Scott Totten remembers when his grandfather would wake him in the early morning hours on Saturday to roll out dozens of doughnuts by hand in the kitchen. “My grandmother would come down and be like, ‘Did you eat any doughnuts,’ ” and we would be covered with powdered sugar,” says Totten, laughing. That hands-on collaborative work ethic still sticks with the Great Scott’s Bakery & Coffee Co. owner today. He initially opened a Rocky River bakery in 1999 before expanding to include a deli, but now Totten is entirely focused on baked goods and works out of a storefront in Brunswick. “All the baking is done right in front, where people can see it,” he says. Totten keeps the shelves stocked with a variety of muffins, scones, cookies and coffee cakes, and a rotating list of truffles, cream puffs and custard eclairs. He even works alongside customers to create custom orders. “People can come to me with a family recipe,” he says. “Sometimes they will want to make it together, because they want to learn how to make it.” 5286 Center Road, Brunswick, 330-225-3333, greatscottsbakeryandcoffee.com
Our Pick: Coated in olive oil and herbs, the pepperoni rolls ($4.50) bulge with thick slabs of pepperoni. But be quick — you can only grab these babies before they sell out on Saturdays.
