George's La Baguette

It was a rainy day in Fort Wayne, and time to find an indoor activity. I had been looking for a good time to visit George's La Baguette - an authentic Mexican bakery near Broadway and Taylor streets, downtown.

It's casual and comfortable - no white gloves here. Instead, one takes an aluminum tray, a set of tongs, and walks around filling the tray with baked goods. There is a ton of stuff. I choose a big slice of carrot cake, a desert that looks like a Hostess fudge cupcake, complete with icing and a creamy center (only this one was baked here fresh from scratch this morning), and my companion took a doughnut. (I will take some of this home to others). All of this cost $2.60. There are boxes at the counter, because most of the business is taken out, but we sit down at some old-fashioned tables where one can watch the people working hard in the back. Most everyone is speaking Spanish.

The proprietor asked if he could help. I asked him how long the place had been in business, and he said three years. There are ethnic breads featured such as Cuban and Greek ones, and they make tons of specialty cakes for weddings and birthdays. All the ingredients they use are so fresh there isn't even a bakery freezer on the premises.

Everything is extremely cheap here. You could buy cake and treats for a child's birthday party for $10. They have so many different kinds of baked goods - garlic onion cheese bread loaves, fancy fruit flan cakes, cheese cakes. They have French breads and baguettes. There are traditional Mexican cookies baked with corn flour instead of wheat. The cookies are huge. Many different colors, some sprinkled with M&Ms, whoa baby.

I don't eat a lot of these types of carbs anymore, but this place is a kid's dream. Cannoli for $1.50. Carmel apples for the same. Ornate slices of Oreo cake. Frozen treats such as Edy's ice cream. (Made here in Fort Wayne, if you didn't know). Coffee (no free refills - no public bathrooms - this place is low-rent and there are plenty of loiterers, and homeless folks, in this neighborhood).

They make all types of Danish, coconut-covered cakes, pastries - I have to stop before I get diabetes taking about it. Come to Fort Wayne, bring the children with the sweet tooth gene, and I'll set you all up. You'll want to write home about it, and ship a few things for your freezer.