Hmm. The "Bricks and More" sets tend to be clunkier and intended for smaller children-- they'll let you make a thing in the general shape of something, but usually without a lot of moving parts or specialized pieces. The City sets have a much more limited range these days, but they've got a much greater level of detail-- the same level as the Friends sets.

So Lego Friends isn't the only way to get those things into play, but it does seem to be the only way to get specialized pieces and props relating to gardens, bakeries, etc.