Assorted pastries. | James Tran Chef Adrian Mendoza helms the new cafe at Symphony Towers A new daytime cafe is a showcase for the pastry stylings of a veteran chef whose 16 years in the industry have been spent working with top local bakeries and restaurant groups. Knead Bakery is the brainchild of Adrian Mendoza, who after graduating from the Art Institute of California with degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry, went on to hold positions ranging from lead pastry cook at Spago and assistant kitchen manager at Wayfarer Bread & Pastry to director of pastry for the Puffer-Malarkey Collective and pastry chef of the Urban Kitchen Group. Created in partnership with the University Club Atop Symphony Towers, the members-only club 34 floors above Knead where Mendoza serves as executive pastry chef, the fast-casual spot is now open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. James Tran The pastry case. The kitchen is hand-shaping and baking up baguettes, sourdough bread, bagels, and an array of croissants on a daily basis but the bakery’s pastry case will also be filled with rotating seasonal baked goods, from gluten-free and vegan options to tarts and hand pies filled with local fruit. Its morning menu features breakfast burritos and breakfast sandwiches along with tea and coffee and espresso drinks fueled by Talitha Coffee, a local roaster dedicated to supporting survivors of human trafficking. Later in the day, Knead Bakery will serve sandwiches like a BLTA on housemade broiche toast or turkey pesto on milk bread, plus salads and a seasonal soup of the day. James Tran Chef Adrian Mendoza.