Out and About: Ken's Artisan Bakery, Portland OR

Ken's Artisan Bakery is rocking!  I read about this bakery in the May issue of Saveur magazine and was listed in an article titled, "20 Loaves We Love".  They impressed the food editors at Saveur with their Blonde Country Boule.  On a recent trip to Portland I decided to give this loaf a try (among other items).

Their bread was delicious and the article was correct when it mentioned the perfect crust to bread ratio.  We dipped in balsamic vinegar and EVOO.  We slathered truffled cheese.  We topped with prosciutto.  We ate just as is.  Two thumbs up.

We also sampled their grapefruit tart (very good, says the husband), grapefruit macaroon (good, pretty sweet though says the husband), croissant (ok, says the kid) and chocolate chip cookie (good, says the kid).

Service was good.  Being that the line was out the door the staff made it a point to move the crowd along in a quickly, but politely.

This place was packed, hot and very energetic.  What a beautiful neighborhood gem.

Out And About: Bakery Nouveau, Seattle WA (W. Seattle)

I'm passionate about pastries.  I think in my next life I will be a pastry chef.  I don't necessarily like to eat everything I make, but I do enjoy being the kitchen.

If you like baked goods and confections, then head to Bakery Nouveau in West Seattle.  They are located on California Ave (aka the junction) and offer street parking and a lot in the rear of the building.

If you go on a weekend morning, you are almost guaranteed to stand in line and wait.  If you'd like to sit and eat your treats immediately, you'll want to snag one of their 7 tables.

As you enter, the food case just about occupies the length of the retail area.  Starting with an area of candies and chocolates you'll move through sandwiches, cakes and confections then lastly their sweet and savory pastries.  There are also loaves, baguettes and other artisan breads available.  With the exception of their brownies (I am not a fan) I don't think there is a bad item at Bakery Nouveau.  If you need something to wash it all down, they do offer espresso drinks as well as a very small selection of sodas and juice.

Recommended Menu Items:  Plain croissant (one of the best in the city), twice baked croissant (almond and chocolate), classic chocolate cake.
Beyond the cash register (and you'll pay decent coin for their delectable treats) you can peak into the kitchen to watch the magic being created.

Thumbs up for this European bakery.

Out and About: momofuku milk bar @ Madison Square Eats

by Miranda Xsavier, almostFitToEat east coast correspondent

I'm working today and for my lunch break and I took advantage of the warm weather and went to Madison Square Park for Madison Square Eats.  It's their MONTH LONG food fest which is like the Bite of Seattle.

Right now in NYC the weather is perfect - a warm 80% (but we won't talk about the humidity) but I do miss the milder Seattle weather.  At the food fest I visited momofuku milk bar.

image from milkbarstore.com

momofuku milk bar is a NYC bakery and more.  There really isn't anything in Seattle that I can compare it to.  I got a slice of Crack Pie and heard good reviews. It's a pretty small slice for 5 bucks. The crust is an oatmeal cookie crust. The filling is chewy and reminds me of my moms filling for the braso de mercedes dessert. It's very sweet. It's ok. Would I get it again? Maybe if it were fresh from the oven (this was from an ice box) since it was at a food fest.

photo by miranda xsavier
e. coast correspondent, www.almostFitToEat.com

I also got their Compost Cookie. Which was ok too. Chewy and has butterscotch chips. It's alright.

photo by miranda xsavier
e. coast correspondent, www.almostFitToEat.com

I think their best item is their cereal milk which is a soft served ice cream that resembles the flavor of cereal nectar - the flavored milk that tastes oh so good.  Here it has cereal on the outside like a mix of Cap'n Crunch and I think salted Frosted Flakes. Though it's small it's definitely satisfying.

photo by miranda xsavier
e. coast correspondent, www.almostFitToEat.com

On your next trip to NYC, visit momofuku milk bar.

Out and About: Crumble & Flake, Seattle WA

I decided to head to Capitol Hill to check out Crumble & Flake on opening day.  The location is on a corner with limited street parking, but if you can get yourself to this small tiny space I assure you it will be worth it.

When you walk into the bakery you are two steps away from the pastry case.  On a Sunday afternoon, the case was looking empty, apparently sold out from the morning crowd.  There were two people servicing the steady stream of people walking in.  In the back, Pastry Chef Neil Robertson doing his magic.  With a nice open kitchen you can see your baked goods being made - all fresh, of course.

I picked up the following:
Plain Croissant - Flaky, buttery and tender inside.  Worthy of being called one of the best croissants in the Seattle area.
Cream Puff - They offer a choice of fillings, and I happened to get one of each: vanilla, chocolate and apricot.  I had one bite and the family had the rest - which they profess were "delicious" and demanded more.  I was curious of the puff, which offered a slight crust that seem to compliment the rich cream filling inside.
Chocolate Chip Cookie - It was delicious and I'm almost certain the chocolate was at least 60% cocoa of some good quality chocolate.
Brownie - Interesting!  Two tone brownie consisting of a dark bottom with nuts and lighter on top.  The texture was lighter than a traditional brownie, but the chocolate flavor was very good.

There is no seating so everything is to-go.

Congratulations to Crumble & Flake.  Looking forward to visiting again in the future.