No more delicious, buttery croissants. No more chocolate-orange scones. Those were the tear-stained, pastry-deprived thoughts of Bittersweet Bistro regulars when the favorite South Hill bakery shuttered its doors last June.
Gina Garcia, who ran Bittersweet, says not to fret: Those same croissants and scones will live happily again in your belly — you just have to stick it out until the first of the year. That’s when she plans to start firing up the ovens at Cake, a bakery being opened by Chaps Coffee Company’s owner, Celeste Shaw. Cake will open in a new 3,000-square-foot space connected to Chaps — baking all of the bread sold at Chaps and offering some of the delicious treats you could get at Bittersweet.
Garcia says that she and Shaw have been talking for years about collaborating on a bakery. When Bittersweet closed “for a number of reasons,” they started to get serious.
Cake won’t be the one-stop crèpe shop that Bittersweet was — they’ll leave the bistro end of things to Chaps. But Garcia says that Cake will be the spot for “bread you can’t find anywhere in town” — baguettes, sweet breads, pan loaves that are “different and really high-quality.”
Garcia, who’ll serve as the pastry chef for Cake, says that Shaw’s vision will enable her bakers to do things they couldn’t at Bittersweet, including top-notch ovens and high-end training — not to mention a huge, brand new space.
“We were trying to do so much in a small space up at Bittersweet. This is going to broaden our horizons even more,” she says.
More details to come — but Garcia promises to have those chocolate orange scones from Bittersweet on the menu.
“We sold the crud out of those things,” she says. — LEAH SOTTILE
Chaps, 4237 S. Cheney-Spokane Rd., is open Tues 11 am–3 pm; Wed–Thurs 11 am–3 pm and 4:30–close; and Fri–Sun 7:30 am–3 pm and 4:30–close. Call 624-4182.
Showing posts with label bakery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bakery. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Savory and sweet
The croissants, scones, and cookies all looked inviting at the PETIT CHAT VILLAGE BAKERY in the Whitworth area, but I came for the bread. The problem was making a decision. My mouth began to water as owner Brenda Gerhart described each loaf, noting her favorite way to enjoy each one. “The rosemary-cranberry bread makes good turkey sandwiches,” she says. I’m sure she’s right, but I’ll probably never know since we finished most of the loaf before we left the store.
When Brenda and her husband Kevin bought the bakery nine months ago, it had no retail outlet of its own. “We knew we wanted to go retail,” Brenda says, explaining that they remodeled the adjacent space and opened the retail shop several months later. Bakers’ racks filled with just-out-of-the-oven bread divide the retail space from the production area, allowing a peek at bakers crafting their artisan loaves and sweet pastries.
The bread costs a reasonable $5 a loaf, so I also tried the Nutty/Seedy Breakfast Bread, a slightly sweet whole-wheat loaf filled with dates, raisins, walnuts and a variety of seeds including fennel. I’m dreaming about a slice with my morning coffee, along with the remains of the enormous cinnamon roll with a hint of orange that I managed to confiscate from my kids.
Petit Chat has staples such as Tuscan and whole-wheat loaves, and a rotating selection of savory and sweet loaves each day, like the pumpkin-pecan loaf and hard-to-find brioche. The breads are made with Shepherd’s Grain flour, so you can feel good about supporting local farmers. Petit Chat also sells bread at Huckleberry’s on Monroe and supplies several local restaurants.
Whether you just make a quick stop to pick up a few loaves (they freeze well) or sink into a leather chair with a cup of coffee and a chocolate-dipped almond horn, you don’t want to miss Petit Chat. I’ll happily make the drive for high-quality, hand-crafted breads and European style pastries at this north Spokane gem. — KIRSTEN HARRINGTON
Petit Chat Village Bakery, 9910 N. Waikiki Rd., is open Mon-Fri 7 am-6 pm and Sat 7 am-4 pm. Call 468-2720.
When Brenda and her husband Kevin bought the bakery nine months ago, it had no retail outlet of its own. “We knew we wanted to go retail,” Brenda says, explaining that they remodeled the adjacent space and opened the retail shop several months later. Bakers’ racks filled with just-out-of-the-oven bread divide the retail space from the production area, allowing a peek at bakers crafting their artisan loaves and sweet pastries.
The bread costs a reasonable $5 a loaf, so I also tried the Nutty/Seedy Breakfast Bread, a slightly sweet whole-wheat loaf filled with dates, raisins, walnuts and a variety of seeds including fennel. I’m dreaming about a slice with my morning coffee, along with the remains of the enormous cinnamon roll with a hint of orange that I managed to confiscate from my kids.
Petit Chat has staples such as Tuscan and whole-wheat loaves, and a rotating selection of savory and sweet loaves each day, like the pumpkin-pecan loaf and hard-to-find brioche. The breads are made with Shepherd’s Grain flour, so you can feel good about supporting local farmers. Petit Chat also sells bread at Huckleberry’s on Monroe and supplies several local restaurants.
Whether you just make a quick stop to pick up a few loaves (they freeze well) or sink into a leather chair with a cup of coffee and a chocolate-dipped almond horn, you don’t want to miss Petit Chat. I’ll happily make the drive for high-quality, hand-crafted breads and European style pastries at this north Spokane gem. — KIRSTEN HARRINGTON
Petit Chat Village Bakery, 9910 N. Waikiki Rd., is open Mon-Fri 7 am-6 pm and Sat 7 am-4 pm. Call 468-2720.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Turn it over
Behind the beautiful, shiny new kiosk housed just inside the newly constructed Catholic Charities building is the NEW LEAF BAKERY CAFÉ, the public face of an employment and job-skill enhancement program for homeless and low-income women, operated by Transitions.
The women receive individualized training in food services — both front and back of house — while producing reasonably priced pastries and salads (organic and sustainable, when feasible).
It’s about living in right relationship.
Doma — fair trade, certified organic — is the coffee of choice, be it drip ($1.50, 12 oz.) or my 16-ounce iced hazelnut mocha ($4), which was deliciously robust with a just-right blend of coffee, chocolate and hazelnut.
A perfect accompaniment is the Signature Cookie ($0.75): huge peanuts, dried cherries, chocolate chips and flakes of coconut, all baked together in a sweet and crumbly dough. “It’s the best of everything,” says café manager Kristen Speller.
Speller trains women in front-of-house operations — customer service, dishing up food, making lattes, and making change. “I’m giving back, because life’s been good to me,” she says with a wide smile.
In keeping with the notion of right relationship and caring for the Earth, you won’t find boutique water here. “I don’t believe in bottled water,” says Speller, citing numerous problems caused by the ubiquitous plastic containers. She reluctantly carries a small selection of bottled juices, but to-go cups and utensils are biodegradable, and there are glass plates, cups and bowls for in-house dining.
The café menu is a work in progress with several rotating choices including fresh fruit salad, pasta salads and one of my favorites, fresh pea salad ($3.50/$4.50). Made with smoky bacon, sliced celery, bits of red onion and lots of fresh peas in a mayo-based dressing, this is reminiscent of the best summer potluck fare.
A fine choice with any of the salads is a fist-sized roll ($1.75) made from challah bread. Rich with eggs, it has a light, airy texture that’s slightly sweet and yeasty. “It makes a beautiful sandwich,” says Chef-instructor Vira Melendez-Redman.
The café is opening “softly,” with a grand opening planned later in May. The dining area will be dedicated to the memory of former Spokane Catholic Charities Director Donna Hanson, who died of cancer in 2005. Begun with grants, the training program aims to become self-sustaining through revenue from the café and catering service.
Suddenly it hit me that I’m not just eating well by being here. I’m doing good.
— M.C. PAUL
New Leaf Bakery Café, 12 E. Fifth Ave (in the new Catholic Charities building), is open Mon-Fri 8 am-1 pm. Visit help4women.org or call 496-7298. (For catering information, call 496-0396.)
The women receive individualized training in food services — both front and back of house — while producing reasonably priced pastries and salads (organic and sustainable, when feasible).
It’s about living in right relationship.
Doma — fair trade, certified organic — is the coffee of choice, be it drip ($1.50, 12 oz.) or my 16-ounce iced hazelnut mocha ($4), which was deliciously robust with a just-right blend of coffee, chocolate and hazelnut.
A perfect accompaniment is the Signature Cookie ($0.75): huge peanuts, dried cherries, chocolate chips and flakes of coconut, all baked together in a sweet and crumbly dough. “It’s the best of everything,” says café manager Kristen Speller.
Speller trains women in front-of-house operations — customer service, dishing up food, making lattes, and making change. “I’m giving back, because life’s been good to me,” she says with a wide smile.
In keeping with the notion of right relationship and caring for the Earth, you won’t find boutique water here. “I don’t believe in bottled water,” says Speller, citing numerous problems caused by the ubiquitous plastic containers. She reluctantly carries a small selection of bottled juices, but to-go cups and utensils are biodegradable, and there are glass plates, cups and bowls for in-house dining.
The café menu is a work in progress with several rotating choices including fresh fruit salad, pasta salads and one of my favorites, fresh pea salad ($3.50/$4.50). Made with smoky bacon, sliced celery, bits of red onion and lots of fresh peas in a mayo-based dressing, this is reminiscent of the best summer potluck fare.
A fine choice with any of the salads is a fist-sized roll ($1.75) made from challah bread. Rich with eggs, it has a light, airy texture that’s slightly sweet and yeasty. “It makes a beautiful sandwich,” says Chef-instructor Vira Melendez-Redman.
The café is opening “softly,” with a grand opening planned later in May. The dining area will be dedicated to the memory of former Spokane Catholic Charities Director Donna Hanson, who died of cancer in 2005. Begun with grants, the training program aims to become self-sustaining through revenue from the café and catering service.
Suddenly it hit me that I’m not just eating well by being here. I’m doing good.
— M.C. PAUL
New Leaf Bakery Café, 12 E. Fifth Ave (in the new Catholic Charities building), is open Mon-Fri 8 am-1 pm. Visit help4women.org or call 496-7298. (For catering information, call 496-0396.)
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