Breakfast Porn from WPA

What is better than roaming around Church Hill on a cloudy morning taking photos and winding up at WPA Bakery for an enormous egg biscuit and coffee?

Was it good for you, too?

Early Bird Biscuit Company Pictorial

A couple of Saturdays ago we headed for the Early Bird Biscuit Co. to try out the newest sensation in town. The biscuit gods favored us since there wasn't a line out the door when we arrived. The place is teeny-tiny and we now understand the line. Biscuits are made from scratch and specialty biscuits vary daily. We had traditional ham biscuits. I liked the crunchy top; hubby liked the soft middle. The ham was decent, but tough to chew. I would opt for the buttered version with a bit of jam next time. Upon exiting with our precious cargo, a line had formed. The only change I would make is to have these guys do enough business to open on Sunday.

Enjoy a few photos.

Early Bird Entrance

Cute Vintage Touch

Making Biscuits - Notice the square design

Ham Biscuit - Crunchy on top soft in the middle

Early Bird Opens at 7 AM Tues - Sat

3 Fellers Bakery - Gluten Free Products

The other day we drove out to Goochland along Patterson Ave which turns into River Road West and happened upon 3 Fellers Bakery. This is a gluten-free bakery. While you can pick up delicious cookies, cakes, etc. at the bakery itself, we also discovered that Ukrops, Whole Foods, and Good Foods Grocery carry 3 Fellers products. The M & M sugar cookie was quite nice. And while I do not need gluten free products, I have friends who need to steer clear of the stuff.

Kudos to this local business who is bringing sweetness to folks.

A Loss of Dough

I am in mourning. My two most favorite bakeries closed within two months of each other. Sammy's Bakery gave up the ghost at the end of the year. I will miss the father/son duo, the cheese and cherry danishes (especially the warm ones), and the baguettes.

And then Metro Bakery ups and leaves for another state. Their Italian Peasant Bread was the best in Richmond, hands down. The chocolate chip shortbread was also a winner.

I hope all go on to bigger and better endeavors. But I sure will miss their dough.

Update on Sammy's

Sammy’s Bakery on MacArthur is now open on Sundays from 10 AM to 3 PM. And a good thing, too. I picked up a pepperoni and cheese focaccia for lunch. The bread was light and airy. The pepperoni was crispy and combined with the cheese there was a little salt action going on. A little bit of heaven smack in the middle of Northside. We consumed an equally divine rose – a Spanish Vina Aljibes Rosado (~$10.00 from Once Upon a Vine). Dry with prominent strawberry overtones amd a marvelous dark pink color.

Sammy's Bakery - Spring Bread Schedule

This morning we strolled over to Sammy’s Bakery on MacArthur Ave. in Bellevue to pick up something for breakfast. My husband could not pass up that old breakfast standby – Chocolate Chip Cookies. The brown sugary goodness spurred him on to finish tiling the kitchen floor and begin work tiling the hallway (Bless you, Sammy!). I did not want anything sweet and ordered a Bishop Roll – a large roll with a crunchy peaked crust and a soft middle. I pulled the roll apart at home and enjoyed it with butter while sipping hot milk and coffee.

While at Sammy’s I picked up their Spring menu with the weekly bread schedule:

Tuesday: Whole Wheat, Bishop Rolls

Wednesday: Multi-Grain, Sourdough, Baguettes

Thursday: Multi-Grain, Sourdough, Baguettes

Friday: Whole Wheat, Bishop Rolls, Challah

Saturday: Multi-Grain, Baguettes, Cheddar Pepperoni

Sammy’s Bakery is open Tuesday – Friday from 8 AM – 6 PM and on Saturday from 8 AM – 4 PM. They also carry pies, cakes, pastries, cookies, a variety of quiches, and flat breads. And they are now serving Breyer’s Ice Cream.

Bakery Art

Bakery Art is an Armenian and Middle Eastern Bakery and Grocery located at 5716 Patterson Ave. Proprietor Artin Ayvazian carries traditional cookies, cracker bread, cheeses, cured meat, and pomegranate wine among a long list of other delights. Yesterday we tried an elongated cheese bread ($2.25)- Armenian cheese with hot pepper flakes encased in bread. When I got it home I heated it in the oven for about 7 minutes at 400 degrees until the cheese bubbled. Very tasty. We washed it down with a 2003 Grizzly Flat Petite Sirah Big Bold Red from Lodi, CA (under $10 at Kroger). Lots of berry, chewy fruit.