Solunto Bakery in Little Italy- Breakfast and snacks and baked goods

Solunto has closed.  It will be missed.

mmm-yoso is being blogged by Cathy today.  Kirk is doing something else. Ed is sweltering.

Hi, again. The Mister and I were downtown early on Saturday morning and wanted breakfast.  We have a few "regular" spots we like to go to before the crowds (and parking meters) kick into gear, and since I do blog about the foods I eat...here we go!

Solunto Bakery on India Street.  Been there forever.  They supply the bread to most of the Italian restaurants- in a par baked form- so it is always fresh.  We go to the source.

Technically the food area in the back is "Honey Bee Ltd." It is run by the same ladies who work in the bakery. They use the same cash register.

The red menu is the breakfast menu; the middle one is the sandwich and specialties menu and the third, more yellow one is the bakery items price sheet. (Click onto any photo to enlarge)

I got the spinach and cheese two egg omelet ($6.95) It comes with the potatoes and a fresh roll and butter.  You can watch the ladies crack the eggs and make the omelet and grab a par-baked Frenchette roll and warm it in the convection oven.  (You can buy the par baked frenchettes for 40¢ each or $4.35/dozen).

   

You can see from this cross section that there is plenty of fresh spinach inside the omelet.  The cheese was a mild cheddar. The potatoes are nicely crispy on the outside and flavorful, soft on the inside...olive oil for cooking, Not overly buttery.  Of course the Frenchette is excellent. Crispy outside, with a great sesame flavor in every bite.

The Mister saw the calzone in the refrigerator case and asked if we could have one heated up for breakfast...of course we could! ($5.95)

As you can see, it is filled with ham, pepperoni and capicola as well as the nicest, creamiest, freshest ricotta and mozzarella I have had in a long time, surrounded by that wonderful handmade crust.  The sauce for dipping was a very nice tomato based one, with  a slight amount of garlic and olive oil added.  Just right. Tastes so fresh.   

The regular coffee here is, meh, and the cappuccino is better with breakfast, but we knew we were heading to the New Downtown Albertson's (it has a Peets inside) and so we just got a regular coffee on this day.

We always get something par baked ( panini are 55¢ each or $5.75/dozen or  a demi loaf $1.75), but I didn't take a picture and since it is Tuesday, well, it's gone.

Occasionally, as it says on the menu, they have Sfingi for 25¢ each or 5/$1 and I grab them up when I can...(basically small fried donut holes, made with orange and lemon zest- usually eaten for the Feast of San Guiseppe- and sometimes stuffed with a ricotta mixture if you get it from a Good Italian Home)(The Mister and I had some from this teensy bakery in Naples, still warm, and it brings back good memories to taste the warm orange/lemon flavoring in a lightly fried dough...)

Solunto Bakery and Honey Bee Ltd. 1643 India Street San Diego 92101 (619) 233-0881

Comments

[ed (from Yuma)]

Hi Cathy,

Looks like a nice omelette, but I'm still staying cool in Monterey. I won't start sweltering until tomorrow.

[Michael]

Grew up on this bread. still the best in San Diego.

Nice story

Michael

[Carol]

Hey Cathy, your breakfast looks good! I was wondering if you had the sfogliatelli and what the filling was? It would be great if I could find a nice Italian bakery that makes sfogliatella (lobster tails) or sfogliatelli (with custard, my favorite!). I think me and the Mister needs to pop in for some breakfast and check out the pastries. Thanks for the review!

[Cathy]

Hi, ed...It must be nice to have the time to take a lengthy vacation in Monterey. I hope you have some more posts for us. Enjoy this cool weather while you can.
Hey, Michael! It's good to know that others have enjoyed Solunto for a long time, too. A slice of pizza for $1.75 to eat while you are walking the ever interesting India Street is always nice, too.
Hello, Carol. The only sfogatelli they have is the pastry with a custard filling ($2.95); no lobster here. I haven't had one lately but know it is always fresh.

[Bri]

Oh, Mama Mia, I remember the Sfogliatelle these guys made.

It was sooooooooo good it was bad! Addictive bad!

I have very fond childhood memories of walking around the Embarcadero eating one of these fantastic confections!

MMM-YOSO!

[Behgo Behgo]

yum yum
I noticed your several Loco Moco posts! one of my all time favorite hawaiian dishes, even though a lot of my friends don't like it, I find it to be the ultimate comfort food!!

[Cathy]

Hi Bri- It is amazing how much something so simple evokes the strongest memories, isn't it? Thanks for sharing and welcome!
Hello Behgo Behgo...actually Kirk has done the Plate Lunch posts, although I have one coming up...from my White Girl Who Lives in Santee perspective. Welcome here and to the blogging world!

[Carol]

Cathy, eagerly waiting for your plate lunch post! I told the Mister about your review of Solunto and we are sooo ready for Saturday! We're going to pop over in the morning, have some breakfast and pick up a couple (or dozen) desserts and bread. We're going to have grilled paninis for lunch!

[Cathy]

Carol! Ummm...one word:Comicon...Saturday is absolutely sold out. Unless you are there at 7 a.m., don't go anywhere near there. Seriously. I was downtown (Market and 4th) at 6 a.m. this morning and the Starbucks was almost full (opening day of Comicon). It is craziness. I know India Street is a little ways off that path, but a lot of people are staying downtown as well as driving in. It is way worse than when the Padres are in town. Also, that early in the morning most likely Solunto won't have the fresh pastries out yet. Most breads should be available, though.

[Carol]

Ooo, ah yeah...completely forgot about Comicon. Thanks for the heads up! Guess I'll have to wait until the Mister is back from HI and go in a couple of weeks. Drat!

[Cathy]

Only if you are there right at 7 a.m., really. I was watching TV and at 6:30 a.m. people were lined up outside the Convention Center. Crazy.

[Carol]

Hey Cathy! So the Mister and I finally made it down Saturday to get some breakfast and some pastries. It was really hot in there with only a fan blowing. My spinach omelet was very good and the potatos were great. The Mister had the 3 eggs over easy with sausage and bacon. He was stuffed. You're right that the coffee was meh. The Mister said it tasted just like Navy coffee.

Unfortunately, no sfogliatelle that day. :-( But I got a lb of mixed cookies, a few small cannolis, a cream puff, a puff pastry with cream filling and a couple of small torpedos for lunch. The cookies were very good, especially the jelly sandwiches. I was really disappointed with the cream filled puff pastry. The puff pastry was very light but the cream filling had no flavor, not sweet at all. The cream puff is still sitting in the fridge but I tried the filling, meh. The Mister and MIL had the cannolis and they said it was decent. I tasted the riccota filling and it's not as smooth as some of the best cannolis I've tried. But it had good flavor and the cannoli shell was nice.

What we absolutely loved was the small torpedos. We ended up having them the next day for lunch. I was going to make paninis but decided not to ruin the bread. Instead, I popped them into the toaster oven (these were not par baked) and after a couple of minutes, they were nice and warm. I made a nice havarta cheese, honey ham, and roasted red bell pepper sandwiches. No mayo or mustard. It was soooo good! The bread was still warm and moist inside and the crust was just perfect! I was amazed how well it kept in the paper bag. Too bad we didn't get a couple more cuz we were craving another sandwich that evening. We'll need to go back sometime soon for more bread and hopefully some sfogliatelle for me. :)

[Cathy]

Wow, what a great report, Carol! A pound of cookies, cannolis, puff pastry and cream puff- for lunch!Hmmm. Ah, but you did not finish them. OK. Pastries are best the first day. Bread can be made to taste fresh again. It is the bread though, isn't it? Gosh I love good bread. Do go back. It is such a quality place. I am glad you liked it.

[Carol]

Thanks, Cathy! Actually, I polished off the last cookie last night. I kept it in the paper box it came with. Held up pretty well, not as fresh as the first day but certainly not stale. I didn't keep it in the fridge, afraid it would get soggy. The cannolis lasted 2 days in the fridge. Not bad! And the only reason why they even lasted that long was cuz the Mister is on a health kick right now (which I ruined by going to Solunto, bwahaha). We will certainly go back, even if it's just for bread. Might pick up a couple of chiabatas too. Have a great weekend!

[Cathy]

Hey, Carol! Health kicks should not exclude anything, actually. It all comes down to eat less, exercise more. Good bread is...wonderful... and a sweet every now and then won't hurt. Now, I must go...run barefoot, tend to the plumerias, spend time in my garden. You know, there is no competition among food blogs here...you could do that too... :) I hope you have a fun weekend.

[Carol]

lol! Don't forget to smell the plumerias!

[bbqdreamer]

Hi Carol,

Man, I'm happy to know I'm not the only one who eats a whole meal then stocks up on counter goods on the way home. It happens at D.Z. Akins a LOT, and at New York Bakery, and at K Sandwiches, and at Vine Ripe... wait a minute... apparently, if I can figure a way to stay out of bakeries... naaahhh... that'll never work.

- Omar

[Cathy]

Hi Carol. I give Kirk all the credit. He found it. :)
Hey, Omar- All places I love and go to. You must be more in the East County than the Zion/Mission Gorge area of town. Again, you can eat a bit of everything, just not "all" of everything.

[Omar]

Hi Cathy,

Jackson and Navajo, here, near Cowles Mountain; it's just easier for us to go east sometimes. But my work takes me around the county, so I get a bit of everything. Might as well share some current favorites:

Tacos El Gordo
Zarlito's
Hodad's
Lou and Mickey's
The pizza place that shall not be named
Barnes' BBQ
Carnitas Uruapan
K Sandwiches
Pho Hoa Hiep
King's Fish House
Vine Ripe Grill
Antica Trattoria
Donovan's
Jasmine
Carl's Jr.
My house

- Omar

[Cathy]

Hi again, Omar. I happen to be at a Starbucks eating a Carl's Jr breakfast burger while online. We have gone to many of the same places and I have blogged quite a few. Youhave a good rotation going. Have you tried the Fish Market place over there on Navajo at Jackson? It used to be wonderful, but I have not been in many years. That whole area was a hangout...on Navajo there are new-er apts/condos and that complex/parking lot area had Baltimore Bagels, the closest bagel place to my house. Baltimore got bought out by Einstein's and...well, just know I don't like change...however, I must adapt. You can see lots of my favorites just by looking through the blog. It's an online, anonymous diary that lets me talk about stuff I normally wouldn't, to a lot of people, daily. A totally differnt way of my being.