Bakeries to Bike to

I am sure I have mentioned before how eager (desperate?) I am to have a bakery close by, meaning a quick bike ride or walk away from my house. I cannot be alone in this desire, though I know that such an endeavor entails arduous physical labor at all hours, a lot of capital and a tremendous commitment to the craft of baking. There are many excellent bakers in Santa Barbara, as is evidenced by the numerous bakeries. Perhaps in the future, one of these bakers will set up shop nearby.

What would my dream bakery look like? The photo directly below illustrates my vision. I would like a place with a simple design, in white and natural wood, with some local art on the walls (perhaps by my daughter, Camille?). There would be fresh loaves of bread on display behind a counter, and in a display case would be a small selection of scones, muffins, quick breads, plain croissants, and some sort of cinnamon bun.

Until this vision becomes a reality, I keep a running list of bakeries I would like explore on bike in the future. The closest one is in Ballard: the second location of Bob’s Well Bread Bakery Why he didn’t expand his business closer to me remains a mystery. I have been to Bob’s first bakery in Los Alamos several times, and it is consistently great. Whenever I am heading north or south on the 101 Freeway, I try to time my drive with Bob’s open hours. Bob’s is well-known for its first-rate loaves of sourdough bread, and if Don and I are heading to our friends’ house up north, Brett expects us to arrive with Bob’s olive fougasse. We don’t want to disappoint him, so we make a stop in Los Alamos for Brett’s loaf, and while we are at it, a couple of croissants, coffee, maybe a petite baguette sandwich for later, and a cookie or two for the road. We have also enjoyed more leisurely meals at Bob’s and are very keen on the beans on toast and breakfast sandwich, comprised of proscuitto, cheese, and arugula. A bike ride in the Santa Ynez Valley is now sure to include a stop at the second Bob’s.

Another bakery in Santa Ynez, which I have visited though not on my bike, is the Baker’s Table. I will dedicate a future blog post to my meal. In the meantime, go there! I guarantee that you will be extremely pleased.

In junior high school, I met Mandy, who has has become a lifelong friend. Besides bonding over the angst and awkwardness of that age, we shared a deep love of sweets. I have many fond memories of hanging out at Mandy’s house after school, raiding her pantry which was filled with candy bars, Suzi Q’s, and Oreos. This otherworldly assortment of treats was quite different from the whole wheat fig bars and carob studded cookies in my kitchen at home. More astonishing to me at that time was watching Mandy’s mom whip up dessert every day. She made pies, cakes, and cookies that they enjoyed each evening after dinner. I had no idea people ate that way, and often lingered until late in the afternoon, hoping a dinner invitation would come (it usually did).

Mandy and I continue to enjoy eating together, and she keeps me abreast of any bakeries of note in Newport Beach, where we grew up. Lately she has been raving about Rye Goods, and I cannot wait to ride our bikes during my next visit. Rye Goods sounds like my kind of place with the usual bread offerings and pastries. In addition, there are numerous unusual creations, such as a cream cheese, Meyer lemon danish, a baklava croissant, and a selection of seasonal items, such as a “pumpkin cream morning bun topped with toasted maple meringue.” According to my reliable source, every bite of every baked good has been divine.

Another friend who shares my love of good food and sweets is Heather, who lives in San Luis Obispo. She recently arrived for a weekend visit with a superb selection of baked goods from Bread Bike. Riding my bike there from Heather’s adorable downtown house in SLO would be a breeze! The day she came to my house, we cut the pastries into thirds and shared them with my husband. We wolfed down a glorious sweet roll made with Earl Gray tea and dotted with cocoa nibs, a peach galette, and a pumpkin rhubarb muffin. Each one had just the right amount of spice and a delicate crumb.

The last bakery I want to highlight is one I biked to in Oregon. From cold, rainy days, to sunny, hot ones, the weather has varied when I’ve gone to visit my younger daughter at her college. When I moved her home to Santa Barbara last spring, we rode bikes on a sweltering day around McMinnville. Along the way, we stopped in a charming shop, Alchemist’s Jam. What a splendid surprise! The shop carries housemade jam in luscious flavor combinations such as boysenberry, grapefruit, sea salt and raspberry, cardamom, rosehip. Any of the myriad jams would be delicious atop one of the Alchemist’s scones or breads.

Whenever some brave soul decides to open a bakery in my area, near San Marcos High School, to be specific, I will be a very loyal customer. Until then, I will continue to frequent bakeries in Santa Barbara and elsewhere.