The Lamington’s American cousin

LAMINGTONS shmamingtons. Regina Schrambling didn’t have to go all the way to Australia to discover the perfect little cake (“Made for the Road,” July 9). As any Clevelander knows, coconut bars (the real name) are from Cleveland, where the Jewish bakeries on the East Side perfected them. Today, even grocery stores in Cleveland carry authentic Cleveland coconut bars. However, the only place in the L.A. area that makes ‘em the way we Clevelanders remember them is Bea’s Bakery in Tarzana (rumor has it Bea is from Cleveland, of course!).

Roselee Packham

Santa Monica

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WE were delighted to read your desserts story in last week’s food section. We are two “cool Aussies” with a general store-coffee shop called the Corner Store in San Pedro and one of our hottest sellers is Anzac cookies. We also sell the golden syrup, which is the vital ingredient. Our customers love the biscuit and the history behind it -- and, yes, we always say “just like a granola bar.”

Susan McKenna

and Marisa Giuffre

San Pedro

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MY husband and I were raised in Cleveland, and coconut bars were a staple of the Jewish bakeries in Cleveland Heights. We were disappointed when we moved to California more than 40 years ago and couldn’t find them. They are still popular in Cleveland and look exactly like the ones in your picture.

Sue and Milt Legome

Tustin

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I knew Lamingtons had been a Cleveland favorite for years. When my grandparents would go to Cleveland to visit family, they always stopped at the New York Bakery on Cedar Road to get a box of coconut bars for my mom. The decade? The 1940s!

Now when I go back to visit, they go to Davis Bakery and get a box for me -- classic vanilla, marble and chocolate ones. And I’m pretty darn happy.

Marcy Brown

Los Angeles