Best Bakery Café: El Carrusel Bakery

Whether it’s their picture perfect conchas in all shapes and sizes and colors of the rainbow celebrating the L.A. Dodgers or heart-shaped for Valentine’s Day, El Carrusel Bakery has been serving Salvadoran, Mexican and Guatemalan pastries and pan dulce in the San Fernando Valley since 2005, as well as atoles, agua frescas and stacks of their signature cheesy delicious pupusas that would even make “fucking Rick Dalton” whimper.

Founded by third generation Latinos in the bakery business, the stores are a feast for the senses. Their tres leches cakes — which are available in individual portions or whole — come in horchata, chocolate and mocha flavors , and their  plantain empanadas are filled with your choice of  house-made milk custard or beans.

Wash it all down with horchata iced coffee or a hot atol shuco available on weekends in a variety of flavors including purple corn, red beans, alhuaishte and chile. —Michele Stueven

6800 Reseda Blvd., Reseda;(818) 344-7696; 14851 Victory Blvd., Van Nuys; (818) 988-3797; 13923 Van Nuys Blvd., Arleta; (818) 896-7999, carruselbakery.com.

A: Best Asian Bistro (Nomad); Best New Restaurant (Auburn)

B: Best Brewery (Imperial Western Beer Company); 

Best Brunch Bowl (Mar Vista Cranked Bowl)

C: Best Bakery Cafe (El Carrusel Bakery)

D: Best Donuts (Trejo’s Coffee and Donuts)

E: Best Eggs (Egg Tuck) 

F: Best Fried Chicken Sandwich (Preux & Proper)

G: Best Gelato (Gelateria Uli)

H: Best Hotel Bar (Poolside at the Hotel Figueroa’s Veranda)

I: Best Indian (India’s Tandoori)

J: Best Place to Get Japanese Whisky (Mrs. Fish)

K: Best Korean BBQ (Chosun Galbi)

L: Best Lasagna (Viale dei Romani)

M: Best Middle Eastern (Bavel);

Best Mexican Sushi (El Sushi Loco)

N: Best Latin Market (Northgate Gonzalez)

O: Best Oysters (Water Grill)

P: Best Pork Chop (Yours Truly); Best Plant-Based Cuisine (The Butcher’s Daughter)

Q: Best Quesadilla (Tacos 1986)

R: Best Rooftop (Margot)

S: Best Sunday Supper (Lucques); Best Seafood (Michael Cimarusti)

T: Best Tortilla (Sonoratown)

U: Best Udon (Marugame Monzo)

V: Best Vietnamese Experience (Crustacean); Best Breakfast Burrito in the Valley (Sloane’s Valley Village)

W: Best Chicken Wings (Ord & Broadway)

Y: Best Yakitori Bar (Hatch Yakitori + Bar)

Z: Best Peruvian Chef (Ricardo Zarate)

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