Bread&Cup: Simply the best in every single, simple way.

It is true. Simple is better. Bread & Cup’s atmosphere, menu and values all emanate from simplicity. Don't be fooled by the detailed, exuberant and beautiful presentation of their dishes because they simply demonstrate the genius and creative culinary mind of Executive Chef Kevin Shinn and his staff. Bread&Cup’s employees maintain this sophisticated simplicity by using local vendors and producers whenever possible. They prepare all of their menu items right there in their own kitchen and bakery. Besides their incredible food, I can give you a long list of reasons why they are one of my favorite restaurants– ever! But I will start with their food.

Bread&Cup's breakfast and lunch menus generally stay the same, but the evening menu changes four times a week. My favorite lunch menu item is the Pork sandwich- Fork tender shoulder roast, provolone cheese & sweet apple cream or savory garlic cause on ciabatta bread. I am sure the savory garlic sauce is great but I can’t bring myself to try it because the sweet apple cream is that amazing. All of their delicious sandwiches are prepared on the house made bread. They also have salads and soups that are a great accompaniment to any sandwich.

My fiance, Matt, and I visited Bread&Cup this Monday evening for a special date to relax, catch-up and enjoy a fantastic meal. Their menu made it very difficult for us to choose just one thing. As usual, the best I could do was narrow it down to a few things. We started with the Ploughman. This is under the “Conversation” selection on the menu. The Ploughman comes with bread, cheese, salami and fruit. We chose the Gorgonzola cheese and apple for the fruit. It was a perfect appetizer and fun to share with our conversation.

Another favorite “Conversation” of mine offers two compliments, bread, and cheese. For my favorite compliments, I am nearly addicted to the Apple Butter and Roasted Tomato Pesto (also offered as a Fresh basil Pesto).

Being the soup junkie that I am, I ordered the Tomato & Peanut Curry Soup. It was blended to a thick and creamy consistency with chunks of tomato and peanuts. It was perfectly spiced and delicious to soak my pieces of bread in.

Finally, we both ordered our main courses. Matt tried the Smoked Kielbasa with spaetzle, local spinach & smoked almonds. Kielbasa is a polish sausage and a spaetzle is a pasta-like dumpling. The Kielbasa was rich and flavorful and the spaetzle, spinach and almonds were a beautiful and pleasant complement to the meat. In fact, it was nearly gone in three minutes!

I had to try the Warm Wheat and Spinach Salad, with spinach, wheat (barley), carrots and goat cheese. It was incredible. It was lightly warmed and drizzled with some sort of sweet dressing.

I could taste a hint of maple syrup. It subtly brought out the flavors of the carrots, barely, spinach and almonds, each in a unique and magnificent way. I was especially pleased at how each ingredient was masterfully cooked to just the right consistency. It gave this salad a nice balance of flavor and texture– not too soggy or too crunchy. My favorite part was the goat cheese, wrapped in herbs and spices. It was delightfully cool and creamy, a humble match-up for this dish.

At that point, I was satisfied beyond belief with the three-course meal I had treated myself to. It was a rare occasion, but I didn’t have room for the dessert menu. I have many good memories with the Banana Bread Pudding…made with their day old cinnamon rolls. I don’t even need to further describe this dessert, but it deserves an outstanding recommendation.

As you know, the only thing I appreciate more than great food is great support of our community. I am blown away by the Bread & Cup and Execute Chef Kevin Shinn’s quiet support of local vendors and producers that speaks volumes. I encourage you to check out his blog! I enjoy learning his techniques and understanding his culinary inspirations. In one of his recent blogs, titled Making Local a Habit, he gives his thoughts on purchasing locally sourced products. He presents a wonderful understanding of the importance of purchasing local. Kevin writes, “It brings me more satisfaction as a chef to do business with a grower that I know and feel like a contributor to his economy… The kind of Pleasure, which I speak, does not derive from ease. Instead it stems from satisfaction in a job well done. It’s drawn from a well of deep amusement in how the world works and fits together. It flows from a river of appreciation for beauty in any form. Sadly, it’s a sensation from which our culture is growing increasingly distant. This is why I buy local and take the effort required to do so, even though it’s much easier to pick up the phone, call a food vendor and it shows up on your doorstep the next morning. ”

His blog is wonderful and this particular article is an eye opener. It gives a personal perspective of our local economy and community, and we could all use a little reminder on the importance of eating local for our community’s economy and health!