Alder Pastry and Dessert

My husband and I were so sad to see the ‘For Lease’ sign on Alder today. We absolutely loved the pastries and the gelato was the best. We truly hope it opens somewhere else preferably in Kerns but we’ll follow it anywhere.

The rumors are true! Alder Pastry and Dessert KILLS at, well, pastries and desserts. Alder is my very favorite pastry place in all of Portland. I’m serious. BETTER. THAN. PIX. BETTER. THAN. STACCATO. BEST GELATO + LITTLE CUTE CAKES AND COOKIES AND BREADS EVER. If there’s a gelato you should try, I recommend the pistachio and the sugar cane. Also! The super duper shiny little golden globe of caramel with the square piece of dark chocolate stabbed into it?! YOU HAVE TO TRY IT! My manfriend pretty much died eating that luscious, creamy, caramelly chunk of glucose-​inducing coma heaven.
They offer free wi-​fi and serve a few beers and fancy schmancy dessert wines if you want some extra fun with your sugar rush. They definitely do not have a wine list as extensive as Pix, but come on guys… you know it’s just the sugar that matters.
Also! Maybe it’s just me and my azn-​dar, but there seems to be a lot of azns in here all the time… But as we with azn-​dar all know, azns love fancy desserts, so it seems to make sense. So count me in, yo!

was waiting for 1+ hours at screen door and was walking around when we happened upon this place. we were so pleasantly suprised!
the croissant was decent. my sister-​in-​law said the chai latte was one the best ever. the caramel dome shaped thingamajig whatever it was was so good! still think about it. the fruit tart with orange (or tangerine) slices in it was also really good. supposedly the coffee was decent.
a very pleasant surprise.

After eating a yummy dinner at Ken’s, my husband was craving coffee and my daughter gelato and we stumbled upon this place a few blocks away.
They were featuring two Indian flavors, mango lassi and pistachio (yes, pistachio isn’t Indian per se but all of my trips back to India as a child, I had wonderful memories of having pistachio and mango flavored ice-​cream). The pistachio was delicious I actually liked it more than the mango although I loved that the mango had balance (there was a bit of tartness) and not overwhelming sweetness as one sometimes gets with mango gelatos. The price was so reasonable at $ 2 for a single scoop.
We also tried the trio pastry, which had different chocolate mousses on a flourless chocolate torte. Yes, I know some of the reviews have complained on the lack of description but the servers are extremely friendly and happy to answer questions. The pastry was quite good but the gelato was amazing…
My husband was happy with his cup of coffee too… I think we’ll start making this a regular stop after our dinner outings on the East Side.

Finally, a real dessert place in PDX. Minimalistic and stark, but me likees. The desserts are about 5.50. The expensive part is like the little macaroons for 2 bucks (see review I wrote of 35 cent macaroons in Cali at Katella Deli), but you get what you pay for this ain’t exactly a deli.
Strange gelato flavors including Schziuan peppercorn. More apt to come back and try the Jasmine.
Riseretto roasters on tap. Wifi.
PS The canele (2.75) and macaroon (2) were divine ;). The last time I had a canele that good was at Campenille in LA.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
This place is so awesome. It’s like my dream come true. They have delicious pastries from croissants (sweet and savory), cookies, danish, up to fancy beautiful pastries. PLUS they also have Gelato which I didn’t get to try because I was too full from my pastries.
I had the financier which was like a square danish but without custard on it. It has almond and berries. It was delicious. I also had another pastry that I forgot the name of. It’s custardy inside with a beeswax crust on the outside. It was perfecto.
Jesse and I loved pastries there, we even bought a couple to take home for breakfast the following day. I had the Kougin Aman, it was like croissants with custard filling and crispy sugar layer on the outside. It was like croissants on steroid. It was gOOOooOOOOOd.
I really don’t know how to be good and stay on track with my diet, now that I found this place. Probably that’s why someone out there created elliptical machine, so I won’t gain 100 000 lbs.

The dessert case is beautiful.
I have to imagine the chocolatier created miniature furniture for dollhouses in a previous life. Each tiny creation had volume, color and visual texture that made deciding a bit difficult.
Everything looked really good and was actually reasonably priced somewhere between $ 3 – 8 each. I was looking for a small birthday cake for one but settled on three little desserts instead.
Things to try next time: gelato. wines.
Things I wish they had: better descriptions of desserts or even a sectional image of the dessert cut in half.

Just Tried this dessert place today. I had ordered the Berries Vanilla and Palmier.
They were both very yummy. So happy I past by this place. The palmier was so buttery and flaky. Looked just like the way it would taste. In the past I have tried butterfly pastries that were very dry and unflavored. There’s was very flavorful.
The Berries Vanilla was delicious also. I kinda wish I had a glass of wine to go with this. But since I took it togo I wasn’t able to try their wine selection.
Their togo boxes are so cute also. Reminds me of a little paper purse, so pretty :)
Definatly will go back and and take my friends there

I’ve had worse, I’ve certainly had better. Their product is beautiful, no doubt, but the descriptions of each item definitely left something to be desired. I would like more information on a beautifully crafted piece of pastry before I shell out $ 5 – 7 so I can decide if I actually want to stick it in my mouth.
My friends got gelato and I was the odd one out who got some white chocolate cardamom thing. The girl behind the counter kind of oversold it by telling me it was the best thing she’s ever tasted and «it’s really like the best thing in the whole store». It was good, but but like I said at the beginning, I’ve had better.
But at least they look pretty…

Lemon curd cake yum.
Oatmeal gelato good.
Clean but more sterile than expected ambiance — and not that many choices.

Very delicious-​looking treats live in this wonderfully open, comfortable space!
I found myself here on a rainy Sunday afternoon, and was surprised to see so many tables were free. I was also a little bit happy, because I liked how peaceful it was there.
When I walked in, I was also amused to see a customer taking a photo of their very… cute… dessert. My kind of person!
My eyes enjoyed all the beautiful and delicious-​looking tarts and pastries in the display, but I decided to go for a scoop of green tea gelato this time. The perfect amount of gelato for only $ 2? Definitely a win!
The employee was friendly, and the treats all looked wonderful. I wish Alder had a Seattle location!

Let me first say that I have already been here a few times and I will be back again and again. AMAZING coconut, caramel and pistachio gelato, and loads of other interesting flavors like sesame, Earl Grey and Szechuan peppercorn. I haven’t tried any of the pastries yet, but they look incredible.
However, there’s something I can’t put my finger on texture-​wise with the gelato. You know what they say… taste people and texture people. Well, I’m a texture person and this gelato is kind of… chalky? That’s not it, but there’s an odd and elusive quality I can’t name, as if the gelato were made with soy cream. It’s still delicious, and this is a subtle enough thing that it doesn’t even approach ruining the experience.
Maybe it was just the flavors I ordered? Who knows. I *do* know that I will definitely be back. Also, it’s high praise for someone like me to say the chocolate is to die for, because I don’t normally go for chocolate in my ice cream. It is fan-​tastic!
The staff is also wonderful… I love interacting with people who seem to genuinely love their jobs. And who will let me try five different flavors because they’re always changing the lineup.

Everything about this place screams awesome. The staff was knowledgeable and friendly and the food looked as tasty as ever. Now the deal breaker, was it good? It was great and some! The pastries aren’t just for show, they are for real. And for real… they are delicious.
You’ll spend more than an ice cream sandwich at ⁷⁄₁₁ but you may also leave thinking, «Did I just eat that?» or «I think I need more to comprehend the flavors in my mouth.»

I just went to Alder Pastry and Dessert for the first time this weekend and really enjoyed it. The handmade gelato was fantastic — the best pistachio flavor I’ve ever had. It actually tasted like pistachios, instead of the essence of pistachios. I could taste the saltiness and everything.
Our friends ordered one of the little treats from the case and it was light and elegant and a real treat to eat. We’ll definitely be back!

Seriously, this place is fan-​freaking-​tastic.
The boyfriend and I had dinner at Hanoi Kitchen (Missing home already, what can I say, I can’t go more than three days without rice) and decided to stop by Alder to pick up a dessert to take back to the hotel with us. We crossed the street to Alder and was immediately greeted by this cute, AAAAAMAAAZINGLY friendly chick behind the counter. We asked her what her favorite was and she proceeded to tell us a little bit about each. I really enjoyed her personality and her knowledge on everything offered to us.
She was hella cool. Yeah, THAT cool. She also gave us a bunch of gelato to try. I asked how the sesame tasted and she was like, «accurate». So true. Every flavor we tried tasted EXACTLY like what that item tasted like. The mint tasted like I put a bunch of mint leaves in my mouth (Which isn’t bad, it was so refreshing and delicious). We were originally going to get one dessert and have gelato, but instead we got… three desserts to go. I know. I KNOW.
We got the chocolate and salted caramel tart, the lemon curd tart, and some kind of peanut butter and jelly dessert. Or as my niece likes to call it, «bessert». We left, went back to the apartment and immediately tried the salted caramel tart.
oh
my
god.
The caramel was slightly salty, the chocolate was ooey and rich and decadent, and the outer layer crust was perfect. Everything about this dessert worked, and we’re about to eat another one. @_@
It’s like an architect meeting a pastry chef. Design seems to be just as important as taste, and luckily for them they are amazing in both.
Five stars on the customer service alone! Now I have to find something that’ll impress me just as much as Alder down here in the Bay.

One of my favorite little dessert spots in Portland! If you are getting bored with Pix or Petite Provence, then give this place a shot. Not only are their little treats always changing, but their selection of gelato is drool-​worthy. Earl Grey was my favorite flavor by far.
Oh and I should also mention that the staff is always so friendly and patient with me as I deliberate on what to order. ALWAYS A PLUS!

Oh man! It’s good this place is at least an 8 block walk for me, or the waistline would be in a state of infinite expansion.
They have not only a case full of delicious pastries, but about 10 flavors of gelato on any given day. I sampled the Pistachio on my last visit and it now haunts my dreams. It isn’t like any other pistachio gelato I’ve ever had. It’s salty, nutty sweet and creamy. They had this sweet and salty craving girl at Hello.
The gal behind the counter was super friendly and was almost begging us to sample every flavor of gelato they had. The place itself is great and comfy. The pastries we tried were also top notch, and we were informed everything was made by the owner, Matt. This guy must never sleep because these things are both delicious and beautiful to look at.
I had a chocolate caramel tart (salted caramel, natch.) and the husband got a Kougin Aman (I hope I spelled that even kind of right) which was like a flaky, buttery piece of heaven dissolving on your tongue with a slightly salty caramel drizzle on it.
The prices won’t leave you broke either, most of the larger desserts (tarts, individual cakes, etc.) were around 5 bucks, and several of the pastries are right around 3 dollars.
I would have been back last night for more goodies, but alas, closed Mondays. This may be the only reason I ever find myself saying I «have a case of the Mondays».

Been here a few times now. Love the location (cuz it’s close to my work)
Best gelato flavor so far — Earl Grey Tea
Best dessert so far — Caramel Chocolate
All the desserts look amazing and perfect that it feels wrong to put a spoon through it!

Dang! I thought I reviewed this place already. I have been raving about it for weeks to friends.
FINALLY there is competition for dessert in Portland. I no longer have to dread being served by a surly, angry group of mini chain.
The staff here is so happy. You would think they all took happy, sugar pills. They were excited to tell me about all the different things made that day. I had to secure a Cannelle while I shopped. O SO GOOD! I really wanted to try everything in the place. We bought a couple of different croissant for the morning after.
If super fancy, complicated desserts are you thing — they got them as well. Some jeweled delights that look too good to eat.
Ever thought gelato was just OK? Me too. zzz… want to be ice cream. OMG! I did not KNOW that it could taste so incredibly good! Alder knows their stuff. I think they should change their rename to Alder Gelato and Pastry! They must have 10 flavors and I tried 6. Every one was like to die for. Mango Lassie — like biting into the most perfect frozen mango… just without the sweet juice running down my hand. The Muscovado was a perfect balance of browned sugar, richness without being too sweet.
Open late, easy parking, completely affordable for what you are getting, really cook «to go» folded french purse looking boxes, super friendly staff, great location.
Man! I want some now!
Thank you APD!

Three words: House made Gelato.
Ok, maybe that isn’t as exciting as I thought it would be when I initially typed it. It is still pretty exciting. Yes, there are other places that sell gelato that make it in house, but not ones that are so close to where I live. Now that might not be exciting to you, but it is to me.
The pastries looked wonderful, but we were on a mission for gelato. They have some really interesting flavors like Muscovado, Malt and Grapefruit. I honestly didn’t even know what Muscovado was before this night. I figured it was a grape of some kind (sounded like a type of wine to me). I was way off.
For $ 3.50 you can get the middle size which gets you two nice big scoops. I had the aforementioned Muscovado along with Mango. Interesting combination according to our server, but it was damn good. A friend said the Muscovado tasted a bit like Crème Brulee and I would have to agree. There was a hint of molasses as well.
There are some nice food places popping up on this part of Burnside. Alder only adds to that.