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


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This is exciting news. I couldn't tell if the coffee there was lackluster because of the beans or the brewing method. Hopefully the former and this change will drastically improve the offering. 

In my experience (not as great as darkstar's; I've only been about 2 or 3 dozen times), the quality of an espresso beverage there depends largely on who's making it.  One of them always turns out a blisteringly hot cup.

Am I imagining that they offer an Epí­ de Blé? I've had one very recently, and I *thought* it was from there, but I was also just in San Francisco, and am not entirely sure because I don't remember the remnants of one being at my house.

I haven't seen one at BreadFurst, but I did buy one at the SFO (along with a hunk of Cowgirl Creamery cheese) to have for dinner on the airplane.

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Am I imagining that they offer an Epí­ de Blé? I've had one very recently, and I *thought* it was from there, but I was also just in San Francisco, and am not entirely sure because I don't remember the remnants of one being at my house. Well anyway, I've always loved the shape of these things (the name translates to "ear of wheat" for obvious reasons), but not just because it's cool looking - which it is - but because you can rip off a piece, and have a perfect crust-to-mie ratio, and there's something about the way they're formed that (and I might be imagining this, but I think it's the additional crust) retains freshness longer than a standard baguette. I find myself buying these whenever I see them, as opposed to a baguette - plus each ear is a perfect size, just like a dinner roll, and with a little salted butter, it's awesome when baked correctly,

I haven't seen one at BreadFurst, but I did buy one at the SFO (along with a hunk of Cowgirl Creamery cheese) to have for dinner on the airplane.

False alarm with apologies: It was at Bouchon - they serve it in their standard bread-basket, and it is magnificent.

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In my experience (not as great as darkstar's; I've only been about 2 or 3 dozen times), the quality of an espresso beverage there depends largely on who's making it.  One of them always turns out a blisteringly hot cup.

...

Totally agree, Porcupine.  With espresso drinks, as long as the espresso and grind are of decent quality and not too old, the lion's share of the result is in the hands of the barista.  This is, of course, different from brewed coffee altogether.  But, with espresso and espresso drinks (cappuccinos, lattes, cortados, etc.), quality will  (and does) vary dependent on the maker.

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It is tomato season, and Bread Furst has wonderful single serving tomato tarts. Earlier this summer, I had one and it was flatter more like a Ledo pizza slice (square shaped). Now the tarts are more like little pies and seem a bit more substantial. Really delicious. Lovely flakey crust, pesto and freshest tomato slices.

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We had an amazing brioche loaf last week, in a number of ways. We toasted it and used it as 'buns' for hamburgers; we sliced it and served it with butter and jam, and we let the last few inches dry out a touch and made some amazing french toast. Such a nice loaf of bread!

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I've been to Breadfurst several times over the summer and found it still has some great stuff, a few misses and some customer confusion.  The desserts continue to be the high point for me - amazing fudgy, rich brownies, canele mini cakes are rich yet light, had a mini peach cheesecake that was superb - fruity, rich, but not dense like many other cheesecakes with a nice crust. Chocolate and regular croissants and fruit muffins are also really good. The donuts and cookies are good, but not as good as other stuff.  I've also enjoyed the pecan roll thing with the Germanic name and the bagels.  My one wish is that they had onion bagels - come on Mark, they are traditional!

After a few less than favorable bread experiences, I mostly skip the bread. Which I know is super odd at a bakery specializing in bread, but I found most of them just weren't my taste. Too dense, heavy, and many with an almost burnt taste to the crust. Still good bread, just not worth a special trip.  That being said, the baguettes and mini baguette-like rolls are good and what you'd expect from a good baguette - medium crusty outside, light chewy inside. I did recently have a few good slices of walnut raisin? bread which was great at home with some peach jam and slices of cheese.

I usually go around weekday lunches or breakfast, they have a steady stream of customers which is great. However, people still don't know where to line up for food as it is odd to walk to the back of the restaurant and then move forward. And many of the lunch salads, stews, and sandwiches often have no signs - which is confusing since a few do. If they put up some better signage and maybe a rope line it would help the traffic flow and better labeling of food on display would be great as the staff sometimes doesn't even know what something is or what is still available on a given day.

Nevertheless, I have enjoyed the lunch options a bunch. Sandwiches on baguettes are good. Salads and stews are very flavorful and it is nice you can make it your own little sampler. I especially enjoyed a creamy orange lentil stew a month or so ago.

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We had a quick breakfast here recently before a morning at the zoo.  Everything in our order (pain au chocolat, Bostock, bialy, ham biscuit) was a hit.  Our toddler especially enjoyed the bialy's poppy seeds.

Only nitpick is that I wish the Bostock was served slightly warm -- not sure if that's possible without compromising its texture -- which IMO may have enhanced the creamy goodness even more.

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Our family now have lived 30 days in Forest Hills, and I've come back to my first neighborhood in DC when I lived at the then-Albemarle as a recent grad.  I hated my Craigslist roommate and could only afford the Burger King on Connecticut as an alternative to eating meals away from him.  I think I used to get my haircut in the building that is now Bread Furst.

But Bread Furst has been a real gem, and the happiness starts about 30 feet outside as you approach and smell the baked breads.  My 4 year old son can crush croissants, and he loves them here.  Both of our kids love the little reading nook where they can read one of the children's books there or draw with the chalk there.  We often take a brioche home, and the brunch options here and bahn mi have always treated us right.  In my opinion, the drip coffee is several steps down from the quality of the baked goods, and the temperature of the coffee must be 10 degrees hotter than what I get elsewhere.  But I like the espresso there.  I've already met a neighbor for breakfast here, and am eager to work through their dynamic menu.

The staff is also a strength.  I find them  to be knowledgeable and friendly.  The customer side can be a bit of a zoo in terms of personalities and volume, and I'm still trying to figure out where to order what and where I can pay sometimes, but I will live with zoos at these independent, craft stores.  I hope this robbery doesn't discourage them because it is a one-of-a-kind destination in DC.

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I think it is probably a good thing for my waistline and pocketbook that I rarely drive down that part of Connecticut Avenue anymore and that when I do, it is even rarer to find a parking space.  Happily, in my attempt to get a few treats pre-blizzard I found a space yesterday.

The triple chocolate cookie is a thing of beauty.  When I was fresh out of college and living in a group house in upper NW, I regularly made a double chocolate cookie recipe that I got from Hershey.  They were amazing and I lost the recipe and I've never found anything that comes close to my memory of those cookies.  Bread Furst is like a perfect version of those cookies.  And they seem to have them whenever I go.

My pre-blizzard indulgence was a small lemon meringue pie--which probably was meant to be at least 2 or 3 servings. I enjoyed it immensely all myself though.

They were pretty full at lunch time yesterday and the ordering/paying system was as chaotic and confusing as ever.

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We move to New York on Tuesday and our "last meals" in DC tour plans have had to change with the storm. Having BreadFurst literally in our backyard is something we will miss. I was there at 8:30 am to stock up before the storm. Good thing I was there early because they were already running out of loaves of bread and there was a line almost to the front door. As always, it was worth the wait. I managed to snag a couple warm-from-the-oven baguettes, pain au chocolate, monkey bread, chocolate layer cake and English muffins.  

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I think it is probably a good thing for my waistline and pocketbook that I rarely drive down that part of Connecticut Avenue anymore and that when I do, it is even rarer to find a parking space.  Happily, in my attempt to get a few treats pre-blizzard I found a space yesterday.

 

For those driving - Breadfurst has about 5 designated spots in the back - plus there are usually open spots in the larger Burger King parking lot next store.  There is also usually neighborhood parking a few blocks away. Parking shouldn't ever be a problem. Figuring out where the ordering line is - now that is a different story. Love the baked goods and lunch items.

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A friend brought over a honey cake from Bread Furst last night.  Incredibly good.  Reminds me of what my grandmother used to make, in an alternate universe where she was a great cook.  It is a bundt-shaped cake, with apples and a light glaze.

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And let's not forget, Jon Favreau made a movie about the Cubano....well, yes, it was about more than the Cubano, but the sandwich was at least a co-star.

I haven't tried it, but Sietsema's dining guide called out the Bread Furst Cubano as better than anything Tom has tried in Miami. That's a bold compliment, depending on what he tried in Miami.

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On Sietsema chat today ... Wow, what an answer by the owner .. blaming the DC customers for being uniquely intolerant for waiting in line... Ouch. I think DC people wait in a line a ton. especially for a cool/tasty things - museums, Rose's/Bad Saint, to see a Supreme Court case, etc... makes me not that excited about ever wanting to visit. Not that much of a bread guy. 

"Q: Furst in line

Dear Tom, My family and I are regulars at Bread Furst and we LOVE everything about it except for the awful ordering experience, which is chaos. We went on Sunday morning to pick up some treats for Father's Day, and within a minute or two of placing our order at the rear counter, three additional employees asked if they could take our order. Besides that, we couldn't place our entire order at once because we hadn't yet seen what was available at the front register. And the person who took our partial order had to walk to the front anyway to see if there was a bialy left. After we made it through the line (passing by the pickup counter jammed with people collecting food and coffee) we made it to the front register, where the employee helping us couldn't answer basic questions about some of the items on display (e.g. what type of filling is in the rugelach?). There were different varieties of donuts for sale, but you wouldn't know it because they weren't labeled. Then we arrived at the register where we had to recite everything in our large order to the cashier (what if we had forgotten something?). All of this after straining to communicate with a half-dozen different staffers in the noisy atmosphere and feeling the push to keep the line moving. I'm stressed again just thinking about it! I write all of this with great affection for Bread Furst, as a plea for Mr. Furstenberg and Co. to please make the ordering experience better for customers!"

A: Tom Sietsema

I totally sympathize with you. Been there, done that.  Bread Furst is one of the crummiest (pun intended!) ordering experiences in town. The bakery really needs to get its act together on that front.  

Patience is rewarded, I have to say;  not for nothing did owner Mark Furstenberg win the a coveted James Beard award this spring for Outstanding Baker

I reached out to the owner (a long-time friend of mine) for comment and received this note:

"It is chaotic at Bread Furst on Saturday and Sunday mornings.  I am sympathetic to the critic.  I know that people want to come to us at those times, a lot of people.  I am awfully glad they do.

 But at those times we are trying to do two things at once — serve a lot of Washingtonians who are uniquely intolerant about waiting in line and offer them a large number of choices.  And they of course want to look at the choices and ask questions about them.  That takes time.
 We overstaff on Saturdays and Sundays so that people can be served quickly and we try to move fast because that’s what our customers want.  We ought not to badger customers by asking repeatedly whether they have been served.  I am afraid that we are cowed by the memory of the faces of customers we occasionally overlook and so we overreact.
 There is no excuse for our failing to label.  There is no excuse for our staff being unable to describe or answer questions.  We’ll continue to work on our sales skills but we are selling 600 item an hour on Saturday and Sunday mornings and I am afraid that the experience is going to continue to be chaotic."
 
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What a funny coincidence.  We were planning to go here before the FONZ Member Celebration on Saturday.  Our experience ordering on weekends has actually been decent, though we also tend to go right when they open rather than during the mid-morning madness.

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I'm so confused by this place's popularity.  It seems to be universally lauded, and I keep going back for that reason.  That said, I've never enjoyed anything I've had here, from the prepared sandwiches, to the breads, to the coffee, to the desserts.  Everything is a little overpriced and not that good.  The french bread was decent, but it's the only thing I've tried that make me feel that way.

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1 hour ago, funkyfood said:

 The french bread was decent, but it's the only thing I've tried that make me feel that way.

Have you tried the English Muffin? I have to be careful what I say after Carluccio's :(, but to the best of my memory, it's the greatest English Muffin (and maybe the only "great" English Muffin) I've ever eaten.

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8 hours ago, DonRocks said:

I think the internet is going to change all this, somehow.

Sarcasm?

It's economics. High demand, low supply = scarcity. Which means either high cost, lines, long times for reservation, or people not getting the resource. Just gotta create ways to reduce the above, and not make it worse. Bad systems make it worse or create secondary markets. I remember being at a pizza place in Chicago, Great Lake, which at the time in 2003 or so was considered the best pizza in America. They sold out every evening so fast and people would attempt to buy your pizza as you left the restaurant. 

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Two weeks ago, Bread Furst remodeled a bit, and now the in-store traffic flow has been changed. The register is towards the back instead of in the middle. 

Havent been there during core weekend hours yet so don’t know how it has impacted the ordering experience.  

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Stopped in this morning before the pasta making class at Sfoglina.  They're trying a new experiment -- they have a worker out front with plain and chocolate croissants, french loaves, and two ginormous thermos carafes of reg & decaf coffee, so if all you're after is coffee & croissant, you dont' have to deal with the line, you can get it there on the patio.

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Recently had the bananas foster cookie - so yummy. It is like a sweet banana version of a black and white cookie - which is really more cake-like than cookie. Also had the always good lamb stuffed pepper. It seemed larger and a bit sweeter with more raisins than in the past. The giant beans were the weak salad and the kale one was nice. I like the new setup as you now only have one place to line up and so it has better flow. Also now you don't need to rush past the baked goods to get in line, you can peruse everything and order as you go and then pay. Make a lot more sense to me. 

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Breakfast here was delicious: a ham and cheese biscuit was plenty, but I couldn't resist also having a glazed donut. spongy, sweet goodness. The coffee is good, too. This place was humming today, and efficient, delicious operation. I would happily go here everyday; if only I could...

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On 12/30/2021 at 6:25 PM, saf said:

Got a baguette here the other day. So good.

There are so many options there that I have not tried yet, and need to. Wish it were closer.

I began driving 15-20 min for a Sunday morning parking lot pick-up order around the time I began avoiding supermarkets at the start of the pandemic. Love their levain and teff rye - and bagels that aren't the size of salad plates. The cheese and prepped food case are also great and while they've cut back on fresh fruit and veg, it's nice to see dry and canned goods that aren't the typical local store brands.

I'm thinking Bread Furst must be popping up on travel blogs and lists of "stuff to do on a Sunday morning in DC" - a few times recently I've walked in through the parking lot door around 1030 and found a huge line stretching out the front of the store, along with empty bread baskets and and the bakery counter already sold out of almost everything. Staff always seems a bit taken aback. Doesn't happen every week OR on Saturday...so it's back to calling in an order for later pick up if I can't get in before 9:30 on Sunday.

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18 hours ago, dwt said:

Love this: "bagels that aren't the size of salad plates"

Baked by Yael across from the zoo also has more reasonably sized and delicious bagels. I like Breadfurst but actually prefer Yael's as I find Breadfurst often cooks their bagels and bread to get a super hard crust that is almost overdone/burnt - good for a baguette less enjoyable for a bagel.

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1 hour ago, KeithA said:

Baked by Yael across from the zoo also has more reasonably sized and delicious bagels.

Have you tried Pearl's Bagels on 7th Street yet? I have only had them once, as they are not always convenient, but boy were they tasty.

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