Conchita's Bakery

We have several Mexican bakeries in town. I like them all. Lately, I've been favoring Conchita's Bakery on 730 San Benito Street whenever I have a yen for something sweet.

What I like about Conchita's sweet stuff is that they aren't so sweet that I feel like my teeth are melting. The dentist should be happy about that. The savory offerings are very yummy, too.

I also like the prices. Fifty cents for a sweet roll. $1.50 for a ham and jalapeño roll, which, by the way, is quite hardy.

Conchita's Bakery is located in what was once the bagel place in the old Free Lance building. Still can't picture it? It's on the west side of San Benito Street, between South and Seventh Streets, across from the Blak Sage Gallery. 

2013 Veterans Day Activities in Hollister

The New Courthouse

Did you know that the new courthouse under construction is the fifth one for San Benito County? Yeah, that's news to me, too. I thought the current courthouse was the second one, and the gorgeous structure modeled after a Roman palace was the first.

The new courthouse is nearly finished. I like the landscaping and the red seats in front of the building. How about you? If you're interested in learning more about the construction, check out this page at the California Courts web site.

It already seems like it was long, long ago that Fremont School stood on the site of the new Superior Court of California in San Benito County, don't you think? For that matter, once upon a time, the home of Col. William Welles Hollister, for whom our town was named, stood on that same spot.

Local Winter Squash

Boxes full of different organic squashes are available at The Farm—Bertuccio's Market.

Gourmet Tortillas

Chipotle, spinach, tomato, beets, whole wheat, and jalapeno & cilantro tortillas.  Sound yummy and nutritious, huh? Suppose you could buy a package of these 8-inch freshly-made tortillas for $1.75, or three packages for $5.00.  Would you? That's the cost of these gourmet tortillas when you could purchase them directly from the makers right here in Hollister.

That's right! Right here in Hollister, California. These yummy gourmet tortillas, along with regular flour and corn tortillas and bags of corn chips ($1/50/bag), are produced by La Piedad Tortilla Factory on 1551 Lana Way, off of Fallon Road. Here's a 2011 article about La Piedad Tortilla Factory when it was in Gilroy.

La Piedad Tortilla Factory is open from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Saturday. It is located on the north side of Lana Way. You can't miss the company's sign. Turn left into the driveway after the sign and go through the gates. Look for a black security screen door. That's the entry. Not only will you be able to buy the tortillas, you can check out the operations at work.

What other hidden gems do we have in our county?

Teresa at the 2013 San Benito Olive Festival