I can't believe I hadn't been there before, but I finally got to Karen's Bakery in Folsom last week. I'd been hearing about it for years, but somehow never thought of driving all the way (it's SO far!) to Folsom for baked goods. But now I'll be doing that. Or, rather, maybe I should be biking there. Turns out that Karen's is right off the American River bike trail, near Lake Natoma. So I can have my cake and work it off too. Yay!

Karen Holmes worked with Rick Mahan for years, first at Oaxaca, then at the Waterboy. In 1998 though, she started her bakery and café, eventually moving to Old Folsom. The café is sunny and spacious, with a big outdoor patio for pleasant weather. There were lots of bicycles parked outside, and it's conveniently located near a bike shop for tune ups while you snack.

I tried a delicious apple-walnut muffin (top photo) that Karen got the recipe for long ago. She says the batter shouldn't work, but somehow it does and makes a moist but not oily muffin that's got great flavor and crunch. I also sampled a walnut scone (better texture than many, but a bit dry), sour cream coffee cake, an almond granola bar with cream cheese frosting (2nd photo), and some granola with yogurt. PLUS, a taste of the Senorita Breakfast Sandwich, which was smoked ham and white cheddar on cheddar-jalapeno bread with chipotle bechamel sauce and a dead-ripe tomato and fried egg. Delicious! I really should have ridden my bike there.

Karen said that the granola bar was the first baked good she produced commercially. It's a crunchy bar made primarily of sliced almonds. I liked it that the texture wasn't too sticky. Except for the cream cheese icing, you could stash it in your jersey pocket and eat it on the trail. She also said that her salmon bowtie pasta salad is popular, and there were several other cold salads in the display case that looked tasty. One was a Moroccan chicken salad with lentils. Plus there are coffees and teas and chocolates. Oh my! I could have stayed all day.

Karen's Bakery Café
705 Gold Lake Drive
"Sweet" 340
Folsom
916-985-2665
Mon to Fri 6-4; Sat 7-4