While I've Been: The Bike And Breadery Make For A Perfect Excursion With Friends, Dog Or Toddler

Challah from The Breadery in Oella

The trolley trail from Ellicott City remains one of the great local adventures -- and the Breadery at the top of the hill in Oella remains its great payoff.

Lil' Chow and I spent three days together this month while his daycare shut down to organize for the new year.  One morning, we clipped on the new toddler bike seat and rode from Main Street up into the green shade of the Trolley Line #9 trail.

Down the shady Trolley Line #9 trail

I'd strolled the trail before.  I'd extolled it as a gorgeous excursion -- especially to beat the summer heat.  But this is the first time that I'd huffed and pedaled up the steep hill.

This is part of my "While I've Been Out" series to restart the blog.  Late last year, the blog got some serious competition.  I'm still working out how to keep writing while I'm doing so many other new things as well.  Thanks to everyone who has kept reading, emailing and commenting. 

Up is doable.  We went slow, and, when getting on the bike, I looked for fallen stumps that could help my short legs get up and around the toddler seat to the pedal.

Down is a joy.  Gravity swept us along past dog-walkers, green trees, and a squirrel that we compromised and called a "bunny."  I held the brakes to extend the free trip down, enjoyed an extended stop to climb down and explore the stream that runs along the path, then loved the dramatic final gorge with the metal bridge spanned above.

Lil' Chow loved the snacks.  Near the top of the trail is the Breadery, a bakery, wine and gourmet store whose parking lot literally touches the trail.  They have a few tables where you can lounge in the sun.  When we pulled into sight, Lil' Chow could smell the ovens, and he called out "Challah!"  (Thanks Bet Yeladim!)

So we bought challah.  Then he sampled Michelle's granola.  When he wanted seconds, it seemed polite and smart to buy a bag as well.  The Baltimore company has a seasonal granola made with apples.  You could buy a light lunch, a snack, coffee and other drinks.  You could also check out their selections of wine, oils and vinegars.  We ate granola and some packed snacks.  Then I carried the challah and granola down the hill in my backpack.

Challah buns

The Breadery is worth the travel whether you bike or drive.  They make challah buns that I have held out as the best hot dog bun available and are really good for burgers as well.  I recommend any of their crusty breads and the topped flat breads that make an easy lunch or dinner.  They also carry Zeke's coffee and several brands of jams and spreads.

The bike ride is pretty accessible as long as you expect to pedal uphill.  You can park at the bottom of the trail in a parking lot that is sort of behind the Trolley Stop on Oella Avenue.  Note that you have to carry the bike up stairs from that lot.  You can also follow our lead and park in one of the Main Street lots, then pedal down under the railroad bridge.  If you turn left on Westchester Avenue, there is a "no stairs" entrance onto the Trolley Line #9 path.

I heartily recommend the Trolley Line #9 trail for strolling or biking.  It's a long way up, so I'd have a stroller for little kids.  But kids get a huge payoff in puppy sightings, and it's a terrific long peaceful walk for friends, couples, or dog-walkers.  A bonus payoff would be to go on a day when the BrickNFire pizza folks are baking pies in the Breadery's parking lot.  Follow their Twitter feed to see where they're bringing their portable pizza oven.

Pair It Up: Oil And Bread At The Breadery

Oils and vinegars at the Breadery

The basics are new again -- this time at The Breadery in Oella that has added artisan oils and vinegars to the hot breads that they pop out every day.

I have raved about the Breadery since they moved just outside Ellicott City and started to offer a mix of crusty and soft breads, rolls and other items.  Now, I rave again because they're offering flavored oils and vinegars that can make a meal in seconds.

Again, this is basic stuff.  A dash of olive oil or vinegar to dress a salad, improve a sauce, or marinate a meat.  But it's new to me, and I love the ease of adding sweet, spicy and other flavors with just the tip of a bottle.

Honey-ginger white balsamic vinegar

The Breadery's selection is similar to the Secolari store in the Columbia Mall.  Vinegars with berries, chilis, or other spices.  Oils from a range of locations, some goosed with citrus, fruit or spices.  Great fun for a cook.  Great gifts if you buy for one.

For this week's blog theme, I'll emphasize that a Breadery loaf pairs beautifully with these oils and vinegars.  Dipped in an oil.  Served with a salad dressed with vinaigrette.  My Secolari finds let me make an ancho-lime dressing in seconds.  At the Breadery, I took honey-ginger vinegar.

You won't stumble on the Breadery unless you have business up the hill in Oella.  But it's a really easy drive from Main Street in Ellicott City -- even a beautiful stroll up a parkland path if you want to mix eating and exercise.  Definitely worth the effort.  With the occasional BrickNFire appearance, you can go there to eat immediately (BrickNFire's pizza), eat later (the breads) and cook for yourself (the oils and vinegars).

New parenthood definitely makes blogging tough.  We are still learning to be efficient enough to have any free moments.  So I'm writing short posts this weeks on the theme of two items that you could buy at a single stop.

Pizza And Popcorn: BricknFire Pizza Brings Great Pizza To Columbia, Oella And Other Spots

Margherita pizza with prosciutto by BricknFire Pizza

New fatherhood has meant that I need to plan my days around naps and bedtime, and Mr. CrunchDaddy has inspired me to at least try to plan for some pizza this weekend.

Dan -- creator of the local CrunchDaddy Popcorn and friend of the blog -- has been nudging me to seek out pizza at BricknFire Pizza.  BricknFire is a pop-up pizzeria.  A portable oven run by Megan Lanasa, whose family owns the Breadery in Oella.  She bakes pies at farmers markets, Howard County General Hosptial, the Breadery, and other sites.

Dan has been a fan for a while.  He has even teamed up with Lanasa so that he'll do popcorn tasting on Saturday from noon to 3 pm while she is selling pizzas.  I asked him to write up what has caught his fancy:

The quality, authenticity and simplicity of BricknFire Pizza makes for a truly wonderful eating experience. This portable brick oven operation (run by Megan Lanasa) appears at various locations in the area from week to week and frequently on Saturday afternoons at The Breadery in Oella (run by her father, Mike Lanasa). The best place to find their weekly schedule and list of specials is on their Facebook page.

I'm Italian... but I order my Americanized pizza with lots of stuff on it... all the meats, mushrooms, olives, etc. When I have the opportunity to enjoy a real Italian pizza, I'm happy to let the bare elements speak for themselves. I expect the tomato sauce to be fresh, the mozzarella to be milky and the herbs to make my taste buds dance. BricknFire does it like they invented it, with San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, fresh herbs and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil as a finishing touch. Baked on fresh made dough in a wood-fired brick oven, the result is heavenly.

Regular offerings at BricknFire Pizza include the classic cheese and Margherita pizzas as well as one with soppressata (cured Italian sausage) as a nod to the meat lovers. Specialty pizzas, dessert pizzas and sandwiches are offered at the whim of Chef Megan and feature a variety of locally-sourced ingredients. The picture that I included was a Margherita pizza with prosciutto added. It really doesn't get more Italian than that.

Again, BricknFire posts its schedule on its Facebook page.  Get lunch today at Howard County General Hospital in Columbia from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm.  Or check them out at the Breadery in Oella Friday from 4 to 8 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm.  Try for the bonus Saturday afternoon when you can get pizza, shop at Breadery, and taste CrunchDaddy.  I'm a huge fan of Dan's popcorn and recommend bags as hostess or holidays gifts.

The Breadery is worth checking out even without the pizza.  It's a really nice bakery.  Part of the real revolution in bread that happened even before Whole Foods came to town.  They were expanding into cheese and others foods when I last visited, but I haven't seen the expanded layout.  It's an easy drive from Main Street in Ellicott City, and it's a great walk up a trail when the weather is good.  Again, I'm hoping this weekend.

BGR's Burger, Bargain Bread, And New FroYo In Turf Valley: Adam Trolls Three Great Ideas

BGR's burger

You need to add Adam's idea to your "to do" list -- challah from The Breadery in Oella, spread with salmon cream cheese and topped with a poached egg.

That's a spectacular idea, and it's the kind of idea that keeps me blogging -- one of the many emails or comments where someone suggests something delicious that I would never have heard about.  Now, I've raved about the Bon Fresco's challah, but I never even noticed a loaf at The Breadery and never thought about that simple, but beautiful open-faced sandwich.

Today's Trolling post is more from Adam, including another new place in the Turf Valley shopping center that is really making a difference up on Rte 40 and a special at BGR The Burger Joint in Columbia.  Take it away Adam:

Breadery's challah

I think we can all agree that there is some great bread baking going on in Howard County. Not even counting specialty bakers like Bon Fresco and Great Harvest, grocery stores like Wegmans have taken store-baked bread to artisan levels. But for as great as the breads at some of these places are, you’ve got to admit they can be a little on the pricey side, and not always worth a weekly investment if the only person eating them in your household is, well, you. That’s why I love stopping into The Breadery in Oella. Their “Day-Old” rack isn’t just bursting with variety, but it features all kinds of great breads at 50% off. I’ve never bought a loaf from them that’s spoiled before I’ve finished it, and $2-3 for either an artisan old world bread or a home-style loaf of sliced bread, stopping in just to browse the day-old shelf has become a regular occurrence. I really recommend the Garden Herb loaf for tasty sandwiches (like a Goat Cheese and Apple Panini), as well as the Cranberry-Orange Pecan for something sweeter. A few days ago I even managed to get a loaf of their Challah. Lightly toasted with smoked salmon cream cheese and a perfectly poached egg, it takes on a custardy texture and sweet, rich taste as a open faced sandwich. 

There’s been a lot of buzz about the new Turf Valley Facci, but a new frozen yogurt stand just across the street that is worth checking out. YoLavie is a small chain with just four other locations, but they definitely bring a sweet presence to the new plaza. They held a grand opening on October 4th in which they offered all you can eat free yogurt, and I left on a sugar high after a mixed bowl of their peanut butter and coffee flavors. Both were excellent, as was the pistachio flavor I sampled. Not being a huge Froyo guy, I can’t say how YoLavie stacks up compared to the myriad of HoCo or national offerings, but I love that the new plaza has brought them in. 

Finally, it seems like most people find BGR The Burger Joint’s $6.99 burger a tad expensive, but if you’ve never tried the chain, I’d say to at least give it a shot.  They are running a deal right now where you can get their “burger” free with any purchase after signing up for their eClub online.  They have a location in Columbia near Target and Dick's Sporting Goods.  My burger was cooked a perfect medium-rare and dripping fatty juices, and I was really impressed with the freshness of the toppings and the deceptively light but buttery “brioche” bun.  Even without cheese I enjoyed it more than anything I’ve had from Five Guys (overrated, in my mind) and it exuded beefy flavor.

Trolling on Tuesday is my attempt at a series where readers would share three things with other HowChow readers -- favorite restaurant dishes, food to buy, food experiences, etc. Click here for all the Trolling posts. Click here for the explanation and the rules. Anyone can submit.

Breadery In Oella Expanding - Into Cheese & Wine

Making space at the Breadery in Oella

The Breadery seems to be thriving in its second home, and now they're moving some walls to expand into cheese and wine.

The bakery in Oella is just across the river from downtown Ellicott City.  It's already a terrific place to stop for breads, sweets, and the best hot dog rolls.  Now, they're expanding the retail area to expand their line.

They're already selling wine.  In a few weeks, the talk says, they're hoping to sell cheeses and beer as well.

The Breadery is one of the rare food spots that can be shopping and entertainment.  It's worth your drive just to buy loaves, rolls, and flat-breads -- along with the long-standing coffee from Zeke's and nice jams from Stonewall Kitchen.  (It's also just blocks from the J.W. Trueth butcher.)  But, in addition, the bakery sits on a beautiful walking trail down to Ellicott City.

You can get start at any public lot -- at the Breadery or on Main Street -- then create a walk where you eat and shop along the way.  Start in Oella with breakfast, then walk down to Main Street to look around.  Or get coffee on Main Street, walk up to Oella to buy your breads and then back for lunch

You can't go wrong.  With some warm weather, you can enjoy yourself and work it off.

If you're shopping along Main Street, nose around the new Randy & Steve's general store that has all kinds of gourmet foods.  I'm also a fan of Sweet Elizabeth Jane for cookbooks and kitchen wear.  We also love the tutus at the Little Sunshine Trading Company -- our signature gift for little girls.

"Curd & Oats" - Mrs. HowChow's Nursery Rhyme

Oatcakes from Roots, tangerine ginger curd from The Breadery

Little Miss HowChow sat on her tuffet
Eating her curd and oats
Along came a spider and sat down beside her
And frightened Miss HowChow away . . . 

. . . except Mrs. HowChow took the oatcakes and the tangerine ginger curd with her.  They're just too delicious to abandon to insects.

We ate one final Sunday night dinner at the neighborhood pool, and Mrs. HowChow assembled dessert from some of the treats that she has discovered this summer.

The house-brand lemon sorbet from Wegmans.  Effie's oatcakes from Roots in Clarksville.  And a tangerine spread that she picked up at The Breadery in Oella.  These are all finds that Mrs. HowChow made as we shopped around this summer.

The Wegmans sorbets are all delicious.  But it's oatcakes that are actually better than they sound.  They're a lightly-sweet cracker or a mildly-oaty cookie.  Either way, they're delicious, and they pair perfectly with the tangerine curd -- a creamy spread almost the consistency of frosting, but strong with the taste of citrus.

They'd be great if you were assembling a picnic one weekend.  Maybe if you head off to Larriland Farm in Woodbine to pick apples and pumpkins.  Just watch out for spiders . . .

A Revolution In Bread In Howard County

Sourdough from The Breadery

In the last year or so, Howard County's simplest food has gotten way more complex -- and way more interesting if you like a crunchy crust.

We're talking about bread.  Years ago, I posted about bakeries in Howard County, and bread merited a single paragraph -- Bonaparte Bakery in Savage with side notes about the whole grain loaves at The Breadery then on Rte 40 and other people's love of Great Harvest in Columbia.

But a quiet revolution has truly changed your options -- new places, new flavors, novel spots where you can stop for fresh, exciting bread:

• Wegmans in Columbia.  This is the flashy new spot of 2012.  The bakery sits right inside the front door, and we fill bags with baguettes, rolls and other goodies.  The rolls are our new staple.  I buy eight or 10 at a time, and I freeze them two to a bag.  They're perfect to thaw for sandwiches or just to accompany dinner.
• The Breadery that relocated to Oella last summer.  An easy drive from Main Street in Ellicott City, and you can enjoy their long-standing line of whole grain loaves, along with crusty offerings like baguettes, sourdough, flat breads topped with cheese and vegetables, and the best hot dog buns that you'll ever find.



Loaves from the new Roots bakery

• Roots Market in Clarksville.  The Roots folks started a bakeshop this spring that does sweets to savory, and they now fill their displays with their own loaves -- sourdough, Russian black bread, a harvest bread coated with crunchy seeds.  We sliced ciabatta for almost every meal last weekend.

Bonaparte continues to make Savage Mill a wonderful place to stop for simple like baguettes or fantastic like the rosemary lemon bread.  The revolution is that almost every corner of the county now has bakers pushing similar excellence.

Soft sandwich breads or crusty loaves.  Simple rolls or dinner party centerpieces.  Whatever you like,  you can expect to eat something make with care and an eye on flavor, texture and fun.

The change has been so great that you have stil more hidden options for quality bread.  The Bagel Bins in Clarksville and Columbia often offer challah on Fridays.  The Shrine of St. Anthony in Clarksville sells rye and other varieties baked by Trappist monks in New York State.  And the Bon Fresco Sandwich Bakery in Columbia offers up focaccia and baguettes along with their spectacular sandwiches.

This is the gradual innovation that makes a place special.  Four great bakeries.  The specialist options -- topped off with loaves you can buy at Mom's Organic Market in Jessup or at one of the farmers markets.  Soon, the county has begun a place where you can expect to eat well and people stop saying "It's all chain restaurants and Safeway."  You can be a little proud and eat near home.

Don't forget the pretzel rolls.  That's an early Wegmans find.  Click here for all the posts about bread.

The Best Hot Dog Bun You'll Find Anywhere

Challah rolls at The Breadery

You have until the weekend to find the perfect hot dog because you should hit up The Breadery for the perfect bun.

I stopped at the Oella bakery on Saturday and found challah rolls in the elongated shape perfect for hot dogs or sausages.

Both lunches this weekend were Harris Teeter chicken sausages cooked through, sliced in half, then served up on a toasted Breadery roll.  The bread is delicious -- the light flavor of challah with a shiny egg wash and the soft texture that really shines in a hot dog roll.

I am known to empress baguettes when my only other option is a supermarket hot dog roll.  They can be dry and tasteless.  But it's true that baguettes can overwhelm a sausage with too much bread and a crust that's too crisp for the purpose.

The Breadery's rolls were ideal in size and flavor.  They come in eight-packs, so freeze whatever you don't use.

Now I need some great sausages or hot dogs.  Both Laurel Meat Market and Boarman's in Highland make their own sausages. Wegmans sells a hot dog in the deli section that was peppery and unique.  Any other suggestions?

Walk And Roll: The Best Summertime Stroll and Food Spot (Almost) In Howard County

Croissant by the Breadery

I'm not saying that you should go out in 100-degree weather, but the best spot for a summertime stroll is definitely the Breadery in Oella -- just across the river from Ellicott City.

The Breadery is a terrific bakery that moved from Rte 40 to the hill in Oella.  It's a bit of a drive, but the new mix of dense whole grain and crusty loaves makes every trip worthwhile.  I love the rolls, and we had a savory potato focaccia that we reheated for Sunday brunch.

Shady walk under the bridge

But the Breadery's attraction goes more than the food.  The parking lot abuts an entrance to the Trolley Line #9 trail -- a paved walking path that runs from the river at the Howard County line up the hill to Edmondson Avenue in Catonsville.

The Trolley Line trail runs in deep shade.  Even on a hot day, it's a dozen degrees or more cooler as you walk next to a stream from the Breadery a little more than a mile downhill to the river.  You cross under the one-lane bridge.  You walk past high stone walls.

You can enjoy coffee, maybe a croissant from the Breadery.  But you should go early if want your choice.  When we arrived in mid-morning Saturday, the chocolate croissants were sold out.  (Guess who had promised a chocolate croissant to Mrs. HowChow.)  We walked downhill with a muffin and a regular croissant.  We then spent a fun morning eating around Main Street -- including the hot sauce at the Man Cave and the ice cream at Scoop-Ahh-Dee-Doo.

You can do some variations.  There is a parking lot at the bottom of the trail on Oella Avenue.  It's on the right just past the Trolley Stop restaurant.  You could park there and walk up to the Breadery.  That lets you walk downhill in the second half.  Either way, it's a perfect path for stroller walks or to tire out some kids that you want to entertain.

The Breadery -- Across The Border And Worth It

Sourdough from The Breadery

For someone who eats all kinds of food, I'm remarkably catholic about my views on bread.

Crust.   I like crisp crust and a mild crumb.  I range from baguettes to sourdough to rolls to Italian loaves, but I don't go for sweet breads or soft, multigrain loaves.

Grilled cheese on Breadery sourdough

That's why the new Breadery seems to great to me, even if it is a little farther away.  The Breadery used to be on Rte 40 in Ellicott City, and it moved last year to Oella (or Catonsville as it likes to say). With the new location, they're baking new breads.

They're still making the whole grain and sweet loaves from the old location.  Cheddar parmesan, cinnamon raisin walnut, whole wheat.   They mill their own flour at The Breadery, and those loaves look great if you're into that kind of thing.  But they have a new kind of oven as well, and it turns out my kind of crisp-crust loaves.  Baguettes, Italian, sourdough.

Breadery's Sourdough Bread At Roots

The Breadery has abandoned us for Catonsville, but it is still sending good loaves back to Howard County.

I grabbed a sourdough loaf at Roots in Clarksville, and I have to admit that it broke my stereotypes.  It's a light, crisp bread.  I'm a sucker for loaves with that contrast between the crust and a soft inside.  I've always thought of Breadery as heavier, whole grain loaves.  The sourdough broke that mold, and it made a delicious sandwich with tomato, greens, and some prosciutto that I crisped in a pan.

If you want to try your own hand at great bread, check out the no-knead recipes by Jim Lahey.

The Breadery in Ellicott City

Hot bread at 11:30 am every day of the week. What else do you need to know before you go try The Breadery in Ellicott City?

The Breadery is a small, independent bakery on Rte 40. As the name says, it is a bread place, although they sell coffee and some muffins and cinnamon buns as well.

This is healthy bread with real flavor that comes from flour that The Breadery grinds itself. They're baked right there in more than a dozen varieties, ranging from challah and white to cheddar-parmesan and orange-cranberry-pecan. Although The Breadery sells jams and spreads, it correctly touts its different varieties as so flavorful that you'll make sandwiches without condiments. You can pick up a schedule to know what is baked each day, and you can call ahead for special orders.

Last week, I picked up a half-dozen challah rolls. We warmed them in the oven, and they developed a nice crisp crust over a light, eggy interior. Great with a chicken dinner, eating on their own and sopping up sauce.

If you can't get up to Ellicott City, look for The Breadery's loaves at Roots, David's Natural Foods and some Whole Foods.  You can also find them in the bakery at the Dutch Country Farmers Market in Burtonsville.

If you are looking for other bakeries, check out labels to the right where they're all listed under "Bak - NAME." Start with the sweets at La Boulangerie at Rte 29 and Rte 40, the French bread and pastries at Bonaparte Bread in Savage, or the coffee shop vibe of Old Mill Bakery Cafe near downtown Ellicott City.

The Breadery  -- MOVED in 2011 to Catonsville

9251 Baltimore National Pike (Rte 40)

Ellicott City, MD 21042

410-203-2221

NEAR: The Breadery is on the south side of Rte 40 just west of Rte 29. It is in a shopping center that has a Starbucks on the corner closest to Rte 40.