The smell of Picasso’s Pastries and Café is enticing, wafting its way from the back kitchen to outside in the parking lot. At 8 a.m. during a busy weekday with heat and humidity greeting you, it can take a lot to get out of bed. But brewed coffee, fresh pastries and an eclectic charm may be just the trick.

A small hanging sign daintily clad in purple and yellow welcomes you to Picasso’s Pastries and Café. The croissant painted on the sign, along with a banner underneath introducing Café Kubal as the official coffee supplier, should assure you this place means business.

But inside was where I really wanted to be. The walls were an assortment of colors such as neon green and orange, and featured simple wood trims. A handful of thrift store-esque couches, stools and chairs strangely fit in with the décor, as did the collection of artwork, plants and knick knacks surrounding the interior.

Of course, the most beautiful pieces of work in the bakery were the pastries themselves. A combination of muffins, breads, fresh pop-tarts, pies and savory goods were everywhere. Each display case had handwritten lettering on it, proudly announcing each hand-crafted item.

It was at this point I couldn’t help myself and uttered the words that I’ve wanted to say for quite a while: “One of everything please!” Amused and surprised, the girl behind the counter smiled, probably thinking I was crazy, and started collecting each item. And boy, were there a lot.

All said and done, the collection included blueberry, chocolate chip and morning glory — think carrot cake with coconut — muffins, almond croissant, plain croissant, apple doughnut, sweet potato doughnut, apple pop-tart, dark chocolate banana doughnut, cheese biscuit, ham and cheese biscuit, blueberry poppy seed doughnut and rosemary cheddar biscuit.

To keep with tradition, I ordered a hot coffee to accompany this mountain of glutinous treats. Picasso’s offers the full range of Café Kubal offerings, from coffee to cappuccinos.

The morning glory muffin was a little dry, but the carrot cake and coconut was an obvious compliment. The apple pop tart was filled with large apple slices and the pasty was nicely formed around it. The savory options were also interesting.

I enjoyed the cheddar rosemary biscuit, which could also make for great sandwich bread. I did find the bread slightly too dry, probably because of how much cheese there was inside. However, the rosemary was a nice, sharp flavor that could cut through the cheese.

Unfortunately, I knew that I couldn’t eat so many pastries by myself — trust me, I tried. I didn’t want them to get stale and old just sitting around in my kitchen, so I enlisted the help of my fellow classmates to finish them.

The originality of its baked goods and the classy atmosphere make Picasso’s more than just another corner café. The savory flavors made up for the few dry pastries, which interested me enough to come back for more.

Published on September 15, 2014 at 12:01 am

Contact Rohan: rythakor@syr.edu