Mini pies from Durham's Scratch Artisan Bakery. Photo by feeb/flickr.
La Farm in Cary for masterful renditions of traditional French pastries like almond croissants and pain au chocolat , a variety of hearty breads from ciabatta to rye, and – my favorite – owner Lionel’s signature white chocolate baguettes. Weaver Street Market (Carrboro, Chapel Hill or Hillsborough) for bread – dense, chewy peasant loafs, moist, salty olive bread, golden baguettes. Desserts are decent too – try the fruit tarts and cheesecakes; avoid the cookies and the too-rich, unflavorful cupcakes. Guglhupf in Durham for artisan breads – glossy challah, rustic batard – and European-style cakes and pastries (their light, tart mousse cakes are my fave, with their plate-sized linzer cookies coming a closing second). Mediterranean Deli in Chapel Hill or Neomonde in Morrisville for fresh pita bread. Scratch Artisan Bakery in Durham for ecstatically good pies (try the Shaker lemon, with delicate slices of whole candied lemon), plus an amazing thing known as a “donutmuffin.” The bakery counter at Grand Asia Market in Cary for glutinous Chinese pastries, crumbly egg tarts and hot, steamy cloudpuff dumplings full of lovely things like lotus root and barbecued pork. Rue Cler in Durham for baguettes and fresh beignets. Panaderia Loma Bonita in Cary for fresh tortillas and crackly sugar-shelled concha pastries (word to the wise: when they ask you how many tortillas you want, they’re asking how many pounds). For the moistest, fluffiest, most marshmallow-y delicious tres leches cake you’ve ever tasted, try La Michoacana, a five minute drive away.