After you’ve gotten your culture fix, cross the street to the huge lake in front of you—Lake Merrit—and walk to the right, along the south side of the lake, toward Arizmendi, a bakery co-op that’s known for serving just one flavor of vegetarian pizza each day. You can check ahead on its Facebook or Twitter to find out what the daily flavor is, but you can’t go wrong with any of their creative blends of vegetables, herbs, and gourmet cheeses. Grab a seat outside and enjoy your fresh pizza with some prime people watching.

This cooperatively-run bakery and sourdough crust pizza shop needs no introduction to locals, but one doesn’t always think of it as a vegetarian spot. However, the rotating daily pizza is always vegetarian, including specials with roasted yukon gold potatoes, baby kale, fontina, pecorino, and parmesan. But don’t just pick up a pie, make sure to get a Cherry Scone, Chocolate Chip Cookie, and Morning Bun as well.

The always buzzing Lakeshore location of the worker-owned bakery is home to pastries, bread, and excellent scones that are nice and moist inside. They also serve daily-changing vegetarian pizzas on tangy sourdough crusts—you can get one half-baked and finish off in your oven at home. Arizmendi is the perfect spot to load up your tote bag with muffins, croissants, and cinnamon-sugar twists en route to the lake.

Great for breakfast or lunch but beware: this bakery co-op is not for the weak-willed. Gourmet vegetarian pizza, chewy breads and gigantic scones, all…

Grand Lake finally has a locally owned coffee shop to compete with Starbucks and Peet's: Wilde Brothers Coffee Shop(3206 Grand Ave.) not only roasts its own beans (best highlighted in a pour over), but also offers three different riffs on matcha, mochi muffins from Third Culture, and latte specials that highlight fun ingredients like orgeat and Nutella. // It's hard not to end up rubbing elbows with someone you know at baking cooperative Arizmendi Bakery (3625 Lakeshore Ave.), where locals line up (sometimes out the door) for the made-from-scratch bread, morning pastries, cookies, and pizza fired in the on-site ovens. Plan on grabbing to-go, as seating is limited and it can be especially difficult to jostle for a table on weekends.

First, the strong local history of co-ops means the idea is already in the ether — in addition to popular staples like Arizmendi Bakery and multiple grocery co-ops, there are newer spots like Alchemy Collective Coffee and Taste of Denmark Bakery, both founded in Oakland in 2010 with racially diverse membership. Hoover also said that the astronomical cost of living leads people to look for more financial stability — something ownership can offer.

Not only are the baked goods at Arizmendi delicious, you can also feel great about your purchases at this worker-owned cooperative. It’s easy to have a hearty lunch for a reasonable price — they offer a vegetarian pizza of the day by the slice and a soup of the day with freshly baked bread for around $10. They have gluten-free selections as well, like a killer gluten-free foccaccia.

Arizmendi is highly regarded for its unique and gourmet-style pizzas. With only one flavor offered each day, customers can expect a delicious and innovative combination of ingredients, which may include less common toppings such as squash, rhubarb, or radish. In addition to their exceptional pizza, Arizmendi is also known for having some of the best bread in the universe.

Nestled along the vibrant Lakeshore Avenue, Arizmendi Bakery proves that simplicity can yield extraordinary flavor. Their Chocolate Chip Cookies are a delightful revelation— warm, buttery, and just the right amount of chewy. Each bite reveals a parade of rich chocolate chunks that melt in your mouth, making it impossible to stop at one.

Arizmendi is both known for being a worker-owned co-op and one of the Bay Area’s essential bakeries. The Lakeshore location, an enormous carb factory with baked goods and pizza, is always busy with fast-moving lines. The pizza menu is ephemeral, with vegetarian toppings that change daily.

Sourdough english muffin from Arizmendi Bakery on Lakeshore. Pro tip: Ask them to heat it for you and eat it there with plenty of butter and a drizzle of honey (both available at the condiment counter).