Wooden Petal puts the perfect twist on the classic pretzel

""It didn't take long to figure out what my version of a beautiful pretzel was," Elaine said. "It has the look and that pretzel flavor, but it's usually a lot softer and more buttery and inviting than your classic, street pretzel.""

""Most popular is salt, herb butter, cheese. My new breakfast pretzel is a stuffed pretzel with hard-boiled egg, bacon or sausage and cheese. That's the perfect hand-held breakfast," Elaine said."

""If you're a regular of mine, you'll see that I'm often sneaking very strange combinations like today, my strange combination was fig, bacon, brie. So if you do come in, you can kind of ask what I have hiding back here," Elaine said with a smile."

""My greatest reward is my community," Elaine said. "Your grandmother was coming here. She can't come here anymore, and you're bringing a box to her. All that kind of community stuff I really like. That means everything to me.""

Wooden Petal Pretzel operates from a storefront on Sonoma Highway in Santa Rosa and focuses on softer, buttery variations of the classic pretzel. Proprietress Clare Elaine begins baking in the early morning to ensure fresh products are available. Core offerings include salt, herb butter, and cheese pretzels, plus a new breakfast pretzel stuffed with egg, bacon or sausage, and cheese. A rotating secret menu features unusual combinations like fig, bacon, and brie for regular customers. Plans include a small, reserved beer-and-pretzel tasting lounge, and the business emphasizes serving and connecting with the local community.

Read at ABC7 Los Angeles