December 7, 2006 - 1:20pm
more good bakeries
When in Portland, Maine:
Standard Baking Co. 75 Commercial St (waterfront/Old Port area)
Portland, ME 04101
(207) 773-2112
When in Upstate New York/Hudson Valley/Catskill region:
Bread Alone Bakery and Cafe - main bakery in Boiceville, cafes in Woodstock, Kingston, and Rhinebeck
When in the San Francisco Bay Area:
Il Fornaio
http://www.ilfornaio.com/page17.htm (actually, they are now all over CA and in WA, CO, and NV as well: http://www.ilfornaio.com/page10.htm)
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Not exactly a "bread" bakery, but worth the mention for those of us that have a somewhat sweet tooth, but have a special love of buttery doughs and crusts: While in NYC, you must visit Pattiserie Claude! I won't try to review it, since so many others have done online. So I'll just post links for reviews (I hope that's OK).
Claude can be a little intimidating at first, but he'll warm up to you if you come back again, and smile. Last time I visited his shop he still remembered my face and treated me like a "regular" (though I am not, in great part because I don't live in NYC any more). His croissants are truly delicious, though they might give you heartburn. Try any of his tarts and you will understand what a good pastry crust should taste and feel like. Yum!
Oh, one more warning: his shop does not look hip or as if Claude had anyone advice him on interior design at all. But trust me, his pastries are what makes his little shop a well-kept secret--sometimes I think the "regulars" want to keep him a secret so that they are guarranteed to find at least one pastry left for sale whenever they shop there. :)
Patisserie Claude
187 W 4th St.
NY, NY 10012
(212) 255-5911
Reviews: http://apassionforfood.blogspot.com/2006/03/i-am-in-love-with-man.html ; http://dessertfordinner.blogspot.com/2006/10/french-superiority.html ; http://www.yelp.com/biz/patisserie-claude-new-york ; http://www.nycnosh.com/?p=223