Nathaniel Reid Bakery is a bakery in Kirkwood, St. Louis.
Award-winning pastry chef Nathaniel Reid makes precise modern French entremets, tarts and viennoiserie in Kirkwood, rated the metro's finest pastry case.
Tip: The seasonal entremets and the croissants are the standouts. It draws a weekend crowd, so go early.
Address: 11243 Manchester Rd, Kirkwood, MO 63122, St. Louis
Whisk bakes cakes, cookies and seasonal pastries from scratch on Cherokee Street with a sustainability focus, a community-minded anchor of the Cherokee crawl.
Tip: The seasonal cakes and the cookies are the orders. It shares the Cherokee Street block with the Mud House coffee crowd.
Worth the queue: Cakes, cookies and seasonal pastries
A tiny Lindenwood Park bakery, Pint Size turns out muffins, scones and a cult salted caramel-chocolate cookie alongside Kaldi's coffee. A peanut-free kitchen.
Tip: The salted caramel-chocolate cookie is the order, and stock is small. Get there before mid-morning on Saturdays.
Worth the queue: Salted caramel-chocolate cookies and muffins
A small Dogtown bakery, Sugaree specialises in scratch pies and layer cakes, a neighbourhood spot known for seasonal fruit pies. Weekend hours only.
Tip: It is open only Friday to Sunday, so plan accordingly. The seasonal fruit pies and the cakes are the reasons to go.
Worth the queue: Seasonal fruit pies and cakes
A James Beard America's Classics winner on The Hill, Gioia's slices its house Hot Salami onto fresh-baked bread, a sandwich St. Louis treats as a rite.
Tip: The Original Hot Salami is the order, made from Gioia's own fresh sausage. The line moves fast at lunch.
Worth the queue: Hot salami sandwich on fresh-baked bread
A South County mainstay since 1956, McArthur's is a classic full-service bakery known for celebration cakes and a deep case of St. Louis bakery staples.
Tip: It is the go-to for custom and celebration cakes. The gooey butter cake and the donuts hold up the everyday case.
Worth the queue: Custom cakes and gooey butter cake
World's Fair Donuts has fried hand-made yeast and cake doughnuts from a small Vandeventer shop for almost 90 years, the city's classic doughnut counter.
Tip: It is cash-only and gone by lunch most days; arrive early for the apple fritter and the red velvet cake doughnut.
Worth the queue: Apple fritter and red velvet cake doughnut
