Sweet Talk

Walking into this place is likely to excite the sweet tooth in anyone.

Cakes, pies, brownies, bars and cheesecakes stare beckoningly back at you beneath glassed enclosures. Freshly made sweetbreads of all sizes are piled together on a central table. And some days, dozens of freshly baked cookies and petit fours are spread about, waiting to be iced by one of the three generations of family members — some neighborhood residents — who own and run the place.

But though it’s obvious that Celebrity Bakery, Café & Takery specializes in all things sweet, the restaurant’s name proves that’s not what it’s all about. There is also some lunch fare on the menu, such as salads, quiches, soups, smoothies and a variety of different sandwiches, from Southwestern steak to pimento cheese. And as the “Takery” part implies, Celebrity also offers a number of casseroles that its customers can take home, pop in the oven and serve for dinner.

But at a place like this, it’s almost impossible to deny yourself a sampling of the sugary confections that are available with lunch or dinner. Things such as chocolate pecan pie, Italian cream cake or one of the items pictured here: divinity fudge cake and coconut meringue pie. Call ahead if you want to order a specific cake, pie or other treat, or if you want something done for a special occasion, such as the wedding-themed sugar cookies and petit fours with baby booties shown below.

Though the café’s atmosphere has been pretty bland in the past, it’s getting ready to improve. Sometime this month, the café moves into an improved space next door to its current location in Preston Oaks Shopping Center .