Bread in Boston

[agbaber]

I will be holding a dinner in April and am looking to serve some really good, crusty french bread with it. I was wondering where in Boston I could get my hands on some, or if anyone could recommend a good mail order source that would send me some partially baked bread.

Oh, and this will be my first eGullet post!

Thanks for any ideas!

[bigwino]

There are plenty of excellent bakeries in the Boston area. No need to mail order.

What neighborhood will you be in?

[agbaber]

I live in back bay near nickerson field, but anywhere near a T stop (preferably green line) would be great!

[galleygirl]

You're right near my favorite, and among the top three in Boston....Clear Flour bakery, on 178 Thorndike Street in Brookline, right off Commonwealth Ave, just past Nickerson Field...Their baquettes have that "scrape the roof of your mouth" crust, thin yet crisp...Their pain ancienne is even sturdier...They do different special breads each day, and some pastries as well.

[VivreManger]

If for some reason you can't get to Thorndike St., Whole Wallet Foods, (aha Bread & Circus that was, Whole Foods that is, multiple branches in town) stocks Iggy's Breads (baked in Watertown) and Pain d' Avignon (double check name) from Cape Cod. I particularly like the seed covered ficelle that Iggy's makes, a mino-baguette covered with sesame and other seeds. Pain d'Avignon makes a large and crusty country loaf as well as an excellent whole wheat bread. Hi-Rise in Cambridge on Concord Ave (& Huron) has excellent breads as well.

If you really want to do the dog, at about $20 bucks a shot -- they sell it by the pound -- you can get Paris-baked Pain Poilane, the huge loafs that will feed an army, at Formaggio's, branches in Cambridge and the South End. It gets airshipped once a week I think, arriving on Thursday. It sells out very quickly so try to reserve your bread in advance.

[agbaber]

excellent suggestions, thank you very much!

I think what I will end up doing is going to Clear Flour Bakery for my regular bread and mail ordering for the event that I'm hosting. Its great to know theres a good bakery around here!