Saturday morning we headed over to Cherokee to try out the newly opened whisk: a sustainable bakeshop. There’s been a hole in our lives where Bittersweet Bakery used to reside, and we’ve been missing an honest to goodness bakery in the neighborhood – not just a glass display case with a few items to choose from.
The displays at Bittersweet were always teeming with baked goods, and the pie and cake case were always full. For months I rotated through the offerings, until one day I was asked if I had ever tried Leanna’s bagels. I hadn’t – why would I choose an unassuming bagel when there was twelve linear feet of sweet goodies laid out in front of me. It seemed absurd, but I tried one anyway – to be nice. What was the harm, really? It’s not like I had travelled far to get there. (I’ll admit I even went twice in one day on occasion.)
That rosemary bagel changed my life. Or at least my breakfast life.
There are few things that I truly crave and must have in my belly. That bagel is one of the few. I miss them, and I miss the fact that once we ate one, the girls and I never ordered anything else from that place. I still grabbed the occasional lunch special on a Friday, but the three of us ate breakfast there at least once a week. We ordered bagels, sliced and lightly toasted, and then we slathered on her homemade strawberry jam. We never left a crumb. And all other bagels have been ruined for me, to this day.
I don’t think I realized how much I missed that place until we stopped by Whisk. It’s a charming space – really – lots of light and room and a great collection of things on the wall. Everything we had was good, and so were the desserts we took home with us for later. The coffee was good, the owners were sweet and helpful, and I loved the variety and the prices. The girls would like juice, but I’m sure that will come with time.
Still, it’s a new place, and it might take awhile to get used to it. But we’ll be back, for sure. I love the idea of people doing what they love – particularly when it comes to baking. And hanging out in places where people are doing what they love makes me happy, with a full tummy to boot. Not a bad start to a Saturday.
And maybe, in the new year, I should start trying to figure out that rosemary bagel recipe on my own. Sounds like a plan.