Baking at République

When you enter the beautiful tiled courtyard of République on South La Brea in Central LA, it’s good to thank Charlie Chaplin, the man who built the place, for his forethought in creating good restaurant juju. Inside you run the gauntlet of a magical pastry case filled with cake stands and boards laden with black sesame croissants, brioche tarts, morning buns, and canelés. And always, always a cream pie. Margarita Manzke is the woman behind the successful daytime cafe and the incredible desserts on the dinner menu. She shares her recipes in a new book called “Baking at République.” Manzke co-wrote the book with Betty Hallock.