The Breadery

For my first assignment as a restaurant reviewer, I decided to start with a local bakery. Not only does my blog focus on desserts and pastries, but I am also a huge fan of bakeries. There is something about walking into a bakery, taking a deep breath, and immediately feeling content at the sweet smell of breads and pastries.  It is definitely a highlight of my bakery experiences. So, I headed over to Route 40, to the Starbucks shopping center, and walked into .

As with every bakery I visit, I anticipated walking in and seeing large displays filled with sweet treats for me to ogle at while deciding which of the many items I’d bring home with me. It didn’t go quite as planned.

The first thing that struck me, almost immediately, was the lack of that “I just walked into a bakery” smell. I didn’t even smell the coffee. I was, however, greeted by a very nice lady, who began answering my questions about their business. I learned quite a few things. For example, The Breadery mills its own flour. I thought that was pretty impressive. They bake their breads every morning, and they are usually sold out by end of business. Most of their business, it seems, comes from selling their breads at other locations. You can find their products at local MOM's, farmers markets and Whole Foods stores.  

There is a wide selection of products at The Breadery: cookies (the size of a dessert plate!), muffins, rolls and loaves, and quick breads. I chose some of each: an oatmeal-chocolate chunk cookie, an oatmeal-raisin cookie, a blueberry muffin, an orange-raspberry muffin, some challah rolls, and an apple-cinnamon bread. All in all, everything tasted good, but nothing I sampled made me run back for more.  

The highlight was definitely the orange-raspberry muffin with its chunks of fresh fruit, and it was fat free! (Apparently all of their fruit muffins are fat free, which was definitely a bonus).

The prices were very reasonable. All of the above cost around $12-$13, which is pretty good considering how large all their products are. Not only are their cookies huge, but their rolls and muffins are larger than normal, as well. You definitely get your money’s worth at this bakery!  

The best thing about The Breadery is most definitely its desire to give customers the freshest ingredients and baked goods. The fact that they mill their own flour is pretty amazing. Although I won’t be rushing back anytime soon, I’m glad I was able to sample their breads.

You can find The Breadery at: 9251 Baltimore National Pike in Ellicott City. Beginning at the end of June, they'll be at their new location: 418 Oella Ave. in Catonsville. 

You can also visit their website, breaderyonline.com, or follow them on Facebook.