tartine bianco

I was so excited when I heard that the Tartine Bakery group was opening here in Los Angeles. I have a huge soft spot for this San Francisco-based restaurant and bakery, so to have one open so close to me was wonderful news. The Manufactory, as its known, is also conveniently located at The Row DTLA, which is a cute open-air facility with plenty of fun shops and restaurants to pop into. Whether you’re in the mood for a more formal sit-down meal, or looking to grab a quick coffee or soft serve to-go, The Manufactory’s got you covered. There’s The Market for tasty flatbreads and specialty food items, The Ice Cream & Coffee Window for drinks, baked goods and ice cream, Tartine Bianco serving seasonal Cali-Italian cuisine, and finally Alameda Supper Club for a more elevated private dining experience. All of that housed under one roof! The space itself is beautiful too- huge windows that allow light to flood in at all hours of the day- with a super modern, industrial feel, and a large, shared open kitchen.

On a couple recent visits, we’ve dined at Tartine Bianco, the all-day restaurant whipping up all kinds of delights with fresh ingredients from the farmers market. It’s very comparable to its San Fran counterpart, Tartine Manufactory, a place I’ve dined at and absolutely loved. One main focus of the menu is the famous Tartine Bread (duh!), and food good reason. Choose from toasts, smørrebrøds, and flatbreads, or just get the bread basket with a couple of dips and go to town. Oh my glory, it’s honestly some of the best bread I have ever tasted. Baked to perfection, doughy and chewy on the inside, with the perfectly crisp, crunchy crust. Do yourself a favor and order a loaf to-go as well so you can keep the enjoyment going for a couple more days! The rest of the meal did not disappoint either, from the grilled beets with chermoula to the lamb shank with sunchokes to the malted brownie sundae, you really cannot go wrong. And how pretty is that chicken liver toast?! It’s practically a work of art. Click through the slideshow below to check out the rest of our fantastic meal, and get ready to drool! I look forward to picking up some bread and pastries, and perhaps (read: definitely) making a pit stop at the Ice Cream Window for some delicious soft serve very soon!

tartine manufactory

San Francisco is such a great food city, but one that I really haven’t gotten the chance to explore all that much. A few months ago when I was spending a night there before heading out to wine country, I made it a top priority to make dinner reservations at Tartine Manufactory. You’ve probably heard of Tartine Bakery before, or at least drooled over their tasty looking baked goods on Instagram, but did you know they also have a chic restaurant in a bright, industrial space in the Mission District? I’d been following them for a while, and practically every dish I see is calling my name. The menu draws from local, seasonal California ingredients, and of course offers some killer pasta and bread. There’s a huge bakery in the restaurant, and I can only imagine how many fresh loaves of sourdough they’re churning out each day (check out all those proofing baskets stacked up below!). It’s worth having a glass of wine at the bar and just watching the entire process unfold. Serious bakers are practically my idols! PS- if you’re looking to get into baking yourself, I highly suggest you start out with the critically acclaimed Tartine Bread book. It’s full of foolproof classics that are sure to satisfy your cravings.

Getting back to our meal, it did not disappoint in the least. We tried a bunch of dishes (as evidenced by scrolling through the slideshow above), and while it would be easy to say the bread was the highlight of the meal, that really wouldn’t do the rest of the food justice. The lamb meatballs were delicately spiced and served with a deliciously creamy, yet earthy fava bean purée. One of my faves was the marinated artichoke with fennel and pistachio- such a unique dish, and a total flavor explosion. The slightly sweet, caramelized fennel paired perfectly with the hearty pistachio spread. Yum! Most people would agree that once you’ve tried homemade pasta it’s hard to go back, and Tartine’s pasta will really do you in. Classically simple, non-fussy, and perfectly al dente! Of course my favorite part of any meal is dessert, so I naturally (greedily?) chose the one that serves 2-4 people! Although it was not my first time devouring the PB&J ice cream pie, it was just as decadently tasty as I remembered. Seriously, the peanut caramel and peanut cookie crust take this treat to another level entirely. Don’t forget to stop by the ice cream counter on your way out for a cone to-go, and definitely take a freshly baked loaf of bread for to enjoy at home! Good news for those in Los Angeles- you don’t have to drive eight hours to enjoy all that Tartine has to offer- a Southern Cali outpost is opening soon!

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lodge bread co.

I'll just come right out and say it- I'm obsessed with Lodge Bread Company. This bakery and café in west LA focuses on whole grain sourdough bread baking, freshly milled flours, and wood-fired pizzas, and truly impresses in all ways, if you ask me. Every day, Lodge Bread churns out some seriously delish and hearty bread, unique pastries, and both Neapolitan & pan pizzas, not to mention some tasty wood-fired veggie dishes as well. It's truly everything I want in a meal- carbs and sweets! I'd been eyeing the (gigantic!) sourdough cinnamon roll ever since I first saw it on Instagram, and finally indulged on my most recent visit. It's not overly sweet, thanks to a lighter, whipped frosting and that hearty whole grain sourdough, but utterly delicious with the perfect amount of cinnamon flavor! Next on my must-try list is the babka!

I've now gotten to try a good variety of things from the menu, and have yet to be disappointed. Upon first entering the bakery, after checking out the bakers handling the dough with such care , you'll find the beautiful array of pastries baked fresh that day. I highly recommend trying a couple (or five). Other than the cinnamon roll, the pine nut blondie and the carrot olive oil cake are to die for! The wood-fired cauliflower with pickled raisins & chermoula is just bursting with flavor, as are the roasted beets with chicories, cara cara oranges, labne & pepitas. You can't come to Lodge without ordering pizza. Trust me, just do it. My pan pizza was thick and chewy, almost like a slightly crusty sourdough focaccia, piled high with roasted veggies. Our sweet pea pie was the perfect seasonal treat, topped with snap peas, pea tendrils, green garlic & ricotta! I'm now drooling again just thinking about this meal, so looks like a return trip is in my very near future!

meyer's bageri

 

Meyer's Bageri is a cute little Danish bakery in Williamsburg that turns out some truly delectable baked goods. Danish culinary entrepreneur Claus Meyer is behind it, along with new restaurant Agern and Great Northern Food Hall in Grand Central Terminal. Although the bakery started as just a pop-up, their popularity soon became clear, and Meyer's returned as a full-time brick and mortar a few months later. They offer several traditional Danish pastries like kanelsnurre (cinnamon swirl buns), spandauer (round puff pastries with fillings), and tebirkes (poppy seed danishes), and also bake hearty loaves of bread daily. Ølandbrød, a native speciality made from heirloom whole wheat flour which they will mill in house, is a definite must-try. 

I'm a huge cinnamon-lover, so my order always involves kanelsnurre. The morning buns, marbled with rye and topped with sunflower seeds, are chewy and delicious as well, and even better topped with avocado or hummus. On another trip I got to try the beet & cassis muffin and raspberry pop tart. These creative takes on classics blew me away- the muffin was slightly earthy and not too sweet, with a moist crumb and crunchy streusel topping, while the pop tart had a perfectly flaky crust. I'm excited to return soon to devour the new, seasonal danish: pumpkin spice spandauer with brown butter glaze and pepita brittle! Yum!

 

fennel seed, flax & raisin bread

 
fennel flax raisin bread5.jpg
 

My husband and I were recently gifted a sourdough starter from a good friend of ours. There is not much better than freshly baked bread in my opinion, so we have had some fun experimenting with various flours and mix-ins. My husband is definitely the better bread-baker, as he has had some prior experience, but I'm watching and learning as he goes. Baking bread is such a science, from the exact proportions of ingredients to proofing time, but it's a great feeling to pull the final product out of the oven. We like the rustic shape and uniform crust it gets from baking in our beautiful Staub cast iron pans. This bread uses a mix of bread flour and whole wheat graham flour, which adds a nice whole grain touch, but keeps it from being too dense and hearty. We mixed plump raisins in to the dough, and coated the top in fennel and flax seeds. If you want to make your own sourdough bread, but are unsure where to start, The Clever Carrot provides an in-depth, step-by-step tutorial that proved very helpful for us.

Sourdough Bread:

  • 150g active sourdough starter

  • 250g water

  • 25g olive oil

  • 250g bread flour

  • 250g whole wheat graham flour

  • 10g sea salt

  • 1 tbsp fennel seeds

  • 1 tbsp flax seeds

  • 1/3 cup raisins

  • extra flour or cornmeal, for dusting

To make the dough, combine the starter, water, olive oil and both flours in a bowl. Mix everything together by hand until just combined, and then set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

Dissolve the salt in 1/2 tsp water, and fold it well into the dough mix. Re-form the dough into a rough ball. Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Leave it in a warm spot to rise until it has doubled in size, which may take several hours.

While the dough is fermenting, you may stretch and fold it over itself a few times to strengthen the dough, and in turn increase the total volume of the bread. Rotate the bowl ¼ turn and repeat this process until you have come full circle. Do every 30 minutes for 2 hours. 

To cut and shape the dough, lightly flour one half of a clean surface (counter top, pastry slab, cutting board), and leave the other half clean. Remove the dough from the bowl, and place onto the floured section so that it does not stick.

To shape the dough, move it to the clean section of your surface. Fold the dough, side by side, over itself into the center. At this time, add the raisins so that they get fully incorporated. Flip the dough over and place it seam side down. Gently form your hands along the sides of the dough and rotate it until you are satisfied with its shape. Carefully coat the top of the bread with a mix of flax and fennel seeds.

Coat the bottom of your Staub pan (or dutch oven) with cornmeal or flour. Place the dough inside for a second shorter rise, about 1-2 hours, or until it looks slightly puffy.

Preheat your oven to 450F. Right before you're ready to bake your bread, make a shallow slash about 2 inches long in the center of the dough with a knife. Cover your dough with the lid, and place the pot into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the lid, and continue to bake for an additional 25-30 minutes, until a nice golden brown crust has formed. Turn off the oven, crack open the oven door, and leave the bread . This allows the moisture to escape, leaving your bread with a crisp crust. If you prefer to take the internal temperature of your bread, it should read about 205F.

Remove the bread from the oven, take it out of the pot, and allow it to cool for at least an hour before slicing. Now enjoy the results of all your hard work!

*Adapted from Sourdough Bread by The Clever Carrot.

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