Ema

This Heights bakery-slash-cafe opens early and plies the neighborhood with snacks and caffeine until 3pm. At Ema, you could start your morning with pastry chef Stephanie Velasquez’s fluffy and not-too-sweet Berlinesa, a doughnut bursting with horchata cream (and named one of the best desserts in America, according to The New York Times). But there’s also the temptation of pillowy conchas or danishes topped with seasonal fruit to pair with one of Marlén Mendoza’s coffee drinks. On the savory side, chef Nicolas Vera’s confit carrots swaddled in a corn tortilla, torta milanesa with fried chicken and earthy tetela made with mushroom-carrot tinga, blue corn masa, salsa verde and dill sour cream are all reasons to linger here for as long as possible.