I’ve made couple of trips down to Bread Furst in NW DC (Van Ness area) – I did a blog post on sandwiches there. I’ve been a huge fan since Furstenberg opened the Marvelous Market, and then at the Breadline downtown The James Beard folks named hm the best baker in the US in 2017.
The question is – what are your favorites for (1) baguettes (2o
The best baguette anywhere, not just DC, is at Seylou. It is a dark bread made with African grains, so not traditional.
Not only is it delicious, but I find it has great staying power, so it’s ok if you don’t eat it all right away. The very crusty exterior surrounds a surprisingly moist interior. They also make a great focaccia, but it’s available only on Sundays and you probably have to reserve one in advance.
The onion danish is ethereal, and the (barely) sweet potato danish is sublime.
For the record, I adored Breadline, where I thought his ciabatta roll was the greatest sandwich bread of all time. I am not as much a fan of Bread Furst where I think his breads are mostly overbaked. I can’t forgive him for never making that ciabatta roll at BF (that I know of) The chocolate bread pudding is my favorite item there, and it is formidable.
I also really like the baguette at Tous Les Jours, the Korean bakery, so not traditional. in Centreville, that location is now called Mark Bean. The location in Ellicot City is still TLJ.
Bread Furst and Seylou are the big ones and I prefer Bread Furst in general.
I should note that Seylou is also very expensive even considering the US has higher than usual prices for bread if you’re used to the idea of buying fresh bread regularly in France or Italy etc.
Also, at Seylou, everything is whole grain and they mill their own flour. Actually, I find the fact that they’re whole grain to be the reason why their stuff doesn’t taste the same as their competitors. You’re looking for whole grain, then that’s different. I do like bread furst and they are at the Rose Park Farmers market on Wednesday evenings.
Normally I have zero interest in whole grain, but because of the grains they use Seylou makes a glorious baguette.
thanks! Some new places to try
