Bread Furst, Baker Mark Furstenberg at Connecticut Avenue and Albemarle Street in Van Ness

[ozgirl]

I went today for a mid-morning breakfast and it has a decent amount of business, but no lines during this off-hour.  I asked and teased one of the sales people about selling challah for $12 as exorbinant. He corrected me that apparently there were two sizes a smaller, average loaf for $7 (a fairly reasonable markup from the typical $4-6 I pay) and a oversized loaf for $12.  He also said the smaller ones sold out super quick, so it is likely they were gone when Ozgirl showed up. I'm curious though how big was the $12 loaf?

The information on the 2 different sizes now clears up some confusion from last Friday.  A friend had called the bakery earlier that morning asking if they had any challahs left and was told no (and they wouldn't reserve her one in the future).  Meanwhile, I was at the bakery and was just about to text her to ask her if she wanted me to pick her up a challah as I was looking at a bunch of them (of the large size apparently) sitting on the racks.  She told me of her earlier conversation with the bakery and we were both confused.

In the end, at the cost of $12, she declined the challah offer and went to Whole Foods to pick one up there.  When I went to her place later that night, with the Bread Furst challah I bought in tow, the 2 challahs placed next to each other were the same size.  So, long story short, the $12 Bread Furst challah = about the same size as the $4 Whole Foods challah.

[Mark Furstenberg]

It's true:  We have two sizes, one kilo and a half-kilo and the one kilo costs $12.  I don't know what price Whole Foods charges for its challah.  I don't know its size and I don't know how or from what it is made.  I do know how ours is made and from what and think our price is fine.

Retail is wonderful.  People who like what we do can buy what we do.  I hope they will.  People who don't like what we do don't have to buy it.  Although Whole Foods is not, as far as I know, renowned for its low prices, your correspondent may have found there something that satisfies him, the price.

[weinoo]

I kibbutz about bialy's with far flung friends on the web.  They were a rare treat from the NYC region and from my youth.

I think you probably kibitz with your friends.

Retail is wonderful.  People who like what we do can buy what we do.  I hope they will.  People who don't like what we do don't have to buy it.  

Good answer.

[Marty L.]

Before this devolves into a sharp dispute, please allow me to modestly suggest that perhaps both ozgirl and Mark have a point.  Twelve dollars is a very steep price for a challah.  And it's worth flagging for all DR readers that the prices at Bread Furst are undoubtedly high, on almost everything, including the non-baked retail items.  On the other hand, you can't walk in the shop for twenty seconds without realizing that Mark's overhead costs, and his food costs, must be extraordinary -- the space (in a high-rent district), the work that had to be done to get all the utilities and other things up to inspection-ready snuff; the labor costs (there are some very accomplished bakers/chefs on staff); the food costs for such superlative ingredients.  I am very confident that Mark is not trying to gauge anyone -- he's trying to set a fair price that will allow him to stay afloat.

And his product is 1000 times better than Whole Foods'.  (I haven't yet tried the challah, but I've found WF's to be virtually inedible.)  Unfortunately, that quality comes at a cost -- and it's a cost that many quite reasonably will not wish, or be able, to bear.  But I'm fairly confident that in this particular case, it is quite literally the cost of doing business.

It's true:  We have two sizes, one kilo and a half-kilo and the one kilo costs $12.  I don't know what price Whole Foods charges for its challah.  I don't know its size and I don't know how or from what it is made.  I do know how ours is made and from what and think our price is fine.

Retail is wonderful.  People who like what we do can buy what we do.  I hope they will.  People who don't like what we do don't have to buy it.  Although Whole Foods is not, as far as I know, renowned for its low prices, your correspondent may have found there something that satisfies him, the price.

[DonRocks]

Before this devolves into a sharp dispute, please allow me to modestly suggest that perhaps both ozgirl and Mark have a point.  Twelve dollars is a very steep price for a challah.  And it's worth flagging for all DR readers that the prices at Bread Furst are undoubtedly high, on almost everything, including the non-baked retail items.  On the other hand, you can't walk in the shop for twenty seconds without realizing that Mark's overhead costs, and his food costs, must be extraordinary -- the space (in a high-rent district), the work that had to be done to get all the utilities and other things up to inspection-ready snuff; the labor costs (there are some very accomplished bakers/chefs on staff); the food costs for such superlative ingredients.  I am very confident that Mark is not trying to gauge anyone -- he's trying to set a fair price that will allow him to stay afloat.

And his product is 1000 times better than Whole Foods'.  (I haven't yet tried the challah, but I've found WF's to be virtually inedible.)  Unfortunately, that quality comes at a cost -- and it's a cost that many quite reasonably will not wish, or be able, to bear.  But I'm fairly confident that in this particular case, it is quite literally the cost of doing business.

There's a reason that Van Ness restaurants have such a high percentage of failure (verify this in the dining guide), and it isn't because they were making too much money (note also, that 1kg of challah is a heavy loaf). Every time I walk into Arrowine, I cringe at the price of cheese, and wish they hadn't gotten trapped into using Groupons; yet, they're one of the greatest fromageries in the area, and the reason is because they're making a profit.

On the other hand, I can't help but give Mark a gentle teasing (which he should take with a smile).

"It's true: We have two sizes, one kilo and a half-kilo and the one kilo costs $12. I don't know what price Whole Foods charges for its challah. I don't know its size and I don't know how or from what it is made. I do know how ours is made and from what and think our price is fine. " - Mark Furstenberg on donrockwell.com, 5/14/14

"I went two days later to the Dupont Circle farmers market. I want earnestly to support this, my neighborhood outdoor market. And I think farmers markets have made a big contribution here, increasing availability of good produce. But salad greens at $11 a pound? Rhubarb at $6 a pound? A small bunch of ramps for $6?" - Mark Furstenberg in the Washington Post, 7/10/2013

By now, everyone has read this, and yes, #6 is a 'rich person's problem' to a large degree; but it's also a 'poor person's problem' because poor people are the ones who need nourishing food the most, and they can't afford it.

Mark Furstenberg has a friend in me, and I also happen to agree with the majority of his 'cranky list.' In fact, I plan on using him as a role model for my own crankiness. Sorry for the ramble.

[MarkS]

A better Challah comparision might be Great Harvest as it is actually a good Challah.  I haven't tried Bread Furst yet but I am sure they use better ingrediants and thus command a higher price.

One can buy $3 wine from Trader Joes or get a great Cote De Rhone from Arrowine somewhere between 10-15 usually.   It is retail, the buyer has choices.

I cant wait to try Bread Furst!

[DaveO]

I think you probably kibitz with your friends.

Good answer.

yes.  We kibitz about bialy's.  thanks for the correction.

I have yet to visit Bread Furst.  I don't recall exact prices at Marvelous Market when it first opened on upper Connecticut Avenue,  I do recall they were relatively high compared to anything else and that the breads were so dramatically better than anything in the market.  They were food delicacies and treats and worth every additional penny, nickel, dime, and dollar(s) above all else in my ex-wife's eyes, my eyes, and our guests eyes.  Prices were high.  I knew it.  I stood in those bread lines almost every week and at times more than once a week.

Of course price is always in the eyes of every beholder.  I always find it interesting to read the reviews on places I enjoy and frequent.  Discussions on prices ALWAYS vary...from too high, to just right, to relatively inexpensive...all for the same restaurant or bakery or market.  Always.

I'll probably be there this weekend if not sooner.  I'm sorry I haven't been there to date.

What is your choice of delicacy;  the type of food for which you would pay a premium and not consider it a burden but rather a treat (if any)  ?

I'd pay a premium for great ryes and be less likely to do so for a challah.

[KeithA]

Ok got back from early lunch at Bread Furst (my 3rd visit) and as I continue to try new things each time, sadly this was a disappointing trip. Started with the chicken tagine salad ($8, all salads are premade with good ingredients - if you come early you can watch them being made in the back kitchen in large batches).  It was ok but various problems - biggest (maybe just my opinion) - it only tasted so so. The "spicy" chicken was anything but and didn't have much seasoning or flavor. The chicken was pulled and for the small but decent size portion I had in my salad, I also had about 20% gristle and skin.  The rest of the ingredients like prunes, some type of pickled onion/leek/? were good but the whole thing didn't mesh great. The green olives were bland (I mean how do you even get bland olives) and the lemon vinagrette was basically lemon juice.  The salad had croutons in it made from pieces of their fresh bread.   Some of the other salads looked better (I saw them lined up after I'd eaten) - like the mixed olive/veggie salad or the lentil (next time I guess).   I went for a salad today because there were only 2 sandwich options today.  Again the bread type wasn't listed or known.

I think if they start selling sandwiches on some of their fresh breads, it'll be a real lunch attraction that'll last past the opening days curiosity.

Now on to the other disappointments.  They sell both their oversized levain and palladin loaves by the pound. So I tried a thick slice of levain (the darker one) (approx. $1.5).  I ate it plain which is maybe not the preferred way, but it lacked flavor. It was definitely well-made bread - crusty on the outside, a bit sour, and airy on the inside - BUT the taste was blah. Next time, I'll try the palladin and see if it is more to my liking. Or I should have just gotten a baguette for $3.50.

The last sad news was the chocolate chip cookie ($1.75). I really am trying to like this place but come on you failed at a cookie. The cookie again looked awesome with overloaded, melty chocolate but it was only so so. I mean homemade Tollhouse is better in flavor.  I don't know what exactly it was but it was baked fine but lacked any sweetness, or darkness to chocolate or butteriness - all different options that usually make a chocolate chip cookie good.  Seriously, Potbelly down the street makes way better.

So maybe it was just me - but I can scratch these 3 items off my list of things to get there.  Per my prior comments, I have found things to like here - but so far it is hit or real miss.

Also, it looked like they are working out a better line system for lunch and trying new things each day. One thing they still need to work on is signs for items on the counter. They have them but when they move stuff around or items change, they don't keep up with the signage. So there are lots of questions about what is that and how much is that. Slows down the lines and wastes staff times checking.

[porcupine]

A relevant post in Mark Furstenberg's blog: Please Complain.

[JPW]

One can buy crap $3 wine from Trader Joes or get a decent Cote De Rhone from Arrowine somewhere between 10-15 usually.   It is retail, the buyer has choices.

FIFY

[smithhemb]

Interesting about the chocolate chip cookie.  I had a somewhat similar reaction to the chocolate cake.  The coffee-flavored frosting was great (really light and very tasty), and the tiny malted milk balls were fun, but the cake was what I think of as industrial -- one of those moist/dense but relatively flavorless slabs that function as a vehicle for frosting delivery.   Ok, I'm probably in the minority here (judging from the popularity of mediocre cupcakeries), but I really am IN IT FOR THE CAKE.  And, hey, no one in the frosting camp will hold it against you if the cake is exceptionally good as well.

Maybe that's a downside of doing home-y baked goods.  Everybody has a benchmark that they consider amateur and if you can't beat that, they think "why bother?"

Saturday was chaotic and lots of stuff was sold out when we arrived (I think that they were transitioning between breakfast and lunch -- which would explain why we got first crack at the cake!), but the staff was exceptionally good-humored.  So our maiden voyage wasn't inspiring (my husband's reaction to the palladin was similar to Keith's reaction to the levain, although he through in "kinda dry' as well), but I look forward to trying other things, especially at off-hours.

[DonRocks]

Excited to try some of their challahs, other breads, and prepared foods and thrilled Mark Furstenberg has come my neighbourhood!

The challah ($12!!!!).  The challah was clearly labeled with the price.  I thought it was outrageous, but I thought I'd try it once - maybe it was THAT good.  It was good, but NOT $12 good.  As one is supposed to have 2 challahs for a Shabbat dinner, that's a hefty price to pay for bread for the table.  The challah itself has a hearty crust on it - which for many folks is fine, it just makes it easier to hollow out the middle part and leave the crusty shell. :-)

I went today for a mid-morning breakfast and it has a decent amount of business, but no lines during this off-hour.  I asked and teased one of the sales people about selling challah for $12 as exorbinant. He corrected me that apparently there were two sizes a smaller, average loaf for $7 (a fairly reasonable markup from the typical $4-6 I pay) and a oversized loaf for $12.  He also said the smaller ones sold out super quick, so it is likely they were gone when Ozgirl showed up. I'm curious though how big was the $12 loaf?

I went today and pretty much bought out the store. A couple comments:

1) It's an oddly shaped retail space, and I think that ultimately, they'll need to figure out what to do the retail aspect of it (I suspect Mark thought "baking first; selling second," when thinking about a floor plan.

2) The challah isn't $12; it's $7 a pound. I bought a small one (which I thought was rather large) which was 1.04 pounds and $7.28, and saw the big ones (which I thought were enormous). It is priced exactly the same as the paladins (also $7 a pound), and is weighed before being rung up (I don't know if this has always been the case).

Coincidentally, there was a somewhat curt customer about six feet to my right, complaining about the price of the challah to a salesperson. "$7 for challah is ridiculous," she said. I made it a point to pull out mine, show it to her, and mention (with a teensy smile on my face) that I couldn't wait to try mine. I also heard a couple other salespeople chime in, asking her where she usually buys her challah - word of this has clearly gotten back to them. About a minute later, I saw her with her back turned (facing the wall opposite the counter) muttering something about, 'If I wanted to know what <indecipherable>, I would have asked' - I couldn't tell if she was talking about my comment or theirs. Ma'am, if you want to say the price of something is ridiculous, please ask to see a manager instead of dressing down someone working behind the counter (who may, or may not, have been a manager). I'm sorry if *I* appeared snotty, but I had every intent to (mildly) say something because I didn't like the aggressive stance you took with the salesperson.

ozgirl, incidentally, my shell wasn't that crusty (they were something like clustered-together Parker House rolls sans butter, although they did squirt something labeled "butter" on it before bagging it), but some of the larger loaves appeared to have seen more heat on the outside, and were darker in spots.

Today's @DCDining Twitter Trivia: This was the first version I ever heard of this song:

[KeithA]

I went today and pretty much bought out the store. 

 

Ok so nu what was good and what was not?

[smithhemb]

I went yesteday -- I liked the orange poppyseed muffin and my husband and my daughter both really liked the carrot-maple-pecan breakfast bread this morning.

[DonRocks]

Ok so nu what was good and what was not?

I haven't had the English Muffin ($2.50) yet (people are noticing a two-pound challah loaf for $12, but not noticing a half-dozen English Muffins for $15 (Edit - I just made Matt a sandwich with wild-boar salami and Vermont butter, and the English Muffin is wonderful)).

A (Montreal-styled) Bagel with Gravlox ($6.50) is my favorite bagel in town right now, although the portion of (delicious, probably house-cured) gravlox was a bit skimpy. I bought an expensive, tiny plastic tub of Cream Cheese ($1.50) which isn't on my bill, so I'm not sure if they just missed it, or if it was included in my bagel.

My small Challah and my one-pound portion (sliced from a full loaf - yes, they'll do that) of Paladin were both great, and coincidentally were both 1.04 pounds and $7.28 each.

I bought a little cake that was shaped exactly like a cannelle, but wasn't - it was something like a miniature rosemary-upside down cake, very lightly glazed, and only slightly sweet. It was $3.50, absolutely delicious, and not on my bill. I'm almost certain I was not recognized; maybe the cashiers heard me defending the challah and threw it in, I don't know. (I handed them my Visa, and went to the restroom to wash my hands while they rang everything up and bagged it). I had no idea I wasn't charged for this until just now, so I'm glad you asked (it's going in the tip jar on my next visit).

A large, 8-ounce tube (think Jimmy Dean Sausage) of Vermont Butter was $6.00 with which I unabashedly made a "butter sandwich on challah."

This is off to a wonderful start, and as long as they keep their quality control up (and I see no reason why they won't), is almost certainly going to be the best boulangerie in town. I had initialized this in Italic in the Dining Guide, and it's obviously staying there barring drastic changes in quality.

[Pat]

I bought a little cake that was shaped exactly like a cannelle, but wasn't - it was something like a miniature rosemary-upside down cake, very lightly glazed, and only slightly sweet. It was $3.50, absolutely delicious, and not on my bill. I'm almost certain I was not recognized; maybe the cashiers heard me defending the challah and threw it in, I don't know. (I handed them my Visa, and went to the restroom to wash my hands while they rang everything up and bagged it). I had no idea I wasn't charged for this until just now, so I'm glad you asked (it's going in the tip jar on my next visit).

Unless you have a credit card with a fake name, someone there probably knew who you were.  (I don't think you go to extreme lengths to remain anonymous, but I'm not sure.)

[DonRocks]

Unless you have a credit card with a fake name, someone there probably knew who you were.  (I don't think you go to extreme lengths to remain anonymous, but I'm not sure.)

Maybe you're right. As long as I report honestly on everything, and leave the money next time, I feel fine about it.

[Eatdceat]

I'm a big fan so far. The scone and English muffin are top notch. I'll take their bagel (even today when it was a bit too well done) over any other I've had in the city. And the croissant was quite good too.

They're still experiencing some early growing pains in terms of managing the crowds, but there's no reason to think they won't get through that with time.

[Joe H]

Interesting topic since I spent $35 on a half dozen breads and cookies today.  Related to several comments above:  their chocolate chip cookie was a disappointment.  My benchmark is the old YWCA chocolate chip.  However, Bread Furst may have the single best cookie of any kind that I have ever had anywhere:  chocolate chocolate chip.  Deep rich, fudgy chocolate with huge rich, dark chunks.  It's not just the texture of the cookie but the intensely chocolate flavor.  I actually think I moaned with the first bite and with the second I turned to go buy more.  There was only one left but it went to a good cause:  me.

I've eaten a lot of cookies in my life.  I really think this was the best of any.

There's going to be a lot of discussion about Bread Furst's chocolate chocolate chip cookies.

[mnnchas]

I made a quick stop here on a recent rainy morning.  They seemed to be doing a brisk business, but I did not have a long wait and was able to snag a small table around 8:45.  I tried a couple simple baked products: the english muffin and a plain croissant.  The croissant was wonderful and perfectly flaky.  I was intrigued by the english muffin based on a recent writeup in the Post's commuter rag, and I was rewarded with a chewy, slightly tangy, treat that I ate all on its own (no butter, jelly, or anything).  I would love to live close enough to buy a half dozen of these for a weekend breakfast at home with the family.

The english muffin, croissant, and a small iced coffee came to $8.  I don't typically remember to list prices in these posts, but feel obliged to here given the above discussion.  $8 struck me as fair and reasonable for this, especially in close-in DC.

I did not have the pleasure of trying any challa, but dang it looked good.

[Tweaked]

I have to agree that the customer flow needs a little direction.  If you enter from the CT Ave entrance you walk past the cashier to the counter area with all the bread and the cases of prepared food.  It becomes a bit of a scrum as people aren't sure where to order - do you go to the cashier first, the counter first, are you in line, or are you still trying to decide what to get.  Perhaps a minor quibble but several people had clueless looks on their faces on how to proceed.

The space is lovely, the glass fronted kitchen areas are lovely, and the breads all looked lovely.

Really enjoyed the bialy ($3 each), which was stuffed with onion and poppy seeds.  The lemon mint mini-bundt cake ($2.50, I think) was a little dense and dry.

Great addition to the neighborhood and DC.

[baczkowski]

Stopped by here at a non-busy morning time and was blown away by the quality of everything I had.  Along with Baked and Wired, this already ranks as the only other great bakery in the DC Metro area (and please tell me if I'm missing somewhere b/c I long to try it).  What these two share in common are great ingredients and strong technique.  Other than the types of products both sell, one difference (and this is not a criticism of either) is that Bread Furst is much more subtle in flavoring its sweets whereas Baked and Wired tends bake wonderful sugar and fat flavor bombs.  I think Bread Furst could be a more regular indulgence as a result.  My favorite items were the lemon mint bundt cake (the opposite of dense and dry for me. Just a wonderful balance of flavors) and the blondies (great texture and with delicious toasted walnuts). I also really enjoyed the raisin danish and mini brioche bun, too, and have a couple cookies and a multigrain loaf to try later. My favorite detail about everything I tried was the light and crisp crust that speaks to that expensive housemade butter they sell.  Can't wait to return and I hope they keep making different things so I can set a mental benchmark of how things are "supposed to be."

Pax,
Brian

[smithhemb]

2/3 of us loved the baguette.  Chocolate cookie was quite good.  Blondie was bland, despite high-quality ingredients -- it was a whole-is-less-than-the-sum-of-the-parts experience.  Strawberry/rhubarb shortcake was nice (but suffered, as all subsequent shortcakes have, from comparison with the ones that Amernick used to make at Palena).

I pointed out to my daughter that she could walk there from school and Metro back on the day when she has a long lunch break.  Then we walked home to earn our pastries, LOL!    FWIW, the place was almost empty when we were there between 3 and 4.

While Baked & Wired is my favorite DC bakery, I think Praline and Tout de Sweet in Bethesda are also quite good.  And so is Patisserie Poupon (in G'town) for some things.  But, of course, none of these are bread-oriented bakeries.  (FWIW, I think that the baking at TdS is more impressive than at B&W.  But B&W has much better coffee and a mind-blowing assortment of goodies at any given moment.  And none of the sweets I've had at  Bread Furst thus far have been as good as the pastries I've liked best at B&W or TdS.  Of course, further research will be necessary....)

[porcupine]

Along with Baked and Wired, this already ranks as the only other great bakery in the DC Metro area (and please tell me if I'm missing somewhere b/c I long to try it). 

While Baked & Wired is my favorite DC bakery, I think Praline and Tout de Sweet in Bethesda are also quite good.  And so is Patisserie Poupon (in G'town) for some things...

What smithhemb said, plus St Michel in Rockville (for croissants).

[KeithA]

Went for a late afternoon snack yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to see they have two barrels of Number One Sons pickles - there District Dills and Kicky Kosher varieties (75 cents a piece).  As I've written on the Pickles thread, these are currently my favorite pickles. I also tried a slice of the Palladin bread (now labeled as our ciabatta) and it was definitely better IMHO than the levain. I enjoyed it but I wouldn't go out of my way to get it.

Based on Joe H's recommendation above, I tried the chocolate chocolate cookie, which was rather good - much better than the bland, disappointing regular chocolate chip.  The Choco Choco had a real fudgy flavor.  Next time, I'll have to do a comparison with Potbelly down the street which sells a similar cookie (I'm sure the ingredients aren't as fancy, but taste is king).

[Cook In / Dine Out]

I'm loving this new bakery. I've been about 5 times, including for breakfast on a Sunday. The bread is the star attraction. I've really enjoyed all of them: palladin, levain, whole grain and baguette. I got really lucky one day and snagged a baguette fresh from the oven, ran it home and enjoyed a hot slice with butter. So good. The pastry items are good too, although not as phenomenal to me as the bread, partly because I'm pretty good at baking cakes and cookies, but have no bread-making skill. Here's my blog post.

[porcupine]

the English muffin is unlike any I've ever had, pleasantly dense and with a sour tang. Ask them to toast it, then buy a little log of Vermont butter for it. The cappuccino is great. Was going to save the canele for later but oh my god it's too good.

For the sake of my figure I'm glad not to live nearby.

ps to the cranky Asian woman: go post about it on yelp.

[DaveO]

Made it to Bread Furst for several visits.  I'm a bread person.  Thinking back I used to eat rye bread sandwiches;  3 pieces of rye as a sandwich.  Nothing else on it.  Pure crust, bread and seeds.

Among other things on the menu we purchased the corn rye, bialy's and baguette.  Loved the corn rye and baguettes.  Also assorted sweets, and the coffee and a latte.  All excellent.

Sort of had questions on the bialy's, something I've been obsessing about.   I grew up eating bialys on a regular basis.  My parents lived in North Jersey and I suspect there were fewer bakeries in that area than in NYC.  Yet we had them regularly on Sundays, thanks to my father.  In retrospect I realize he was the son of bialystokers, Jewish immigrants from the area around Bialystock, Poland, where bialys were developed.  My grandmother was described as a legendary baker, though she passed away when I was very young and I have scarce and few memories of her.

I suspect my father grew up with them as a regular food group.  He managed to bring them home on many Sundays.   Although sometimes described as "cousins" to bagels they are really different.   I recall them as softer than bagels.  But I wouldn't call myself a bialy expert.  Simply someone who had them on a pretty regular basis.

BreadFurst's bialy's have a wonderful middle of ample onions and poppy seeds.   Really ample.  Far more expansive than I recall and quite tasty and moist.  But the crust is rather tough and more similar to other artisan breads....not what I recall.  More like a bagel crust than the softer crust I remember.

I had them plain, with hummous and hummous and tomato slices.  Hmmmm   tasty but crusty.   I'll have to try them again...but they are different than I recall.

Still from an overall bread perspective...this is a gift of a bakery to the DC region.   L'chaim  

[Pool Boy]

So how is the parking near there? I want to go, but hopping on the metro to go there, get stuff, metro back to my office and then get in the car to drive home as i normally would I think would take too much time. Mostly concerned about possible parking on weeknights around 6PM, I know, probably impossible. Let me know.

Otherwise I think this place will have to be a weekends only place to visit (and I assume parking would not be as difficult as a weeknight rush hour)....TIA

[DonRocks]

So how is the parking near there? I want to go, but hopping on the metro to go there, get stuff, metro back to my office and then get in the car to drive home as i normally would I think would take too much time. Mostly concerned about possible parking on weeknights around 6PM, I know, probably impossible. Let me know.

Otherwise I think this place will have to be a weekends only place to visit (and I assume parking would not be as difficult as a weeknight rush hour)....TIA

Rush hour restrictions (7-9:30, 4-6:30) exist on Connecticut Avenue, but if you go during non-rush hour times, I don't think parking will be much of a problem. Van Ness is crowded, but it's not *that* crowded,

[lekkerwijn]

Rush hour restrictions (7-9:30, 4-6:30) exist on Connecticut Avenue, but if you go during non-rush hour times, I don't think parking will be much of a problem. Van Ness is crowded, but it's not *that* crowded,

Fear not! They have several legal parking spots available behind the bakery.

[Rhone1998]

Fear not! They have several legal parking spots available behind the bakery.

There are also several spots back there reserved for Burger King, that I doubt you're going to get into trouble for using for a few minutes.

[Adam23]

There are also several spots back there reserved for Burger King, that I doubt you're going to get into trouble for using for a few minutes.

I would recommend not parking behind the BK and going to Bread Furst.  They are going to start enforcing the parking quite aggressively soon, if not already, for reasons not related to Bread Furst.

Bread Furst has 8 spots directly behind their store on the other side of the alley for customers. Or just park on Albemarle or Yuma and walk over - tons of parking at all times of the day.

[Waitman]

Irked at BF as they apparently make ficelles "when the baker is in the mood" and they nicked me for $17 for a length of hard salami that I saw at Whole Foods for $9.  (I was going to say it probably goes well with the $12 challah and then decided against it)

The price of genius!

[DonRocks]

Irked at BF as they apparently make ficelles "when the baker is in the mood" and they nicked me for $17 for a length of hard salami that I saw at Whole Foods for $9.  (I was going to say it probably goes well with the $12 challah and then decided against it)

The price of genius!

Are these the sausages that are wrapped in white paper, with a different-colored rectangular label for each flavor? If so, I saw them at Harris-Teeter the other week, and actually bought a red-wine saucisson or whatever it was - very good quality for a Harris-Teeter (and I'm definitely *not* saying these were the sausages at BF (and btw, I first read that as "Boyfriend" and thought WTF?))

Does anyone know what sausages I'm talking about? I think they have them at Arrowine, too, and they're about the least expensive medium-high-quality sausages I've found. *If* these are the ones you're talking about, I'd be ticked if I paid $17 for it.

[Keithstg]

Don, based on your description, I think the sausages are from Olli. Does this label look familiar?

[Tweaked]

Yes, plenty of parking behind Bread Furst.  If you go on a Sunday, the Zips dry cleaner is closed and all their parking spots are empty.   

[DonRocks]

Don, based on your description, I think the sausages are from Olli. Does this label look familiar?

Yes, this is it, and it was the Wild Boar Sausage that I bought at Harris-Teeter.

[KeithA]

Opposite of my last visit, today Breadfurst was all aces.  Tried the baguette and really enjoyed - both plain and for a banh mi sandwich I made later in the day. Very good bread and mine was not fresh out of the oven but had been around for at least an hour or more - yet still good.  Excellence was the bostock - it looked like french toast - but is in fact a french un-french toast - thick slice of brioche with almond cream on top and baked.  Really really good! I almost bought a second one.  I came earlier today around 11 and got to see all of the morning pastries (pain au chocolate, swirl rolls with raisins, etc.) and I think I'll definitely have to go back in the morning more.  Although, they were turning over to lunch when I left (apparently there is a slow shift between 11-12) and they had some new pre-made salads in the deli case, and mini-red fruit (I think cherry) pies.  I think I need to do more of two things this week - go back to Breadfurst and hit the gym ;-)

[KeithA]

True to my word - I did go back for breakfast today. English muffin was as described above - hearty, a bit sour tangy and good. I don't know though if it is worth the extra cost vs a store bought pack.  It wasn't that much better.  The opposite holds true for the pain au chocolat - a really flaky, even crunchy, and buttery pastry filled with excellent dark chocolate. I would definitely go out of my way to get these.

[porcupine]

Interesting topic since I spent $35 on a half dozen breads and cookies today.  Related to several comments above:  their chocolate chip cookie was a disappointment.  My benchmark is the old YWCA chocolate chip.  However, Bread Furst may have the single best cookie of any kind that I have ever had anywhere:  chocolate chocolate chip.  Deep rich, fudgy chocolate with huge rich, dark chunks.  It's not just the texture of the cookie but the intensely chocolate flavor.  I actually think I moaned with the first bite and with the second I turned to go buy more.  There was only one left but it went to a good cause:  me.

I've eaten a lot of cookies in my life.  I really think this was the best of any.

There's going to be a lot of discussion about Bread Furst's chocolate chocolate chip cookies.

Really?  I was disappointed in both of them.

Maybe that's a downside of doing home-y baked goods.  Everybody has a benchmark that they consider amateur and if you can't beat that, they think "why bother?"

That is a good observation.  If I devote the rest of my life to learning to bake bread I'll never turn out a loaf as good as I can buy at Bread Furst, but for cookies and cakes, well... I'm feeling a sudden need to stock up on Valrhona feves.

[Cook In / Dine Out]

A relevant post in Mark Furstenberg's blog: Please Complain.

A nice idea, but would be even nicer if they published the comments they're getting. They've only done a couple (and not mine, which was not a complaint per se but a constructive suggestion).

[Rhone1998]

Irked at BF as they apparently make ficelles "when the baker is in the mood" and they nicked me for $17 for a length of hard salami that I saw at Whole Foods for $9.  (I was going to say it probably goes well with the $12 challah and then decided against it)

The price of genius!

They were marked at $12 this afternoon.

[MarkS]

I tried BF yesterday with a challah and two Ciabatta rooms. The challah had too much crust and not enough taste. Pales to what Great Harvest sells as a challah. The rools were meh, again too crusty and not enough taste.

I won't go out of my way to stop back.

[apicius]

All the taste are in the nature and one of the quality I find in Mark's bread is to be crusty.

Maybe it is because I am French and we love crusty bread in France. I don't like very soft bread I also think the difference of texture between the crust and the inside makes a bread more interesting.

It is simply my opinion.

[KeithA]

 Was going to save the canele for later but oh my god it's too good.

Yes, oh yes the canele is excellent! My first time trying one yesterday afternoon and I was won over. It is a pretty unique kind of mini-custardy cake with a thin, caramelized sugar shell.  I asked the bakery guy what his favorite was and he steered me to this. Apparently, they require a good deal of effort and special equipment to make (beeswax and special molds).  The perfect kind of item to go to a good bakery for - excellent quality pastry that you wouldn't likely make at home.

I also noticed they added a number of tables and chairs out front likely doubling their seating capacity. And I new sign by the front door recommending you put your devices away and delay responding to email.  This sign doesn't surprise me as the vibe of the place has never been linger super long, but I think it is a bad idea.  They are a bit out of the way, but serve drinks and menu items from breakfast through dinner - why shun the mobile worker?  The only reason I can think of is that they don't want people occupying the few seats all day.  I know if they had wifi and encouraged lingering, I'd probably stick around for breakfast and lunch at least once a week.

[KeithA]

Happy to report that Singer's meats' corned beef and pastrami is now available sliced to order at Breadfurst.  Yesterday, I grabbed a small amount of corned beef and a corn rye loaf for homemade sandwiches.  First time trying the corn rye - boy is it a dense bread. Outside is very stiff and inside is very hearty with a strong rye flavor (no seeds though).  I think may prefer a bit lighter rye bread.  BreadFurst should broaden their sandwich options at lunch and offer these deli meats on choice of bread with a smear of mustard - they already have all of the ingredients, probably could use a meat steamer and then they'd be all set.  Also, ate another canele while there - really good (apparently they also contain a bit of rum for flavor - yum!)

Also I didn't report on last week's second trip. I liked the gravlacks sandwich - house smoked salmon, hard-boiled eggs, beets, and some spread on thin slices of whole wheat bread. I really nice combo of flavors and textures. The non-salmon flavors were stronger like eggs and beets and so the salmon got a bit lost but still nice.  I also had the soup combo and had a cup of very fresh vegetable soup with a bit of sofrito and some croutons.  I had a bite of my wife's curry chicken salad. She liked it, but I thought it had too much mayo and was a bit bland.   We had a bunch of desserts - lemon bar was very good (although our friend told me they are very easy to make at home), the chocolate chip cookie was better this time (but still nothing special), the molasses ginger cookie was excellent (probably the best of all the cookies there).

[lizzie]

Tried a few different items this weekend. The donut reminded me of my grandmother's homemade ones - very happy memories. We continue to enjoy the sesame bagels. But my highlight was the bostock - even one day later it was so very good. Almost made me as happy as yet another Netherlands World Cup win. Hup hup Holland!

[DonRocks]

Mark Furstenberg had emailed me earlier this morning. I had asked Frank Ruta a few weeks ago if he could tell me about any upcoming projects, and he said that his partner wanted to tell a few people at the same time (me being one of them), so I wanted to pass this along as soon as I saw it.

Frank Ruta is back! And no business burdens; just cooking which is what he loves!

Bread Feast is Coming Next Month

             In September, Frank Ruta will begin cooking again for Washington and just a few blocks up Connecticut Avenue from Palena, his Cleveland Park restaurant now-closed.

            Ruta will preside over Bread Feast, a nightly neighborhood dinner in which, at Bread Furst, he will cook his special blend of simple sophisticated American food deeply indebted to Italy.  He will be assisted by Bread Furst staff and by Aggie Chin who was the pastry chef of Palena.

            The menu will be seasonal and simple and will change continuously.   This will be a modestly-priced neighborhood dinner, an antipasto with cocktails and wine followed by a single menu dinner served family style.

            Each day the menu will be posted on Bread Furst's web site and diners will be able to reserve and pay for the relatively few tables available.

            We will begin in mid-September and are very pleased to have this collaboration.

[DaveO]

Frank Ruta is back! And no business burdens; just cooking which is what he loves!

HOORAY!!!!

(bread and pasta--carbs here I come!!)  (there goes the diet)