Pearl Bakery

Ah, back from the moss-covered, drizzly, and tremendously fun city of Portland, Oregon.  We stayed downtown at the 5th Avenue Suites, which seems to be right in the heart of a variety of excellent bakeries, coffee shops, and sandwich joints.  We were just a couple of blocks away from the city-block-huge Powell's Books.  And if you're shopping at Powell's, you need to scoot a few blocks south and visit Pearl Bakery. 

But before we get into the fabulous baked goods that Pearl Bakery offers up, look in my hand.  In my hand there is a bag.  And in that bag there is a Pearl Bakery t-shirt (by the way, you're meant to believe in terms of storytelling that I'm looking into the bakery before going in...the bag ruins the illusion a little.  Suspend disbelief!)

Where was I?  Ah yes, the t-shirt reads "Still Baking" across the chest.  Here is a recreation of the dialogue that I've had with several strangers when I've since worn this t-shirt.

DIALOGUE ONE: LOCATION - ACELA EXPRESS

Woman Stranger: Hey, (eyes read across the breasties) still baking?
Me: Ha ha ha...no...it's for a bakery and...
Woman Stranger: (interest in conversing visibly floats away from her body)

DIALOGUE TWO: LOCATION - STARBUCKS

Another Woman Stranger: Hey, (eyes read across the breasties) still baking?
Me: Ha, no it's...a bakery t-shirt
Another Woman Stranger: Ha ha.  Funny.
Me: Yeah definitely
(conversation quietly curls up on the floor at our feet and passes away)

What I'm saying is that this t-shirt conjures uncomfortable small talk into being.  From Woman Strangers.

I want a place just like this near us.  A bakery with a droolworthy selection of brioche, croissants, and pastry, and a clever selection of artisan sandwiches.  If anyone knows of a place like this in or around D.C., please do tell.  I suppose Breadline comes close, but its baked goods don't compare to those that Pearl Bakery offers.  Just look.

We showed a moderate degree of restraint and each selected one pastry and one half sandwich.

Ahem.  Disregard the above picture where my bag is clearly holding more than just one t-shirt.

Here's what we chose:

Clockwise from the 6 o'clock position, ham sandwich with fontina on wheat, asiago and apple croissant, chocolate croissant nestled up against an almond croissant, salami sandwich with provolone, and smoked turkey with muenster.

What can I say; these are great sandwiches.  I loved the contrast of the creamy tangy sweetness of the red pepper aioli with the bitterness of the arugula on my turkey sandwich.  The turkey was freshly carved as well.  Fabulous.  J. loved her ham sandwich as well - the yellow dots that you see on the wheat bread is their home-made mayonnaise peeking through.  Delicious.  A. loved the tapenade on her salami sandwich.

And on to our desserts...

 

The almond and chocolate croissants were excellent: buttery flaky croissant dough, generously filled.  Well worth having, but let's face it: you know what they look like.  But look above at the asiago-apple croissant.  Interesting, no?  I was expecting an "apple pie with cheddar cheese crust" vibe off of this croissant, but it was much subtler than that, almost more savory than sweet.  Flaky as all hell and delicious.

This place had such a laid back vibe; we talked and laughed and had a chill early lunch here.  Now that I'm sitting back in my living room stressing about work that I needed to get done today, I look at this picture that we took, looking out of Pearl Bakery's window, and I yearn...

 

Pearl Bakery

102 NW 9th Ave.
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 827-0910

Still baking?

Comments

[barbara]

The goodies from the bakery look great! I love kaiser rolls and the one in your picture made my mouth water. yum!

[Kbee]

Nothing quite like that in DC as far as I know, nor the surrounding 'burbs. It's both tragically unfortunate while fabulous for my waistline.