To Your Health Bakery

 

Located at 1263 Creekshire Way in Winston-Salem, To Your Health Bakery specializes in gluten-free baked goods. Vegan and keto options are also available as are coffee drinks and online ordering. The bakery is open from 11-6 Monday-Friday and 10-5 on Saturday.

My sweet tooth and my desire to eat healthier have long been at odds, and I wanted to get a sense of how keto desserts compare to their sugarfied counterparts. That led me to To Your Health. It’s a small bakery with minimal seating, but there’s quite a bit here: cakes, cupcakes, pies, cookies, donuts, and more. As expected, there were more gluten-free than keto/paleo options, but a helpful staff member was able to point me toward a few sugar-free offerings.

I ultimately went with a piece of pumpkin cheesecake, which proved to be a somewhat mixed experience. I knew the texture would be different from a classic New York-style, and it was. However, the sweet, creamy filling with warm spice notes proved to be plenty tasty in its own right. Unfortunately, I couldn’t say the same about the crust as the pronounced almond flavor was a bit off-putting. Finally, while I was prepared for keto desserts to cost more, $9 for one piece of cheesecake still stung.

To Your Health does a commendable job of providing options for those with food allergies and sensitivities, and if I were in that camp, I might rate them higher. I can appreciate the care they put into their offerings, but for me, they just weren’t worth the cost.

Mama Bear's Sweet Shop

 

Located at 3793 Samet Drive Unit 140 in High Point, Mama Bear’s Sweet Shop offers baked goods, ice cream/gelato, and coffee. It is open from 11:30-6 Tuesday-Friday, 12-4 on the weekend, and closed on Monday.

While its prices have gone up, Odeh’s Mediterranean Kitchen remains the gold standard for Mediterranean/Middle Eastern food in High Point. With this bakery spinoff, the Odeh family looks to continue to raise the bar. First impressions have been very encouraging.

Housed in the former Mandalay Asian Fusion space, Mama Bear’s is bright, clean, and spacious with plenty of seating. The selection is commendably varied: rolls, croissants, cakes, cookies, gelato, ice cream, and more. Whatever your sweet tooth yearns for, they have you covered. Coffee and espresso drinks are available as well.

For my first visit, I went with a slice of Dubai chocolate cake and a white chocolate peanut butter cookie. The cake was rich and chocolatey with a nice crunch, but at $7/slice, I’ll probably go with a less extravagant flavor next time. The cookie ($3.50) was a standout: moist and chewy without falling apart. White chocolate and peanut butter proved to be an underrated combination.

If you’re a fan of Odeh’s, enjoy a good pastry, or both, then Mama Bear’s is a no-brainer. Be forewarned that if you follow their social media, you may have a tough time staying away.

Asheville Review Roundup

We recently visited Asheville for the first time in six-plus years. The trip gave us a chance to revisit old favorites and discover new ones. In addition to everything reviewed below, Malaprops, The Chocolate Fetish, DSSOLVER, Moonlight Makers, Downtown Books & News, Nine Mile (previous review here), Bagatelle Books, Orbit DVD, House of Black Cat Magic, Urban Orchard, Ginger’s Revenge, and French Broad Chocolates are all worth a visit.

Mission Pizza Asheville

Housed inside of Terra Nova Beer Co. at 101 South Lexington Ave in South Slope, Mission Pizza specializes in Roman-style rectangles (pizza al taglio) from 12-8 Wednesday and Thursday, 12-9 Friday and Saturday, and 12-6 on Sunday. Terra Nova offers indoor and outdoor seating. Online ordering and delivery are available.

The sister restaurant to Winston-Salem’s acclaimed Mission Pizza Napoletana, Mission Pizza Asheville (aka Mission Pizza Romana) is decidedly not your typical neighborhood slice shop. The Roman squares are made of a thick dough that looks like focaccia but is both lighter and crispier. They come in single 5” by 7” rectangles (spuntino, $8-$10), 5” by 13” pies (mezzo, $15-$19), or 9” x 13” party size portions (tutto, $30-$38). While you can build your own custom pizza, the default options include a Calabrian with pepper jam, a funghi & charred tomato, a sfincione with breadcrumb topping, a patate with potato cream, and a rotating special. A few dips, an arugula salad, cauliflower cacio pepe, and meatballs are also available.

Wanting a few slices to commemorate Pi Day, my wife and I shared a Calabrian, a funghi & charred tomato, and a daily special. Ordering was easy, and Terra Nova’s “green industrial” vibe (check out that moss wall) made for interesting ambiance. Our pizza was not cheap, but it was very satisfying, and Mission uses high-quality ingredients. The Calabrian offered a good combination of sweet and spicy while the funghi & charred tomato delivered creamy (ricotta) and smoky. The crust was done perfectly: crisp without being overly charred.

There are many places in Asheville where you can grab a pizza and a beer, but none can offer you the same experience that Mission does. Unless you’re a New York-style pizza purist, you owe it to yourself to give Mission a try.

Double D’s Coffee & Desserts

Located at 41 Biltmore Avenue, Double D’s Coffee & Desserts serves up coffee drinks, smoothies, baked goods, and ice cream from 10 to 8 (Sunday-Thursday)/8:30(Friday-Saturday) out of a converted bus. Courtyard seating is available.

We came across Asheville’s charming coffee bus during our first visit to the city and have made it a point to come back during every visit since. It’s still cash only, and it still draws crowds. However, since the upper deck is no longer available for seating, you no longer have to worry about squeezing past others inside the bus’s cramped confines. The coffee here (courtesy of Notorious Coffee Roasting Co.) is good. My wife remains partial to the red hot chili mocha (the cayenne provides a spicy kick) while I enjoyed a crème brulee latte during our most recent visit.

As a coffee shop, this probably isn’t the best Asheville has to offer, especially if you are pressed for time. But it’s far more than a novelty. If you have a few minutes to spare and cash in your wallet, it’s worth your time.

Blue Spiral 1

Located at 38 Biltmore Avenue, Blue Spiral 1 offers three floors of art from over 100 regional artists. Themed exhibitions rotate regularly. The gallery is open Monday-Saturday from 11-6 and Sunday from 11-5. Photography is permitted.

Blue Spiral 1 is another Asheville institution that we can’t help but return to. From paintings to pottery to giant spoon sculptures, the gallery has a wide representation of styles and media. Recent exhibitions made use of recycled skateboards and explored the history of tattoos, both of which we found fascinating. Despite its fine arts pedigree (and pricing to match), Blue Spiral isn’t stuffy, and staff won’t give you the stink eye if you’re just there to browse.

Princess Anne Hotel

A boutique hotel/B&B hybrid in a 1920s building listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Princess Anne Hotel is about as far away as you can get (literally and figuratively) from a just-off-the-highway hospitality chain. The location is close enough to downtown so that you can still find food in walking distance yet far enough removed from the noise to give you a bit of quiet. Unlike a downtown hotel, you also don’t have to pay through the nose for parking. Staff are pleasant and knowledgeable about the area. The porch and patio areas make for relaxing outdoor spaces.

The Princess Anne is an old building and though generally well-maintained, isn’t immune to the occasional odd creak. Our room was, overall, fairly spacious (it included a kitchenette and dining/TV area), the bed was comfortable, and everything worked as it should. That said, the bathroom was tiny, even with the sink located in a different room.

If you can abide by its quirks, the Princess Anne offers character, comfort, and charm, all at a fairly good value.

City Bakery

Located at 88 Charlotte Street in Downtown Asheville, City Bakery offers artisan breads, coffees, and baked goods from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Saturday (closed Sunday). Online ordering is available.

City Bakery was a short walk from where we were staying, so it became our breakfast spot by default. Fortunately, it proved to be a good one. Bread may be their calling card, but they do have more substantial fare (biscuits, bagels, sandwiches, etc.) as well. We went with a pair of coffee drinks and a chocolate croissant as well as a loaf of Jewish rye to take home. Though they keep busy here, staff were pleasant and accommodating.

The coffee drinks were smooth, and when we eventually broke into the rye, it had a nice crust. The croissant definitely wasn’t bad, but I’ve been spoiled by better options back home.

Whether you’re seeking bread, a breakfast bite, or caffeination to keep you going, City Bakery is a reliable option.

Biscuit Head

Located at 733 Haywood Road in West Asheville (with other locations in South Asheville and the Mission Hospital Area), Biscuit Head specializes in biscuits and breakfasts. It is open Monday-Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Online ordering is available. Bacon flavors and biscuit specials rotate daily.

Biscuit Head has acquired a lofty reputation since it opened its doors more than a decade ago, and it was only a matter of time before we ended up here to see if it lived up to the hype. One drawback to said reputation: it gets busy, and it gets loud. Best try to catch them during an off-peak hour and hope that you can snag an open table.

That caveat aside, the menu is great. You can keep it simple with a biscuit and your choice of topping, roll the dice with a biscuit sandwich, or step up and take on a gut-busting breakfast platter. There are also sweet dishes and a bar full of complimentary jams.

My wife and I went with the biscuit of the day (Korean fried chicken), a biscuit with mushroom gravy, fried green tomatoes, and a side of bacon. The biscuits were good, but if you get them in a sandwich, don’t expect the sandwich to hold together. No matter: forks exist for a reason. The Korean fried chicken included both Korean BBQ sauce and pimento cheese, an interesting fusion of Asian and Southern that somehow worked. The accompanying tots were crispy and addictive, and the mushroom gravy was creamy and rich. The fried green tomatoes were respectable but would have been better topped with pimento.

Ultimately, Biscuit Head did not disappoint. The biscuits weren’t the best I’ve ever had, but the food here was still satisfying.

Baked Pie Company

Located at 4 Long Shoals Drive in Arden, Baked Pie Company offers hot and cold pies whole or by the slice. Online ordering, gluten free, keto, vegan, and sugar free options are available. Baked is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday – Saturday (closed Sunday).

We had missed getting an actual slice of pie on Pi Day, so what better way to make up for it than partaking in a Pie Flight the day after? Yes, you read that right. Baked offers three-slice flights, which, given the size of said slices, should definitely not be attempted alone.

While this curio would be enough to get plenty of people in the door, Baked has a lot more going for it. Though the selection varies from day to day, we found plenty of tantalizing options: fruit pies, chocolate pies, custard, pecan, a savory quiche, etc. The inside of the shop is homey and exudes retro charm, and the proprietors are welcoming.

My wife and I opted for the Irish Cream Brownie, Whiskey Silk, and Blackberry Biscuit for our flight. The pies were very sweet, but they were tasty. While the former two were both boozy chocolatey cold pies, they presented different flavors and textures. The blackberry biscuit was good (and probably would have been even better had we gone ala mode), but we should have requested it heated up.

At $15, the pie flight was a good deal given the size of the slices. That said, whole pies go for $38, which is more than many would pay.

Specialty pie shops are something of a rarity, and it would be tragic if Baked’s pies were merely pedestrian. Fortunately, they more than clear that bar.

Taco Temple

Located at 132 Charlotte Street in Asheville, Taco Temple offers tacos, tortas, and drinks from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday (closed Sunday). Vegan options and online ordering are available, and the business has a drive-thru.

An offshoot of Mamacita’s, Taco Temple retains the same focus on homemade Mexican eats. The offerings are a bit fancier than you might find at a typical taco joint but not to the point of pretentiousness (they also have breakfast tacos for those who are up early enough). While it occupies a smallish space, Taco Temple does offer a cool vibe, including a vintage Corona machine.

My wife and I opted for a trio of tacos plus guac to go. Our order was ready on-time, and one look at the homemade blue corn tortillas made us anxious to dig in. The tacos were generally tasty and delivered distinct flavors: the loreto (tangerine-pasilla shrimp) was spicy and tangy while the Santa Barbara (ancho-brown sugar rubbed steak) was smoky and slightly sweet. The panela (panela cheese, poblano, black bean, pickled onion) included too much pickled onion and too little cheese, however. The chips, guac, and tomatillo salsa were solid complements to the meal.

Taco Temple may or may not make you a convert, but it’s worth at least one pilgrimage.

All Day Darling

Located at 102 Montford Avenue in Asheville, All Day Darling offers breakfasts, sandwiches, salads, coffees, baked goods, and more. It is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Indoor and outdoor seating, gluten-free options, and online ordering are available.

In need of a breakfast spot that was actually open on Sundays, All Day Darling proved a fortuitous find. The bustling, light-filled environment and focus on Southern-influenced dishes reminded me of a superior version of the old Iron Hen in Greensboro. Though All Day Darling does keep busy, its line to the register (place your order, grab a number – they are friendly and efficient here) moves quickly, and there is plenty of seating.

While I was tempted to order shakshuka, travel with something that heavy on my stomach seemed unwise, so I opted for The Standard (breakfast sandwich with a fried egg and herb mayo) with ham on a roll instead and paired it with a Golden Mocha (chocolate, turmeric, ginger, cardamon). My wife went with a Standard with avocado on a biscuit, and we split a piece of banana bread.

All of the food cleared expectations. The breads and biscuits live up to their homemade billing. The creamy herb mayo was the perfect complement to the salty ham. The banana bread was as good as any I have ever made. Despite its bevy of components, the Golden Mocha was well-balanced and went down easy.

All Day Darling is the kind of place where it would seem hard to go wrong. The next time we’re in Asheville, we’ll be back.

Savor the Moment

Located at 274 Eastchester Drive in High Point, Savor the Moment Dessert Café offers cheesecake treats and coffee drinks from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. There is limited seating inside and out. Online ordering and catering are available as are premium memberships with monthly discounts.

 

Operated by the same folks who own Savor the Moment Bakery in Greensboro, the High Point branch offers a somewhat different concept. The focus here is on customizable stuffed cheesecakes, so don’t come looking for cakes or cookies. It’s a premise that may have a more limited appeal, but it also offers something different.

 

The stuffed cheesecakes are essentially cheesecake slices covered in a crispy shell and topped with whatever fruits, sauces, and crunchy things you desire. A la Coldstone, you can customize to your heart’s content or choose from more than a dozen preset options. There are also minis and cake sundaes/parfaits as well as hot coffee.

 

At $8.95 for most of the offerings, the stuffed cheesecakes aren’t cheap, but if you have the calories to spare, they are worth it. I went with a cherry pie (graham cracker shell topped with cherry pie filling) touched up with white chocolate and Oreo pieces. The cream cheese cheesecake base is dense and a bit tangy, but the toppings provided plenty of sweetness. There was also a very satisfying textural balance between creamy and crunchy.

 

Savor the Moment offers a clean, well-appointed, open space, and the folks who work here are kind. If and when the business grows, it could do with more seating (and more days open), but for now, it’s a welcome weekend treat destination. 

Bobby Boy Bakeshop

 

Located at 1100 Reynolda Road in the Buena Vista neighborhood of Winston-Salem, Bobby Boy Bakeshop serves up baked good from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

 

In the few years that it’s been open, Bobby Boy has attained a loft reputation, a status reinforced by the line out the door that greeted me on arrival. Given that, I really wanted to love this place, but I will have to settle for liking it instead.

 

One area where Bobby Boy definitely did not disappoint was its selection. The bakery boasts several kinds of bread, several types of croissants and rolls, cookies, pastries, coffees, and more. If you have anything resembling a sweet tooth, you’re in for a hard decision here.

 

While everything here looks amazing, the high-ish prices may dampen some of that enthusiasm. Still, quality can override cost-consciousness.

 

For my first visit, I went with a vanilla honey raisin roll and picked up a pan au chocolat for my wife. The former was very sweet, but it wasn’t a one-dimensional sweetness. The latter packed in plenty of rich chocolatey flavor but lacked some of the buttery flakiness of croissants found elsewhere.

 

All told, Bobby Boy is definitely worth trying, but it may not blow you away.

Baked

 

Located at 227 South Elm Street Suite B in Downtown Greensboro, Baked offers breads, pastries, and other baked goods. It is open 8-3 Tuesday through Thursday, 8-5 on Friday, 9-5 on Saturday, 10-4 on Sunday, and closed on Monday. There is no indoor seating, but limited outdoor seating as available. Decorated cakes can be ordered with one week’s notice, and specialty coffees rotate seasonally.

 

This small side alley spot off Elm has been home to a number of bakeries over the years, so here’s hoping that Baked manages to stick. From selection to quality to friendly service, Baked is a blessing.

 

While Baked is not the only place in town to offer croissants, it stocks several varieties, sweet and savory alike. Add to that homemade pop tarts, macarons, cupcakes, cookies, breads (day-old loaves are discounted), and coffee drinks, and you’d be hard-pressed to find something that doesn’t look good.

 

Across two visits, I’ve had a chance to try a number of Baked’s offerings, and there was nary a dud among them. For those wanting a classic French croissant, the pan au chocolat will deliver buttery, flaky goodness. The Full Monty (vegetarian sausage, cheese, and hasbrown) is a fantastic breakfast option and not nearly as heavy as it sounds. Even the Smores brownie was better than it had any right to be.

 

If you have the dollars to spend and the calories to spare, you won’t miss either after a trip to Baked. It's become a must for visits to Downtown Greensboro.

Augustino Gusto Bakery

 

Located at 2508 New Garden Road E in Greensboro, Augustino Gusto offers scratch-made European baked goods. The bakery is open on Wednesdays (10 a.m. -6:30 p.m.) and Saturdays (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.).

 

Augustino Gusto had long been on my radar – it received glowing reviews from the start – but its distance from High Point and its limited operating hours made it a “some day” destination. Some day finally arrived during a Greensboro sojourn last Saturday. While there are a number of things to like about this bakery, I nevertheless walked away feeling a bit disappointed.

 

Located in a converted house near the Greensboro Science Center, Augustino Gusto is off the beaten path. That’s OK: many hidden gems are. Park in the gravel lot, traverse the long front entrance ramp, and hopefully avoid a line out the door, and you’ll come face-to-face with an impressive array of baked goods. Augustino Gusto might have the most impressive assortment of quiches and croissants I’ve ever seen. There are breads and pies and more to be had here as well, and making a decision can be difficult. You won’t want to dawdle too long though as space inside is limited.

 

My wife and I opted to take home a chocolate mousse, a chocolate croissant, and a Nutella bread pudding. At $20 for these three items, Augustino Gusto’s prices are high, which would not have been an issue if the bakery’s reputation preceded it. Our experiences, however, were mixed. The mousse was very creamy and possibly my favorite item of the three. The bread pudding had good a good flavor but it was dense and a bit dry. The croissant was wonderfully buttery and flaky, yet what little chocolate there was within was entirely at the bottom of the pastry.

 

Despite these setbacks, given the huge selection and the ongoing stream of positive reviews, I would give Augustino Gusto another chance if I were in the area. However, it isn’t a place I would feel compelled to go out of my way to seek out.

The Miller's Market

 

Located at 116-A East Main Street in Jamestown, The Miller’s Market sells locally made specialty foods, grab and go meals, and fresh salads, sandwiches, coffees, and homemade breads. The market is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and serves lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Patio seating is available.

 

A long-anticipated venture from the owner of Black Powder Smokehouse, The Miller’s Market is part specialty foods store, part café. It’s an interesting concept and a boon to Jamestown, but some may not see the appeal.

 

Housed in a former Edward Jones office in the heart of Jamestown, The Miller’s Market is a bright and airy space featuring handcrafted tables. The large coolers stock salads, butters, and grab-and-go meals while a number of locally made snacks and seasonings are on display toward the front. Places to pick up unique local items have been few and far between since The Budding Artichoke closed up shop, and so The Miller’s Market helps fill that niche.

 

As for the café, it’s the kind of place that charges $11 for a grilled cheese sandwich (with fig jam and a side included, but still). High as the prices for some items may be, there’s no arguing with the quality. A honey cinnamon latte was satisfyingly sweet pick-me-up, and the savory scones won’t let you down, but the flourless chocolate torte is next-level. It’s like a giant truffle (in the best way possible), and if you have one, you will be back for more.

As a café, The Miller’s Market is pricy, and as a market, the selection is limited, but as a place that offers a bit of this and that with local ingredients in a convenient location, The Miller’s Market is worth checking out.

Dolce & Amaro Artisan Bakery

 

Located at 1310 Westover Terrace in Greensboro, Dolce & Amaro offers Italian pastries, cakes, and coffee drinks. It is open from 8 (Friday-Sunday) or 9 a.m. (Monday-Thursday) to 9 p.m. Limited outdoor seating, custom orders, and catering/delivery are available.

 

I had been in search of an Italian bakery since Cozy Cannoli shut its doors, and while Dolce & Amaro isn’t nearly as close by, it did not disappoint. The selection here is solid, boasting everything from cannoli to macarons to various tarts and squares. They also offered bomboloni, filled donuts that, as a northern New Jersey native, I am embarrassed to not have been familiar with. Fortunately, that was a problem quickly remedied.

 

For our first visit, my wife and I tried the aforementioned bombolone (with pastry cream) and a macaron along with a hot pistachio and hot caramel, respectively, and a pair of mini-squares (tiramisu cheesecake and hazelnut) to sample later. The espresso beverages were rich and satisfying, especially during a cold morning. The squares hit all the right flavor notes and were not too sweet. While I would definitely try the tiramisu cheesecake again (likely in a larger form), I would probably opt for a different bombolone filling in the future.

 

These delicious offerings combined with patient and accommodating staff leave Dolce & Amaro with a lot for patrons to appreciate. However, there are a few drawbacks. The “artisan” label correlates to higher prices (though not outrageously so), and the bakery is quite small. This isn’t a problem for to-go orders, but if you’re eating in, expect bustling rather than quaint (provided that you can snag a table).

 

Were Dolce & Amaro nearer to home, I could see myself becoming a regular here. It is better for both my wallet and my health that this isn’t the case, but it’s a place I’ll keep in mind during future Greensboro visits.