“We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink.”
— Epicurus
D’Agostini’s Delights Bakery and Café
Last weekend, on my way back from trying some wines in Amador County during the “Big Crush” event, I stopped by D’Agostini’s Delights Bakery and Café in Mt. Aukum. As I said a few years ago when I first wrote about it, it is a place you might easily miss if you weren’t looking for it.
It is located at 8031 Mt. Aukum Road in Mt. Aukum, just south of the intersection of Mt. Aukum and Omo Ranch roads and is owned by Nikki D’Agostini, whose family has lived in the Mt. Aukum area for generations.
D’Agostini is a delightful young lady with a lifetime of experience in the baking business, a genuine and wonderful smile and, as you will notice when you see her, piercingly beautiful blue eyes. When I arrived I spotted her getting ready to deliver a couple of wedding cakes she had made and, unfortunately, only had a couple of minutes to spend with me.
She opened this bakery and restaurant in April of 2007 and has been serving breakfast and lunch, Wednesday through Sunday ever since to local residents, owners and employees of the many local wineries and visitors to the area.
As you walk into the restaurant the first thing that you notice is that the place is spotlessly clean. “We are clean freaks,” said D’Agostini, “so the place is always this way.” Then something else catches you, the delicious aroma from the freshly baked goods in the display case: huge cinnamon rolls (everyone’s favorite), cookies and muffins, among other delights. And in the refrigerated case, savory breakfast croissants, lemon squares, tarts, cheesecakes, cakes and more, including a wonderful looking chocolate Kahlua Frangilica cake, which she said was the local favorite. And, if that isn’t enough, her speciality is wedding, birthday and special event cakes, custom-made for you.
As I did last time I asked D’Agostini what was her number one breakfast dish. First she said, “Eggs Benedict,” pausing a minute and then adding, “and also the country fried steak, with homemade gravy, eggs and potatoes.” For lunch, the burgers and paninis seemed to top the list, especially the house burger, which is a grilled chuck Angus burger topped with melted bleu cheese on a toasted bun with garlic ailoi.
Looking over her large menu I noticed that she has vegetarian dishes at both breakfast and lunch, which she told me are quite popular. And, since they are a family restaurant, they also have a variety of kid’s dishes on the menu.
She is very particular about the restaurant and the food and makes sure that her restaurant has good, consistent food and is a place she would eat. Everything is fresh and she even picks up the vegetables herself. And don’t forget, she serves old-fashioned milkshakes, floats, sodas, coffee and coffee drinks, along with great local wines and beer to accompany the meal.
D’Agostini’s Delights is open Wednesday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. Breakfast is served until 11 a.m. and noon on Sunday. You can even call ahead to order food, pastries and cakes to go, and, don’t forget about her custom-made wedding and other special event cakes. For more information call 530-620-0777 or visit dagostinisdelights.com.