Berolina Bakery and Schreiner's Sausages have been serving Montrose for many years

Simply 10 minutes north of downtown Los Angeles, the place the 210 freeway meets California State Route 2, you'll discover a trio of quaint cities seemingly sequestered from the remainder of the sprawling metropolis. The realm is understood to locals because the Foothills due to its location on the base of the steep hills that reach into the Angeles Nationwide Forest. It consists of La Cañada Flintridge, an upper-crust neighborhood dwelling to as many established celebrities as working rocket scientists; La Crescenta, a middle-class suburb the place church buildings outnumber bars; and Montrose, a full of life little city that's dwelling to a pair of long-standing European establishments: Berolina Bakery and Schreiner's Positive Sausages.

To search out them, take the Verdugo Boulevard exit, flip left on the outdated United Artists theater, and move the primary avenue of antiques and boutiques. Holding court docket on the intersection of Ocean View and Verdugo, Berolina and Schreiner's embody the modest and charming qualities of Montrose, and have occupied their adjoining landmarks for greater than 50 years every. Its loyal buyer base resides principally within the Foothills, whose inhabitants has remained regular at simply over 40,000 residents over the previous decade.

Anders and Youna Karlsson of Berolina Bakery. — Anders and Youna Karlsson.

Schreiner's Fine Sausages workers (left to right): Bertha Moran, Leo Bentivegna, and Kyra Rodriguez. — Schreiner's Positive Sausages staff (left to proper): Bertha Moran, Leo Bentivegna and Kyra Rodriguez.

Berolina Bakery, named after the feminine personification of Berlin, started as a German bakery in 1957 and has remained so by a number of modifications of possession. The present house owners, Anders and Youna Karlsson, hail from Sweden and Belgium respectively, however met in Santa Monica, received married and briefly moved to Anders' hometown of Solna to run a bakery. The couple moved to California in 1990, on the time when Berolina's proprietor was seeking to promote the enterprise. After arriving in Montrose, the Karlssons found that Berolina's proprietor wished to lease the enterprise as a substitute of promoting it. However whereas in search of different job alternatives round Los Angeles, the bakery proprietor's place softened and the 2 events selected a coin toss to find out their destiny: If the coin landed on heads, the Karlsson lease the bakery. If it landed on the tail, they might personal the enterprise outright. “They tossed the coin and [sold] enterprise for us,” says Youna.

Berolina stays beloved by the Foothills neighborhood right this moment for its scrumptious German, Swedish and Belgian impressed desserts. Cardamom sandwiches and croissants are reliably wealthy, whereas the store's dozen sorts of bread embrace olive, potato-dill, cranberry-walnut, and extra. The bakery's standard Princess Cake — a Swedish confection layered with cream, raspberry jam and sponge cake underneath a seamless inexperienced dome of marzipan — makes an everyday look at birthday dinners, church barbecues and different native gatherings.

Youna particularly likes the bakery's pecan bread and its new blood orange cake, a uncommon replace to a menu that doesn't change a lot. His favourite, nonetheless, is the Friday-only Belgian waffle – a fragile, crispy, ethereal raft balanced on the sting of buttery and candy – considered one of many objects linked to his heritage that he has labored to excellent over time “I as soon as had an outdated man who stated: 'I do know now what heaven will likely be,'” she says. “My waffle.” Every thing could be loved on the breezy espresso tables instantly in entrance of the bakery, the place not less than one desk appears all the time open and ready for the subsequent buyer, like in Europe.

Cookies and pastries at Berolina Bakery.

Berolina Bakery breads include olive, potato-dill, cranberry-walnut, and more. — Berolina Bakery breads embrace olive, potato-dill, cranberry-walnut, and extra.

Straight subsequent to Berolina is Schreiner's Positive Sausages. Opened in 1952, it’s the older of the 2 institutions and appears its age in a great way: the low ceiling, picket sales space seats and pleasant service contribute to a well-known environment that has not been affected by the a long time . The Schreiner household first arrange store close to Downtown LA within the '50s earlier than transferring to the German enclave in Montrose within the late '60s. The deli is among the final remaining vestiges of a diaspora which additionally dropped at LA the now-closed Kruegermann Pickles in Frogtown and Alpine Village in Torrance.

A protracted refrigerated meat show containing a veritable smorgasbord of do-it-yourself merchandise greets prospects getting into Schreiner's. The spectacular choice consists of the anticipated sausages (bratwurst, knockwurst, frankfurters) and cured meats (Black Forest ham, smoked turkey), with marbled cuts of beef, a number of sorts of head cheese, meatloaf studded with peppers and olives, and likewise meat. roasted Retail cabinets stocked with German imports like Kinder goodies, Bitburger beers, and vacation steals in entrance of the deli show. “If it doesn't promote, we don't promote it,” says third-generation proprietor Wally Schreiner, who isn't afraid to inventory the shop with conventional German meals.

Those that dine in finally make their approach to the cosy seating space within the again by the sandwich counter; a big, and largely unchanged, chalkboard menu overlooks its darkish wooden particulars and stained glass home windows. Nothing is priced over $10, a welcome rarity on this present period of inflation. The reasonably priced value is a deliberate selection and the results of the deli's dedication to in-house manufacturing, says Schreiner. “I'm grazing [the savings] as a substitute of claiming I'll simply delete it.

The sandwich counter at Schreiner's Fine Sausages. — Sandwich counter at Schreiner's Positive Sausages.

Meat counter at Schreiner's Fine Sausages. — Meat counter at Schreiner's Positive Sausages.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich at Schreiner's Fine Sausages. — Grilled Cheese Sandwich at Schreiner's Positive Sausages.

Grilled Bratwurst at Schreiner's Fine Sausages. — Grilled Bratwurst at Schreiner's Positive Sausages.

Schreiner is a time capsule. The regulars sit in dim nook cubicles consuming heat tri-tip sandwiches and fries; Some purchase paper-wrapped protein from the meat counter earlier than leaving. Different buyer favorites embrace the pastrami sandwich, finest served on Schreiner's darkish, candy rye. There are sandwiches stuffed with smoked and scorching Polish sausages, liverwurst, bockwurst and leberkase (a bologna-like German meatloaf), all served with mayonnaise, mustard and pickles on a home roll or rye bread upon request. Schreiner prefers the deli's grilled cheese sandwiches — one layered with gouda, ham and German salami, one other with pepper jack, chipotle rooster and diced chiles. All sandwiches can be found a la carte or paired with a cup of each day home soup, typically a rooster noodle, broccoli cheese, or easy beans and veggie.

From their mutual beginnings as an outpost of familiarity for the native German neighborhood, the Karlssons and the Schreiners have grown these companies into the formidable locations they’re right this moment. Regardless of being separate entities, their shared native reference standing comes from their complementary choices and the non-public contact they supply, qualities particularly essential to Montrose residents. This type of real care and intensive work can take its toll over time. Not one of the youngsters of the house owners have expressed curiosity in taking on the businesses (that their mother and father are happy, for now), and promoting the businesses isn’t within the playing cards for the second.

Like these two stalwarts, Montrose can be altering, attempting to steadiness the outdated congenial with the brand new handy. Yearly, a few different legacy companies on Honolulu's Predominant Avenue drag on without end, and newcomers like Valeu Espetos, Candy Demi Lune and Toasted Cafe pop up. For now, although, Berolina and Schreiner's are standing agency, persevering with their lengthy custom of treating prospects to heat hospitality, with delicate Princess truffles and unbeatable sausages.

“If we have now good individuals working, we are able to proceed,” says Youna.

Berolina Bakery, situated at 3421 Ocean View Boulevard, Glendale, California 91208, is open from 7 am to six pm Tuesday by Friday, and from 7 am to five:30 pm on Saturday.

Schreiner's Positive Sausages, situated at 3417 Ocean View Boulevard, Glendale, California 91208, is open from 10 am to five pm Tuesday by Saturday.