Challah Trial: Bon Fresco vs. Great Harvest

Challah A (Bon Fresco) & Challah B (Great Harvest)

Let's start by saying that none of the human subjects suffered in the Great Challah Trial of 2011.

The Jewish bread is a regular treat for RDAdoc, who guest-posted last week about challah from Great Harvest bakery in Columbia off Rte 108.  In the comments, Anonymous complimented the Great Harvest loaves, but said that even better were the challahs that were being sold on Fridays at Bon Fresco.

Bon Fresco?  That Columbia shop right off Snowden River Boulevard is one of my favorite restaurants -- both for sandwiches and loaves of chiabatta and baguettes.  But we had never heard about their challah.

That lead to a taste test and a geeky string of email humor as the scientists in my life proposed an experimental design, critiqued the statistical weaknesses, and joked about where to find a committee to approve the trial on human subjects.  It ended with me picking up two half-loaves of challah from RDAdoc last Friday night, knowing nothing more than that they were Challah A and Challah B.

Great Harvest Bread: RDAdoc Makes Her Pitch

RDAdoc has been a fan of Great Harvest Bread Co. for more than 10 years -- starting in New Jersey and now down to the Rockville and Columbia locations.  Professionally, she studies nutrition.  So she always needs food to be good on the tongue and the rest of the body.  It's her regular place -- from the bread to the soup to the sandwiches.  Here is her pitch:

I am now on a mission to get HowChow to understand why I love Great Harvest so much. Now don’t get me wrong.  It’s not that HowChow doesn’t like Great Harvest.  It’s just that I have sensed that he doesn’t share my intense enthusiasm for their breads. 

My mission started back in the fall when the HowChows and several other friends were over for dinner. I served two loafs of Great Harvard challah -- one plain and one raisin -- that got compliments.  Of course, this prompted me to tell everyone about Great Harvest breads. In addition to the challah, which I pick up almost every Friday, some of my other favorite loaves are Apple Crunch, Honey Whole Wheat and Cinnamon Swirl. 

Link: Great Harvest Bakery on GrubGrade

The GrubGrade blog talks up the Great Harvest Bakery in Columbia. Adam loves the bread, especially the onion dill rye. I have never been captivated by Great Harvest, but he loves the local feel with high quality bread: "At $5.00-7.50 a loaf it may not be your supermarket bakery price, but it sure as heck delivers in terms of taste and quality, which ultimately are the most important things."

Click here for my take on bakeries in Howard County. Check out GrubGrade for multimedia blogging -- often about casual and fast food joints -- that runs from YouTube to every social media site you would want to try.

Honey Bunnies at Great Harvest Bread Company

Check out a little Easter humor this week at the Great Harvest Bread Company in Columbia where you can buy a "Honey Bunny" -- a whole wheat loaf in the shape of a bunny rabbit.

Great Harvest comes recommended by several people, although I haven't been inspired yet to write about the bread that I have bought there.  I was amused by the photo of the "Honey Bunnies" advertised in this week's Howard County Times.  They're cute, and it's a reason to try out a new bakery if you have never been.  They're available April 1-11, 2009.

If you are looking for baked goods, check out my post about bakeries in Howard County.  I'm still checking out several places to add there.

Great Harvest Bread Company

8835 Centre Park Drive

Columbia, MD  21045

443-542-5912

NEAR:  This is near Bangkok Delight and Asean Bistro off Rte 108.  It's very convenient to Rte 100.  Asean Bistro is right against Rte 108.  Bangkok Delight is in a cluster of stores on Centre Park Drive on the other side of the supermarket.  And Great Harvest is in a cluster of stores just beyond Bangkok Delight.