Cranberries

This tart red berry adds the perfect bite to baked goods.

Old Town Restaurant & Bakery: At breakfast, you can get an orange cranberry scone, three berry (strawberry, blueberry and raspberry) pancakes with cranberry-raspberry sauce or fresh cranberry pancakes made with an orange zest buttermilk batter. Later, grab a cranberry white chocolate chip cookie. (Orange cranberry scone, $1.55; three berry pancakes, $7.95; fresh cranberry pancakes, $7.95; cranberry white chocolate chip cookie, $.95.) Old Town Restaurant & Bakery, 166 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 793-2993.

Polly’s Pies: At the moment, this popular chain features apple pie a la zing--Pippin apples and fresh cranberries in flaky crust. Take home the whole pie, heat it up and serve it a la mode. (Apple pie a la zing, per slice, $2.89, whole pie, $7.99) Polly’s Pies (12 locations in Los Angeles and Orange counties).

Cafe Los Feliz: This place makes a cranberry scone, a lemon-cranberry bread, a cranberry-pear tart with a creamy almond custard and two sizes of cranberry cheesecake. They run out, so order a day ahead.(Cranberry scone, $2.10; lemon cranberry bread, $8.50; cranberry pear tart, $18; cranberry cheesecake, $15 (small), $30 (large). Cafe Los Feliz, 2118 N. Hillhurst Ave., Los Feliz, (323) 664-7111.

Europane: Besides crunchy cranberry biscotti, this place makes a cranberry walnut rye bread and a seasonal braided pumpkin bread spiked with orange juice, raisins, walnuts and cranberries. (Cranberry biscotti, $1; cranberry walnut bread, $5; savory pumpkin bread, $6.50.) Europane, 950 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 577-1828.

Brentwood Bread Co.: The cranberry zest loaf is made with a combination of white and wheat flour, a little orange puree and scoops of dried cranberries and blueberries. It’s particularly wonderful at breakfast. (Cranberry zest bread, $5.50.) Brentwood Bread Co., 11640 San Vicente Blvd., Brentwood, (310) 826-9400.

Zinc Cafe & Market: The cranberry orange walnut muffin, with fresh orange juice and loads of chopped walnuts, is sweet, tart and crunchy, and if you get there early it will still be warm in the middle. (Cranberry orange walnut muffin, $2.) Zinc Cafe & Market, 350 Ocean Ave., Laguna Beach, (949) 494-6302.

Jessica Strand