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there are a few locally owned bakeries here, not a lot. They're ok. But frankly, Wegman's is just as good. They bake everything from scratch each day and if you don't get there in time, you're SOL. Their Spinach Parmaggiano Fougasse is the best bread I've had since moving to the States.
We have a farmer's market that has a lady with a booth who makes homemade breads, and while I want to love them, she uses canola oil in lieu of butter, and the taste and texture both suffer.
After growing up and spending a major portion of my adult life on Long Island (NY), where there seems to be a different bakery at every turn, I live where there are no independent bakeries as I know them and I miss them very much.
We have a couple of "bakeries" here, which make mostly breads and muffins. Most change their offerings daily, ie on Mondays you can get these kinds of muffins & these kinds of breads, so you can't just walk in on any day and ask for a rye bread, sliced. If you're unfamiliar with the offerings of these places, chances are you will not get the bread you wanted when you go in. (Oh, you wanted a bowl-type bread to fill with your spinach dip? Sorry, we only make those on Thursday and they sell out before 10 AM.)
I can find some pastries at AJ's, (which many rave about, but I think their pastries are just "okay" and they're pricey for just "okay"). I can also find my favorite rainbow cookies (and a few other items) at a restaurant that has a decent bakery counter, but is over 20 miles away. Other than that, forget pastries and cakes.
The supermarkets all have bakery departments, but I don't care for anything I've had from any of them.
My thought was that people in the NYC area often got together for "coffee and cake", so stopping at a bakery is something one did frequently. Where I am now of course people get together, but it's almost never for "coffee and cake".
For birthdays I've been buying ice cream cakes - since those are usually good. I sure do miss buying good quality bakery cakes though.
Dang it good bakerys we are lacking, and there are just no really good Italian bakerys around.
So what do i do, i bake everyhthing myself, at least try and attempt what my mind tells me i can do. I learn to bake things until i perfect them. But i really miss very much a really good Italian bakery, so much. Tons of them in the E.C. but not out here, so i have to make my own italian pastrys.
And i do enjoy baking fresh and homemade, and hot from the oven. But looking for a really good Italian Bakery, plenty of Italian Restaurants, but no bakerys. Your lucky in the E.C. for you have tons of them.
I CANNOT STAND grocery store cake. Even Costco cake. Most grocery pies are good, so I'll get those there. My area definitely could use some more independent bakers that actually make decent stuff. We have a lot of independent bakeries, yet most of them are absolutely terrible. When I find one I like, I make it a point to come in often, doing my part to keep them going.
Hard to find good bakeries. Sort of a lost art here in the US, outside the big cities or places with "foodie" cultures.
I grew up on european-style baked goods (for pastries and some breads) up in Chicago, usually Polish or German, but havn't really had the equivilant since leaving Chicagoland, with some exceptions.
For example, and this is just breads, most "artisan" breads are based on French or Italian baking styles, but my preference is more central European, which has more of a "rye" base. That type of bread is hard to find.
I prefer and independent bakery, but I don't have any around here. In a pinch I'll get something from the grocery store one, but it sure isn't the same.
How are their prices? Maybe they vary by region, but I am on the lookout for something better than store-bought bread (e.g., Oroweat) that doesn't cost $4.50 to $6.50 a loaf, like my Great Harvest bread does. I might like to make bread myself, but I don't have a breadmaker or the time to bake three or four loaves a week. So I buy it.
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