Cafe Teramo

I was looking for a place other than the big green chain to get an espresso when I saw the Cafe Teramo signage behind the huge flower store on the corner of Victory and Coldwater Canyon in North Hollywood. Maybe it was divine providence, or my years of food hunting instinct, whatever the reason, I was grateful for the resulting delicious find.

Walking into the cafe I did not expect much since it was so hidden and seemed so small from the outside, but the outside appearance was completely different from the inside experience. You can not see anything from the outside except dark glass, but once I walked inside, three HUGE brightly lit display cases showed off cookies, pastries, and cakes in a variety and quality I have never seen before in the Valley. Cafe Teramo rivaled a Parisian Patisserie for the scope and skill of offerings, including three different kinds of Tiramisu, gorgeous full round and sheet cakes ranging from Wild Strawberry to Napoleon, cheesecakes, mousses, tarts, and a range of gelatos and sorbets. They even have petit four versions of several of the cakes and tarts so you can sample several without committing to a full version. They also sell quality chocolate bars, raw and roasted nutmeats and seeds, cookie gift packages, and they serve a nice strong espresso to help wash down their sweet and creamy confections.

The only way this could have been better would have been if they had some tables or chairs set up so you could enjoy your cafe and pastry here instead of schlepping it home. Some of the best things in life only get better with anticipation, so maybe that was a conscious ploy to get you to savor your treats even more by making you wait until you get home to eat them; it gives the expression "Home Sweet Home" a whole new meaning.