When I first started frequenting Mush Bakery in 2010, I knew pretty quickly that it was a serious operation, but the menu was fairly mainstream. The counter space featured staple items like lahmajun, spinach, meat and cheese boerek, tahini bread and maneishe. Little did I know what owner Serop Agadzhanyan had in store for the stylized, Old World-inspired bakery. Earlier this year, they increased efforts to stand out in the increasingly competitive Little Armenia marketplace by adding three savory standout baked goods.

The Maneishe Sandwich ($4.50, pictured above) is an open-faced offering that requires 40 minutes advance notice. The Mush Bakery base, a spice-slathered maneishe, mixes oregano, sumac, thyme and sesame seeds.

Ajarakan ($5) is a football shaped pastry topped with gobs of salty cheese. They crack two eggs, which cook minimally in the oven before Mush dusts with black and Aleppo peppers. This beast of a baked good goes by khachapuri in the Republic of Georgia.

Jengalov Bread ($2) is a floppy, oven blistered flatbread folded over tangy, somewhat bitter minced greens.

At this point, it sure seems like the humble Mush Bakery in the 99 Cents Only store plaza may have played all of its cards, but that was also my impression nearly two years ago.