Belwood used to run Brentwood as the go-to coffee stop, but this year, it has some competition — and quality competition at that.

As a new addition to the array of restaurants across the street from Archer, Clark Street is the ultimate bakery for high schoolers. Providing a great variety of bites, from pastries to sandwiches and an ample drink menu, you can’t go wrong with an order from Clark Street.

I will never forget biting into my first Kanelbulle, a Swedish cinnamon bun, and truly understanding what all the hype was about. Although I will admit that Belwood has some exceptional coffee, I would choose the shorter line and speedier delivery of Clark Street’s iced oat milk matcha any day.

Devouring unique pastries like a matcha chocolate croissant is no doubt a perk of Clark Street, but that doesn’t mean you can overlook the basics that they do exceptionally well. An order of the turkey pesto sandwich or the classic oatmeal bowl with honey, walnuts and bananas never fails to satisfy my stomach. And if it wasn’t during a school day, I would, without a doubt, purchase one of the fresh loaves of bread that lines the wall next to the pastry counter.

But what really puts Clark Street on a pedestal, in my mind, is its ambiance. As a junior with an unreasonable amount of homework, lunch and breaks are no time to be simply hanging out. That is why the indoor and outdoor seating at Clark Street makes all the difference. With tables both in front of the store window, inside the store and outside the back door, I rarely struggle to find a place to enjoy my food and get some work done.

And to really put it over the top, while I am waiting for my rich, warm cappuccino or my delicious breakfast sandwich, I can browse the Clark Street merchandise, featuring hats, hoodies and tote bags. I’m no fortune teller, but I can confidently say that Clark Street is here to stay.