The Vergennes Laundry

A recent trip northward gave me a chance to finally see the new addition to Vermont’s bakery scene – a laundromat transformed into a wood-fired bakery. Pristine and crisp, like a freshly pressed white shirt, the space was refreshingly clean and simple, light, bright and white, with accents of blond woods. In the bakery case were delicate and tempting pastries within view of the huge stone-gray wood oven they recently emerged from.

Tucked into a narrow space in a small-city block, the bakery sits in a prime lower Main Street spot, where traffic coming from the west slows to pass through Vergennes. The selection is still small – though perfectly plenty for me – with the promise of more choices to come in the future, including savory treats, soups and cheeses.

A morning visit offered buttery flaky croissants, apple tartlets, sugary morning buns, salt-sprinkled chocolate cookies, delicate almond cookies – all graced with a flavor that only a wood fired oven can give. All available for take away or eat-in with a coffee or hot cocoa. Time your dinner baguette run for about 4:30 pm when they come out of the oven – fresh, tasty – and ready for your table.

Maybe I am easily pleased when surrounded by the smell of freshly baked breads in a clean white space, or not as worldly as some, but I think owner Julianne Jones has created a perfect combination of an inviting space with tasty, beautifully displayed products. A treat for the senses and the taste-buds, on a wintry February day. Follow her here, and check out more photographs here. Yum!