Taron Bakery

Taron Bakery
4950 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027

Amid the shopping-cart transients, dilapidated liquor stores, and ambiguously advertised perfume parlors that populate the eastern end of Hollywood Blvd, a small bakery pipes out delicious beoreks, or Armenian meat and cheese pies. If not for the delicious wafts of savory pies, which seem to drift from the bakery ovens and assault the senses of those unwittingly passing by, one might miss this unremarkable looking brick establishment. When I first moved to my apartment in Little Armenia, I noticed many older generation Armenians making pilgrimages each morning to this tiny bakery at the corner of Hollywood and Kenmore. As is often the case with great ethnic eateries, the bakery boasts little to no advertisement, yet produces some of the most well crafted Armenian pastries in Los Angeles.

Taron Bakery’s simplistic nine item menu offers savory Armenian pastries ranging from spinach and cheese beoreks, to a seasoned type of flat bread, called Tahini bread. My personal favorite is the ‘meat’ beorek, which consists of perfectly crisp outer dough, filled with a marinated ground beef mixture. Another great flavor is the ‘spicy cheese’ beorek, which despite being labeled as ‘spicy,’ remains relatively mild, with its unique combination of feta and tangy red pepper. The consistency and flavor of these beoreks remind me of Latin empanadas and Russian piroshkies. Upon entering Taron Bakery, you will find racks of freshly baked beoreks, lahmajunes, and tahini bread lying on the counter and on cooling trays. Usually, the earlier in the day you arrive, the more flavors are available. These inexpensive, yet delicious pastries (ranging from $1.50 to $3.00) make for a great afternoon snack or light breakfast meal.