Sweet Elena’s Bakery
465 Olympia Ave., Sand City (831) 393-2063, sweetelenas.com
People vote with their dollars and the residents of Sand City are no different. They picked Sweet Elena’s because their pies are on a whole different level of seasonality, creativity, flakiness and quality. It’s difficult to figure out her secrets. What is it that she adds to the pecan pie that makes the filling so intense? The olallieberry pie so balanced with sweet and tart? And quiches count as pies, right? Where else in Sand City can you get a locally roasted espresso, laze around staring at local works of art, do homework and feel uniquely in Sand City? It’s a rhetorical question.