Change is a good thing. I’ve always believed this. Change keeps life interesting & keeps things moving forward. And, a perfect example of change bein’ a good thing is Portola Coffee Lab’s recent decision to switch things up with their pastry provider & partner with the amazing L.A.-based Cake Monkey Bakery for all of their baked goods. Can you say “YUM?!”

If you haven’t visited Portola Coffee Lab at The OC Mart MIX in Costa Mesa’s SoCo Collection recently, then you are in for a treat. Now not only do they have the best coffee in town, but some of the most delicious pastries too. The thing I love about their new selection is that it’s not all over-the-top sugar-crazy stuff. Sometimes ya’ have a sweet tooth, and sometimes ya’ don’t – and Portola & Cake Monkey know this. Hence the range of baked goods from uber-sweet sugar-encrusted grown-up Pop Tarts called ‘Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Pies’ all the way to the savory amazingness of their Bacon & Cheddar Scones. There’s a little something for everyone.

So, below you can feast your eyes on just a small sampling-through-photos of what’s on offer these days in Portola’s pastry case… And if ya’ feel tempted (which I think you might!), head on over to The OC Mart MIX to pay them a visit. Trust me, you won’t be sorry you did. (Portola Coffee Lab is located in the SoCo Collection at 3313 Hyland Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 – www.portolacoffeelab.com – www.cakemonkey.com)

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Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Pie
Left: Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Pie  |  Right: Lemon Pistachio Tea Cake
Lemon Pistachio Tea Cake
Almond Croissant
Salted Caramel ‘Monkey Bread’
Gruyere-Thyme Croissant
Left: Gruyere-Thyme Croissant  |  Right: A Bacon-Cheddar Scone goes perfectly with a Portola Latte
“A Roll in the Hay”
Portola Barista, Alan Gomez, Pours a Perfect Latte
“A Roll in the Hay” with Cake Monkey Bakery