(Note: this is an SF Chronicle article and therefore subscriber-only access)
Bay Area bread has recently boomed in creativity. Here are 11 exhilarating new destinations
Pull-apart Za’atar bread, piping hot cornbread with bacon, cheddar- and- pecorino-stuffed popovers and more
SF Chronicle, updated 27July2021
(excerpt)
Bread was an essential part of the Bay Area food scene long before the pandemic — think Boudin’s enduring sourdough legacy or Tartine’s coveted country loaves — but as diners slowly emerge from a year of false restarts and stops, restaurateurs and pastry chefs are sparing no imagination (or butter) on elaborate new dishes where bread is the focus.
I am always a bit annoyed that I can’t find the Acme breads served in restaurants at their bakery, particularly the really rustic breads. The ones at the bakery are always ‘simpler’.
The way I rank the ‘rustic’ ciabatta, sourdough, country bread available at retail from these bakeries in the Bay Area is roughly:
1st: Tartine, Midwife,
2nd: As Kneaded, Firebrand
3rd: Acme, Semifreddi’s
But the Acme bread found in e.g. good restaurants is easily in the first tier. So the annoying part is I know these folks can bake a mean loaf, but they just don’t make it available to the masses at retail.
I have been buying from Acme commercially for Years.
What breads are you talking about?
Most of what they make is available from the Retail Outlets other than the giant sized Loaves from what I have seen.
I had a really good house bread at Petiscos in San Jose yesterday. It is in the ill fated spot on the corner of 1st st where haberdasher is. The place is great generally, bring the the casual version of Adega, but their bread is very good. Dense, moist, feels eastern European. Endless and free (with dinner).
