As we found ourselves pulling up to Barres and Noble my eagle like eyes detected a sign in the distance, a bakery? Baker's Crust, "Hmmm" I thought, "Sounds like a Panera Bread (PB) of sorts" So instead of going in to battle on an empty tummy, because we'd rather not stomach the alternatives, we found our option for lunch. The first surprise as we walked in was that it wasn't anything like Panera, there was no walk up bakery counter and it was actually a sit down and dine establishment. However the second we opened the menu we were pleasantly surprised with the types of quality and choice we would have come to of expect from a PB competitor. You can take a look at the menu yourself over at their website, the link will be at the end of this post.
It was and is incredible. The salads are unique, the vegetarian choices are diverse, the entrees were taunting me and the selection of panini's and sandwiches was delightful. I ordered a combo of the Poached Pear salad and Chicken with Guacamole Sandwich, Laura had the Apple, Walnut and Bleu Cheese Salad with the Tomato and Cheese Soup. We had a home made fresh mozzarella starter and a diablotin crepe for dessert.
Let me start where we ended, with the crepe. The two of us have gone through a long and daunting journey in finding the perfect crepes. There have been a few contenders and many pretenders to the throne. Normally we search out crepes, so this was a pleasant surprise in and of itself, having definitely not expected to have one that morning. The hopes were running high though, when it finally got to us the chocolate, and strawberries looked perfect, the question was, were we about to eat real crepes, or just thin pancakes? No doubt, the Baker's Crust knows how to make a real crepe, the finishing touch to our already exquisite meal was a near perfect contender to the title. The strawberries were fresh as can be, the chocolate was drizzled everywhere and the dough was thin and abundant.
We found out from the very first dish that this place was not about quantity over quality though. Our fresh mozzarella starter was not exactly the "mozz sticks" you get at Friendlys. We were served two slices of home made fresh mozzarella, battered and breaded, on a plate of sauce sprinkled with herb. It looked straight out of a fine dinning, Iron Chef, 'bougie' experience. I thought it would never be enough, that we had been ripped off, but let me tell you. After taking just the very first tiny bite, it was worth the whole price of admission. The sauce was indescribable and the cheese was perfect. We ate it slowly and enjoyed every bite, even leaving a little to enjoy with our meals which came next.
I'll keep this quick and simple. The soup which I tasted was among the best I have ever had, it even looked pretty. Both salads were fighting to win my taste buds affection over the other. I of course only had a bite of Laura's, but it was enough to see why she was enjoying it so much. My salad was fresh as can be, each ingredient was there in abundant portions and the dressing was something I had never even heard of. Which is a plus! I love experimenting and hate that most places don't have anything but ranch, Italian, 1000 Island and the such.
Lastly but certainly not least. My sandwich, served on Jalapeno and Cheddar bread was a masterpiece. All of the different parts melted into a perfect whole seamlessly. There wasn't a single bite that left me unfulfilled and none of the tastes over or underwhelmed. This meal literally inspired me to want to be a food critique.
I've eaten all over the country, from NYC to New Orleans and this little out of the way bakery really got to me. After looking it up on the internet I found out there are 6 locations throughout Virginia. Two in Richmond and one in VA Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, and Williamsburg this fledgling chain is steadily growing in to something to keep an eye on.
Baker's Crust
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