Sweet Elena’s in Sand City throws down more reasons to dig it—including impressive hazelnut breads.

Big-flavored Sweet Elena’s Bakery in tiny Sand City (393-2063) has a number of ingredients that give rise to a beautiful eatery: signature lemon tarts (check out the video below), incredible quiches, good coffee, kind service and an authentic community vibe in an industrial hood.

SEB also takes rich pizzas and pastries and more to farmers markets including stops at the Barnyard (11am-3pm Tuesday), MPC (10am-2pm Friday) and Del Monte Center (8am-noon Sunday).

Plus owner-operator Elena Saucedo-Steele et al always have fun and thoughtful special events cropping up—pie-making day!—and even partner with Serendipity Farms for their CSA pick up program Mondays 3-6pm. (Order a weekly box of organic bounty at the Farmigo website under Serendipity.)

My favorite bonus element: The rotating art exhibits, which are both well-curated and a nice bonus while you await a biscotti or slice of damn near perfect pies.

Those rank among the reasons it won Best Restaurant in Sand City in our annual readers poll this year, and why it's my favorite on this side of the sand dunes.

And while life at Elena's is certainly sweet, it just got more savory. Now she’s busting out breads.

The coup among them is the hazelnut raisin.

Who knew hazelnuts would provide such an earthy roundness to complete the sweet fruit flavor?

It's begging for deployment in French toast, or just a quick finishing broil with melted butter or a lavish layer of cream cheese.

The new whole wheat sourdough organic is also earthily—and aesthetically—pleasing.

Those and her new whole wheat appear every Monday and Friday at the bakery and the days’ farmers markets ($2.75-$5).

So make a break for bread. And in the meantime, take a peek at pics above right and peep her approach to the lemon tart and eggplant parmesan.