Brioche Bakery, Columbus Ave. SF
My husband and I took a little nostalgia trip over to the city from Oakland and wandered around our old neighborhood. We stumbled upon Brioche Bakery, which just opened on Saturday. It's on Columbus between Pacific and Broadway, pretty much right next door to the Hustler Club, of all things. It made me wish I lived in North Beach again, just be close to it. We tried the brioche, the fruit & custard danishes, the bread pudding, the flan. Everything was exceptional. The proprietor was giving out free samples of lots of the baked goods. She also had tasty looking morning buns, croissaints, apple tarts, quiche, brownies, and a wide variety of breads. She mentioned that she will be expanding into making sandwiches as well, once she gets things going. For anyone in the northern part of the Financial District, this would be a worthy lunch spot. Or breakfast spot. Or mid-day snack spot. (You get the idea).
By Chris Willging
on Feb 14, 2005 01:01 AM
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thanks for posting this
I have really liked their bread since i tasted it first at Flytrap about a year ago.
Spicetart then alerted me to the fact they were opening this shop & I've been wondering when it would be announced
I was in NB on Sunday but unfortunately turned around just before I got to where it must be located.
Does anyone know if they will be open 7 days a week or just 6?
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If this week is any indication, it may be open less than six days per week. After reading Chris' post, I stopped by on Monday before 9am to find it closed (and snapped the picture below). Then today I tried again around 9:30am. It wasn't open and there was no baking activity going on inside. A beverage sales rep had left a business card wedged in the doorway.
The address is 210 Columbus Ave.
Image: http://home.earthlink.net/~melaniewon...
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I passed it on the bus today at 11:30 and it was open. Looking forward to trying it out.
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I saw the lights on when I drove by this morning, so I pulled over and went inside. At 9:28am, the guy inside was unpacking crates of baked goods and said that they weren't ready to open yet. He did offer a look at the pastries. On a quick glance at the stuff obscured in the crates, nothing called to me, so I left.
Unusual marketing strategy, a breakfast pastry place that isn't open during breakfast hours.
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These Master-Bakers have been sending their Emissaries to the Sunday Marin Farmer's Market for awhile, and we have been blessed with their baked goods. We never know what they will bring, but it's always maximum stars! Tonight I heated in the oven their Pizzaiola with Asparagus; I said it was "almost religious" cuisine; My friends said it was "totally religious" experience.
Favorite breads: 6-grain, walnut, anything with cheese, +++, any of the French style breads; Get the flaky almond croissants, with perfect filling. The whole grains are fantastic and healthy, and the Brioche is super. If they have the garlic cheese bread, buy it, and reheat for perfection. The breakfast cinnamon rolls deserve highest praise.
Perfect large fruit tarts. Amazing Apple cakes (tarts?). They do it all!
I brought one of their Chocolate Cakes (tart?) to a class party at Alliance Francaise and it won awards and was demolished. Get any of their large cookies.
If you see theyre open, get off the bus, or get a parking spot, or walk 10 blocks, rejoice! You wont be disappointed! Congratulations North Beach! We have been waiting for this opening! Thank you!
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Hey there, Will, long time no see. Sounds like you're a fan of long standing, thank for the info. Perhaps the stars will align some time soon for me to be in the neighborhood during opening hours to see for myself.
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I went on Sunday around 1pm. We had coffee, a scone, a morning bun, and we were given a slightly smashed chocolate croissant. They also had samples of many items - cookies, quiche, almond cake, just to name a few.
My favorites were the berry brioche and the quiche. The quiche was still warm. The coffee is also the best in North Beach, according to Nathan. He says that most coffee is watered down in North Beach so he is grateful that theirs was good.
The gold standard for scones, morning buns, and croissants is Tartine and I unfortunately have to say that Tartine is still better at all these items. The stuff at Brioche Bakery was still good, and it seems very mean to compare it to Tartine.
I am looking forward to trying more of their items, such as their breads and cookies and tarts.
On a side note, I tried the croissants at Justa Bite, which opened recently next to Graffeo. It was not as good as at Brioche.
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Having dragged my croissant-loving mother to DeLessio, Tartine (she couldn't believe the line on weekends), Delanghe, and Bay Breads in recent weeks, plus a trip to Bouchon, I really hope I can try Brioche Bakery's offerings soon while my taste buds are attuned to this stuff. I'll have to call and find out what days and times it will be open.
Have you tried the scones from Cafe Divine yet?
P.S. We loved the morning bun from Tartine!
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I haven't tried those at Cafe Devine nor Tartine yet. Sounds tremendous. Will do.
We're making our way thru a raison bread from Brioche, and again it's the only raison bread I've ever liked. Very happy to hear may have the best. I heat the almond croissants or cinnamon items in the toaster oven, and they are dripping and oozing and flaking, it's hard to imagine them better. All the Brioche bread items we heat or toast except the sweets and fruits.
The Sunday Marin Farmer's Market now has a great "Bakers Row". It is no longer the monopoly that it used to be. The 'row' has very high standards for admittance. They are boutique bakeries. I don't really want to say anybody is 'the best' since I appreciate all of their efforts and incredible hard work; they all seem to have some things that are way beyond average.
Melanie, my wife was demanding that we keep Brioche a secret , but when I saw you on this thread, and also thought about the goals and contributors to Chowhound, I overruled that.
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I haven't tried those at Cafe Devine nor Tartine yet. Sounds tremendous. Thanks!
We're making our way thru a raison bread from Brioche, and it's the only raison bread I've ever liked.
After I heat the almond croissants or cinnamon items in the toaster oven, and they are dripping and oozing and flaking, it's hard to imagine them better. Many of the Brioche bread items we heat or toast.
The Sunday Marin Farmer's Market now has a "Bakers Row". It is no longer the monopoly that it used to be. The 'row' has very high standards for admittance. They are boutique bakeries. I don't really want to say anybody is 'the best' since I appreciate all of their efforts, crazy hours, and incredible hard work; they all seem to have some things that are way beyond average. It is great Brioche has opened their first permanent outlet on Columbus.
Melanie, my wife was demanding that we keep Brioche a secret as long as possible , but when I saw you on this thread, and also thought about the goals and contributors to Chowhound, I overruled that. And also that would have been against Chowhound rules.
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These guys also sell their goods at the San Mateo Farmers Market (Saturday at CSM) -- the breakfast buns and brownie cake are amazing. Not sure how the prices compare to the store front, but a baguette goes for $2 and I think the brownie cake is $6. There is *always* an unbelieveable line...hope they can work out the timing issues and actually be open for breakfast!
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