The location: The Balboa Bakery.


Q. What is it supposed to be on the show?

    A. A bakery where Theresa worked before finding out she was pregnant.


Q. Where is it supposed to be on the show?

    A. In the Balboa section of Newport Beach.


Q. When did we see it on the show?

    A. In Episode 25 (of season one), "The Shower", and again in Episode 27, (of season one), "The Ties That Bind", when Theresa was working at the bakery while staying in Newport.

    It was here that Sandy sees that Theresa's face has been bruised by her fiancee, Eddie. It's here that Ryan & Marissa come in to buy sweets and accidentally run into Theresa. And it's here that Theresa meets Kirsten after learning she is pregnant.

    


Q. What is it actually in real life?

    A. A real bakery.


Q. Where can I find it in real life?

    A. It is called Carissimo Bakery, and it is located in the Riviera Village section of Redondo Beach, perched on the ground floor of of an attractive blue & white building at 1611 S. Catalina Ave. (at the northwest corner of Catalina and Avenue I).

    Located one mile south of the Redondo Beach Pier (near the border with Palos Verdes), the Riviera Village section of Redondo Beach is more upscale than the pier area (and as such has more in common with the real Newport Beach). The use of blue & white (a favorite color scheme in Newport) and the Mediterranean feel of the building probably inspired the producers to use the bakery in the first place. Not to mention the fact that it is only one block from the ocean.

    (I shot the two photos below of Carissimo Bakery in 2006.)

    

    Here is a map link with the exact location. And here is an aerial photo. Feel free to drop by for a brownie and coffee. (And enjoy the short drive along the coast (via the Esplanade) between pier and the bakery.)


    There are other O.C. locations nearby. Just a short ways south, you'll find the Alex's apartment (which later became Trey's apartment), as well as Carter Buckley's apartment. Farther south, beyond that, you'll find the Palos Verdes hills and a host of new O.C. locations.


Q. How the heck did you figure out where it was?

    A. In the scene where Ryan and Marissa come into the bakery, you can see the letters "SS" on the door, curved to resemble steam rising from a cup of coffee. (This turned out to be the SS from "Carissimo". See the photo to the right.)  By freeze-framing the scene, I was able to make out a few more letters of the name. Then a Google search of bakeries in the Redondo/Hermosa area brought up the matching name "Carissimo". When I went there in person, that same CariSSimo logo was on the door (and I also recognized the bright blue railings from the scene where Sandy talks to Theresa.)




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