto Bread is influence by Mexican and indigenous traditions, and you will find pastries such as Nixtamal Queen (sweet, chewy pastry with alternating layers of sourdough and corn masa) and Concha de Cacao (pan dulce with a crunchy chocolate top) that you will have a hard time finding anywhere else.

Not to mention the coffee! They source their coffee from Cafe Cuate, a specialty coffee roaster producing high quality Latin American-grown coffee. I had the Atole Latte which is made with their heirloom maiz cream and it was delicious! My partner had the Dulce de Leche which they make with Argentine dulce. Both were not too sweet, which is an important requirement for my favorite lattes, and well-balanced.

In terms of pastries, I had the Dona, which is a twice-baked concha with a light filling of strawberry jam and almond cream topped with roasted sliced almonds. I really enjoyed the combination of flavors and texture and would definitely recommend! I also bought some Polvorones which are crumbly, powder sugar-dusted cookies full of wonderful, walnut nuttiness! I also ended up taking a loaf of the California loaf home, which is one of the most popular sourdoughs, and the one with the softest center.

Needless to say, I loved my first experience at Gusto Bread, and I think it would be a lovely place for a coffee date or to hang out with a friend. I definitely loved the homey yet modern, mom-and-pop ambience, and I can’t wait to be back again!

Gusto Bread
2710 E. 4th Street
Long Beach, CA 90814
https://gustobread.com/

@gustobread

*great for couples and friend dates