Best of Texas: Bakeries & Pastry Shops

[Richard Kilgore]

In Dallas The Empire Bakery is still the best for breads. There are other good bakeries in the area, any one of which shows the chain grocery store fake "artisan" breads to be exactly what they are. Central Market has a wide variety of breads and even The Corner Bakery chain is quite good. There is the newer Atlanta Bakery chain, but I don't know it well. There must be some other small bakeries in the DFW I am missing.

What are your favorites in your part of the state?

[theabroma]

Raveline Bakery in Denton, Tx. on Locust Street. Owner is Eric Helland, an outstanding pastry chef. Breads, sweet things, house made truffles, and, well, items of patisserie. It is a joy both to the heart as well as to the tongue.

Theabroma

[lovebenton0]

I have to second that for the Central Market in Austin. Always interesting, never had anything from there that was below quality baked goods.

Haven't been into town much lately but Sweetish Hill, and TX French Bread have always been good standbys in Austin.

[Richard Kilgore]

Okay, I've broadened the topic to include pastry shops.

So now I can include the Chech Stop on I35.

Your favorites?

[Lyle]

I have to second that for the Central Market in Austin. Always interesting, never had anything from there that was below quality baked goods.

Does the CM in Austin make their own bagles? The CM in Dallas sources them through Einstein, something I despise.

As for pastries, Weikel's in LaGrange. Kolaches galore.

[theabroma]

The bialys at Sweetish Hill in Austin. Their bagels aren't bad, though I don't think you can find a true NYC 'cement doughnut' in Texas anymore.

Theabroma

[FistFullaRoux]

Oh, I do miss kolaches... Yet another in a long line of foodstuffs that "we ain't got here."

[lovebenton0]

Okay, I've broadened the topic to include pastry shops.

So now I can include the Chech Stop on I35.

Your favorites?

Czech Stop definitely been a favorite for many years. A trip up and down the I35 corridor isn't complete without it for me. Good kolaches, and wonderful breads, too.

[foodie52]

Bagels are a *&^* to make: CM sources theirs from Hot Jumbo Bagel. As NYTexan will be quick to tell you, they're not as good as a New York bagel! Oh well....our bbq is better than up in NY.

I love everything about Upper Crust Bakery here in Austin. I'm surprised nobody mentioned it. And Whole Foods has their Seeduction bread which is my current hands-down favorite bread.

Central Market does artisan breads really well. Their pain au levain is consistently good.

[NewYorkTexan]

For breads, one of my favorite places is Bread Alone Bakery on South Lamar (in Austin), which is owned by Schlotzsky's Deli. Their brick oven down wonders for the crust.

Upper Crust and Central Market are also very good. I have never been a big fan Sweetish Hill.

I know it was covered in another thread, but I still like getting the H&H bagels at Manny Hatten's deli. For about 60 cents a bagel, it is a great value. The bagels are cooked 90% of the way then frozen and shipped from NYC.

The Central Markets in Austin used to sell a pretty good bagel from the Dallas area along with Jumbo bagels (what a joke, their bagels are puny) but stopped a few months ago.

[JetLag]

In the Houston area there are several 3 Brothers bakeries that are as good as any in NY City. They even do a corn rye with crust that will slice up your gums. They also make excellent bagels and on Sunday bialys. Now if I could convince them to bake a New York hard roll I'd be happy. Unfortunately I haven't found a place in Houston or its environs that bakes them.

[BigboyDan]

Bagel machines cost ten grand each - not worth it for a stand-alone store. Tortillas anyone?

[foodie52]

Central Market doesn't sell the Dallas bagels anymore because the Dallas bagelry got tired of driving down to Austin every day to fill the bagel case...

seriously!!

[Lyle]

Foodie52 or Newyorktexan, do you know/remember who it was that supplied them?

[Golightly67]

Bread and all their dangerous high carb friends. Central Market makes a blue-cheese bread that is most excellent toasted with a smear of french butter.

We've broached bagles, bread, kolaches and pastries - now Homers & my favorites - mmmmmm Donuts. Ms. Johnson's on Airport has the donuts I crave - the big yeasty guys covered in icing with no nutritional value what-so ever. I am looking for someone with a good boston creme - I like the egg custard (not whipping creme) and real chocolate icing. Let me know if you find one.

[NewYorkTexan]

Bagel update

In Austin, the south Central Market is carrying frozen H&H bagels. They are a little more than buying them Manny Hatten's, but you have more options. I saw garlic, everything, cinnamon/raisin and plain. There were a package of 4 for $2.99

I have not looked yet to see if they carry them at the North location.

[foodie52]

Thanks for that info. I'll make sure the H&H get into the north store.

[franktex]

I'm partial to Phonecia on S. Lamar. Especially thier gyros!

[SuperLuckyCat]

I need cannolis in the Houston area. Any recommendations for that? Does CM have them?

[foodie52]

Didn't you post about this on another thread, or am I going crazy???

CM sells the shells only.

[texesser]

In Houston,

1. New York Bagels. Hillcroft, about two blocks south of South Braeswood, on the right in a shopping center.

These bagels are the best in Texas. They make shlepping bagels from New York unnecessary. My favorites are the sesame, poppy, ET (everything on it; very garlic), and cinn-raisin). Don't go late in the day, they run out and close.

Kenny and Ziggy's deli near the Galleria uses NY Bagels.

Their challah is the best in Texas. Order it "light bake" if you call in ahead of time, but the way they sell it is just fine, too. Plain, with sesame seeds, or poppy seeds. Try it unsliced and slice it yourself. They also sell a rye bread but the crust is too soft.

One of the owners, Ed, is a doll. They also have a coffee shop next door which is very cheap. If only they'd dump the lousy coffee they serve and use a better quality, but the rest of the food is fine and their specials during weekdays are something like two eggs, a bagel, and home fries for 3 bucks.

2. Three Brothers- Unfortunately not a close comparison to New York City bakeries, but an adequate copy. NY Bagels is the place to go for bagels, not Three Brothers, in my opinion. Some of their coffee cakes are more interesting than their breads and bagels.

[Richard Kilgore]

I am bringing back up this thread due to a question by new Society member IML in this thread.

In Dallas, there are a few worth a look and a taste: among them in the French and Italian traditions --- Empire Bakery on Forrest Lane and on Lovers Lane, Main Street Bakery in Grapevine with a new second location in Plano, and La Spigas on Limberg at the South end of the Addison Airport.

How about "ethnic" bakeries and pastry shops?

[Lone Star]

There is a little town - Ellinger on Hwy. 71, and we have stopped at Kruska's Grocery Store for years for their Kolaches. They have the usual sweet kolaches as well as many savories. The one I liked the best was the pan sausage with cabbage. They carry several types of local sausages in their meat case, and even had some"dried" sausages.

Last time I was in there a line of deer hunters were at the meat case buying wrapped slices of longhorn cheese, pickles, boiled eggs and sausages. They also had wonderful sandwiches made on thick slices of their homemade bread.

Once I stopped there to buy some bread, and one of the ladies told me there was no bread as the bakers were "all in da hay", harvesting I suppose.

If you are ever in the Fayettville, La Grange area, be sure to stop there.

The little bakery in Llano is also good. They make a very dense fruit bar and wonderful lemon squares. It was one of my routine stops between Houston and San Angelo.

In Houston, I cannot resist the Linzers at Paulie's on Westheimer.

The Flying Saucer Pie Shop makes "out of this world pies". I especially like the peach cream. www.flyingsaucerpieshop.com

Edited February 23, 2005 by Lone Star (log)

[IML]

I am bringing back up this thread due to a question by new Society member IML in this thread.

In Dallas, there are a few worth a look and a taste: among them in the French and Italian traditions --- Empire Bakery on Forrest Lane and on Lovers Lane, Main Street Bakery in Grapevine with a new second location in Plano, and La Spigas on Limberg at the South end of the Addison Airport.

How about "ethnic" bakeries and pastry shops?

←

Of the suggestions on this thread that pertain to Dallas, I have tried Main Street, Central Market, and the Ravelin. None were particularly impressive, in my opinion, but I have heard positive things about Empire and also Bread Winners. Anybody checked out the latter?

[Richard Kilgore]

Thanks for bringing your question here from the other thread, IML. I am not sure if you are looking for breads or pastries or both. Can you help us understand what you are looking for that you're not finding? And what you tried at the places you have been to and what they were like. If we can get this discussion to leap beyond good, bad, and not so hot to something more specific and concrete we may be able to get somewhere.