Atwater's is a bakery in Downtown, Baltimore.
Atwater's bakes naturally-leavened breads at its Belvedere Square stall, a local bakery known for crusty sourdough, scratch soups and seasonal galettes.
Tip: The Belvedere Square stall pairs the bread with a soup-and-half-sandwich lunch.
Address: 529 East Belvedere Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21212
Harmony Bakery in Hampden is Baltimore's vegan and gluten-free bakery, turning out dairy-free cakes, cookies and pastries from a small Chestnut Avenue shop.
Tip: Everything is vegan and most is gluten-free; the cinnamon rolls go fast on weekend mornings.
Worth the queue: Vegan gluten-free cakes and cookies
The Bun Shop on Read Street in Mount Vernon is an all-day cafe and pastry counter, pulling espresso and serving filled buns, kolaches and pastries late.
Tip: It keeps long hours and pours wine and beer in the evening, not just coffee and pastry.
Worth the queue: Sweet and savoury filled buns
Pitango Bakery + Cafe in Fells Point pairs naturally-leavened breads and laminated pastries with the company's own gelato, a corner cafe on South Ann Street.
Tip: It shares roots with Pitango Gelato; pair a morning pastry with a scoop in the afternoon.
Worth the queue: Naturally-leavened bread and gelato
Bonjour Bakery & Cafe on Falls Road is a north Baltimore French bakery, baking croissants, macarons, quiche and sandwiches for a steady neighbourhood crowd.
Tip: Weekend mornings draw a line; the almond croissant and quiche are the reliable orders.
Worth the queue: Croissants and macarons
Kneads Bakeshop is H&S Bakery's Harbor East flagship, a 17,000 square foot cafe and bakery turning out scratch sourdough, laminated pastries, sandwiches and pies under the Paterakis family banner.
Tip: It pulls double duty as cafe and lunch counter; the croissants and the Wednesday-to-Saturday late hours make it the easy Harbor East default.
Worth the queue: Scratch croissants and sourdough loaves
Vaccaro's has filled cannoli to order in Little Italy since 1956, a sit-down dessert counter for gelato, espresso, tiramisu and trays of Italian cookies.
Tip: The cannoli is filled to order so the shell stays crisp; the lines run late after dinner.
Worth the queue: Cannoli filled to order
