Thanks to this week's opening of the Little T Baker cafe in Union Way, downtown's two-block radius of cool—encompassing Powell's and the Ace Hotel—is now primed to become a bread-lover's Mecca.

With a small menu of simple, perfected sandwiches, Coava Coffee roasts, custom-blended T Project teas, an overflowing pastry case of swoon-worthy sweets, and some of the best baguettes in town, the 400-square-foot cafe solidifies the new shopping corridor's Parisian vibe.

A stunning wooden pastry case anchors the modern space, crafted by Portland-based Fieldwork Design. The firm is also responsible for East Burnside's Tanner Goods store and New Relic's colorful offices (profiled in our recent best places to work feature).

Daily pastry offerings—like walnut-citrus spice tea cakes, apricot rosemary bars, brownies flecked with sea salt, Little T's famous chocolate croissants, and the coffee and caramel Paris-Brest, light-as-air rings of delicate choux pastry filled with praline whipped cream—are joined by one killer chocolate chip cookie with serious Oregon cred, inspired by Healea's favorite cookie in Paris. His PDX spin uses locally harvested Jacobsen Sea Salt, Portland-based Woodblock Chocolate, and Freddy Guys Hazelnuts fromt the Willamette Valley.

For folks looking for more than a sweet treat, grab-and-go sandwich specials currently include fresh mozzarella with "semi-dried" tomatoes and basil on a baguette, a fennel and salami sandwich with fresh pecorino and olive salad, and sliced ham with organic cheddar on a buttered pretzel roll—perfect for a midday escape (just close your eyes and pretend you're in France).

The new cafe's three small tables and single pastry counter make the bakery's Division location seem positively cavernous by comparison, but what the westside location lacks in size it makes up for in chic neighbors—including Will Leather, Spruce Apothecary, Quin Candy, and the soon-to-debut Boxer Ramen (now slated for a November 1 opening).

Check out our slide show of photos from opening day by clicking on the photo above, and head in for a pastry, cup of coffee, or a bag of housemade granola from 8 am to 6 pm Monday through Friday, and 9 am to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday.