Friday, January 17, 2014

Weekend Plans: Bake It Up Baby, Now; Get Out Or Get Delivery From Momma's Kitchen

Pastries from Bonaparte in Jessup
Bundle up and head down to one of the great bakeries around Howard County where you can warm yourself and pick up sweets for your weekend.

I'm trying to start an occasional Friday series to suggest places for you to explore.  We'll start with dessert.

If you can't get out, you may want to start with a new company called From Momma's Kitchen.  Honestly, I can't figure out the Web site exactly.  But it looks like a new family-run business that offers cookies, cakes and other items by mail and at local events.  I don't see a retail site, but I think they're Howard County.  Follow Momma on Twitter.

But there is something great about getting out on the weekend and trying something new.  Roust your kids.  Meet your friends.  Bakeries are a perfect excuse to explore, and this is a sample of the places where you can get cakes, cookies, sweet drinks and more if you're looking for fun.  I'll run them roughly from north to south:
Shilla Bakery
  • The Breadery in Oella.  Absolutely worth the drive.  They do both crusty and loaf breads.  They do sweets.  I think they have even expanded into cheeses, and they have coffee from Zeke's.  In the cold, drive.  Once it gets warmer, consider walking the trail that connects The Breadery with downtown Ellicott City.
  • Bon Appetit and Shilla Bakery in Ellicott City.  My Korean friends say that Seoul is packed with French-inspired bakeries, and that idea has been exported to Ellicott City with bakeries that bring the flavors of both countries.  Cakes.  Donuts.  Breads.  Coffee drinks.  Super friendly to kids.
  • Kolache Kreations in Ellicott City.  Specialists in a Czech pastry famous in Texas.  Go sweet or savory fillings stuffed into yeasty rolls.
  • Kupcakes & Co. in Elkridge and Oh, What A Cake! in Columbia.  These are the cupcake folks.  Great for snacks.  Also hoping to sell you fancy cakes and ornate cupcake arrangements.
  • Linda's Bakery in Columbia.  A sweet generalist.  Some cupcakes and cakes, but they also great cookies, macarons, and other items.  I don't know if they're serving coffee there, but you could always walk down to the New York Deli to warm up.
  • Touche Touchet in Columbia.  The gold standard for local bakeries.  No bread, but beautiful cakes, iced cookies, croissants, cookies and more.  They serve strong coffee, and they have a few tables indoors and out.
  • Bonaparate Bakery in Savage.  Excellent breads and sweets.  One of the only full service savory and sweet bakeries in the county.  It's in the Savage Mill development, and it offers ornate French pastries and lunch sandwiches -- along with crusty loaves to carry home.
What others sweets do you recommend?  I tried to pick places where you could carry out or stay around for a warming drink and a sweet snack.  But there are other great options like CookieRide's cookie deliveries, and I'm sure that I have omitted many good places.

4 comments:

  1. I like La Boulangerie neat Lotte Plaza at 29/40 - also in the Korean bakery category. Yummy bean paste pastries, almond cookies, and tofu chips.

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  2. I'd add Bean & Burgundy to your list. I went to Shilla the other day. Lots of free tastings (nice). No wifi (interesting) ... it's more social and warm. Though they didn't have real half and half or milk, just those pre-packaged, live-forever "cream" container thingies *Wrinkles Nose.*

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  3. I know it's a chain, but Le Madeleine is great for a coffee and palmier by a roaring fire.

    Or how about a muffin across the bridge from Main Street? The place by The Trolley Stop- they have great muffins!

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  4. Really pushing the limits on "HoCo" with this one, and more of a "sweet" than "baked good," but Carleson's Donuts in Severn are the most amazing donuts I've ever had. Go early.

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