Bakesale Betty's

5098 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA - (510) 985-1213

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Posted By Michael Stern on July 29, 2008 5:10 PM

As the name suggests, Bakesale Betty's is all about cookies, cakes, bars, and scones, none of which I tried when I visited. I had only two sweet things -- strawberry shortcake and blueberry pie. They both were good, the shortcake made upon a big, creamy biscuit and loaded with real whipped cream and full-flavored strawberries; the intensely fruity pie build upon a crust as beguiling as a sugar cookie. The brownies, sticky date pudding with caramel sauce, and cinnamon-crumb-topped banana bread all look marvelous, and will be tasted next time I come here.

And I will come back, for sure, because the fried chicken sandwich I enjoyed, dining on one of the ironing-board tables set out on the sidewalk, is an East Bay notable. While ordering at the counter, you can watch the sandwiches made in the open kitchen. Chewy-crusted buns are loaded with coarse-cut cole slaw then piled with pieces of chicken still hot from the fry kettle. There is a spicy crunch to the chicken's golden crust, which is thin enough that the sandwich's potential redundancy of bread and breading is immaterial.

Chicken comes first, but egg, in the form of egg salad, shouldn't be ignored. That is the alternative sandwich on the two-item menu, and while it lacks the crunchy, spicy punch of the chicken, it is a superb sandwich with its own kind of drama in the form of peppery arugula in lieu of lettuce. To drink, there is tart lemon slush; and as for dessert – the sky is the limit at Bakesale Betty's.

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