Bakery Review: Three Babes Bakeshop

Three Babes Bakeshop - bought pie on July 3, 2014

At my new job, I discovered an unexpected perk - something called "Pop Up Shop". Pop Up Shop was essentially when local businesses of all kinds set up a temporary shop at a designated, advertised day(s) and time(s) on campus and peddled their wares.

I haven't been there long enough to know all the different types of businesses who show up in the Pop Up Shop. Sp far we've had business offering rentals to apartments nearby, a local CSA (community supported agriculture), and Benefits Cosmetics from San Francisco. During my first week, it was Three Babes Bakeshop. A bakeshop, you say? I think I started just in time.

Buttermilk Pie

They set up on the day before the 4th of July so right before our company holiday and before all those Independence Day barbecues might need some pies. Brilliant timing. According to the announcements posted in our campus Facebook page, you could also preorder a pie and the different flavors were listed of what they would be bringing.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

I had never heard of Three Babes Bakeshop but had to go check out their Pop Up Shop during lunch. I'm not big on pies unless it's apple pie (preferably a la mode) and that wasn't one of the flavors offered. It's not fall yet and they pride themselves on organic, seasonal produce so it's not surprising apple pie wasn't on the menu yet. Still, how often does a bakery come to me instead of me driving to them? I couldn't pass it up.

Peach Pie

They were set up in a little room near the middle of campus with their sandwich board outside to proclaim their presence and the flavors being offered. A woman (one of the Three Babes? No, I found out later) sat at a table with the pies on display. Since I'd never heard of them before, I felt justifiably nosy curious enough to pepper her with questions. Where did they sell? Did they have a commercial store front? How long had they been in business?

Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie

According to her patient answers, they'd been in business for 3 years, worked out of a commercial kitchen, didn't have a storefront but had a stall at the Ferry Building in San Francisco at certain times. And, in checking out their website, I also discovered that technically, there weren't THREE babes but only two. Still, it seems like they're looking for a third babe so there'll be truth in advertising in the future.

I bought the Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie which also touted itself as gluten free. That wasn't a consideration for me since I can embrace, madly hug tolerate gluten just fine. But out of all the pie flavors, that was the one most compatible with my taste buds. If I couldn't have apple, chocolate would do, even though I'm not big on pecans in a pie. It had a graham cracker crust, a creamy chocolate filling and a layer of pecans just underneath the baked chocolate crust. It was pretty good but also pretty rich so eating slowly and taking small bites were key. My niece and I split the first piece and I had to give away and freeze the rest. The pie was $35 which I think is rather steep for a pie. I'm not enough of a pie aficionado to be enthused about spending $35 on a pie, even on a delicious pie, so I chalked it up to both "research" on a bakery and another way to support a local, small business. If Three Babes ever comes back on campus in the fall, I'll be on the lookout for their apple pie and yeah, I'll fork over another $35 to try it. That's just how I roll.