Downtown Bread

[Carty]

Just moved to 170 Tremont (across from the Boylston T station). This board is indispensable - I have an urgent question.

Where is the *closest* good bread to my new pad? Italian/French - freshness, texture, taste matter.

I know I can hoof/T it to the N. End but I'd love to be able to grab something quick, maybe while walking the dog.

Best I have come up with so far is DeLuca's on Charles St.

Any help appreciated.

[rufustfi]

In my opinion Iggy's is overrated, and When Pigs Fly and Clear Flour are good but baked off premises and dropped off so maybe fresh but not super-fresh. Sel de la Terre is very good but where are those places that bake their own bread and sell it hot from the ovens?

[rlh]

Iggy's Bread is usually at the Dewey Square Farmer's Market on Wed/Thurs, as well as When Pigs Fly -- from Maine -- they bring very fresh loaves of very interesting bread -- mostly different varieties from what is sold at local retail groceries. The green olive and hot pepper one is a favorite of mine.

[Cageylefty]

When Pigs Fly does great bread business on Mondays at Dewey, while Iggy's, Breadsong and Country Harvest come in later in the week (Weds/Thurs).

[rufustfi]

Can I open this discussion up a bit? Where are the best places in the Boston area for bread? Decent bread seems to be harder to find in Boston than many other cities of comparable size. The best I've found is from places like Sel de la Terre, which has not only high quality but interesting variety.

[9lives]

I like SDLT too. In the North End..Salumeria Italiana, South End..Formaggio Kitchen, Beacon Hill..Savenor's..to name a few Boston proper recs.

All offer good quality and assortment.

I think there's a recent thread on Watertown area bakeries.

Several local bakers are also at the Farmer's Markets around town.

[Allstonian]

There's Clear Flour Bread in Brookline, of course - a couple of minutes walk from the Packard's Corner T stop. I love most of their breads, such as the baguettes and sourdough, the French dinner rolls, the Venetian olive rolls. They do a great rustic Italian loaf and ciabbata, but I've been disappointed with their scali. However, last Friday I bought their challah for the first time ever, and it was amazing.

[pamalamb]

The Clear Flour Venetian olive rolls are amazing - spicy and oily, but not at all heavy. I just tried their Miller's bread, with is fantastic toasted with a spray of olive oil.

Clear Flour has a booth at the Coolidge Corner farmers market on Thursdays (1:30-7ish pm).

[Carty]

Thanks for your help. I very much look forward to contributing here as I learn more.

[catsmeow]

The farmers market in Copley Sq is held a few times each week. There's at least one wonderful bread stand there. It's not any closer than Charles St but the bread is much better. I think there's one at City Hll Plaza too.

[9lives]

The immediate neighborhood doesn't offer much.

Your best bet if you don't want to travel is to get a little creative.. buy a few French rolls from 1 of the bahn mi places in Chinatown..Saigon, the place in CMart or Mei Sun (old Mix)?

Forget which has the best bread; maybe someone else can comment...been a while for me.

[bella_sarda]

I highly recommend the Vietnamese style French rolls (kind of like short baguettes) from Mei Sum bakery. What makes them Vietnamese is that they use some rice flour in addition to wheat flour, which makes them lighter. The crust is really crisp and not overly dense. It's just a few blocks from you, on Beach St. Not sure of their hours, however. A bit farther afield, there is the Whole Foods on Cambridge St., as well as Flour bakery in the South End, both of which have good bread options.

[limster]

My guess would be the bakery at Sel de la Terre on the waterfront, but it's not super close to where you are.