Oxbow now providing bagels and baked goods — and a place to get out of the Montlake flow — on 24th Ave

 

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Traffic still roars through Montlake but the neighborhood is regaining spaces to pull over and enjoy a quieter moment — or better yet, walk in, and grab a few bagels.

Turns out, the name of the new Sea Wolf Bakery project CHS first reported on back in summer of 2020 is Oxbow — perhaps a reference to the rounding curve of busy 24th Ave through Montlake where crews tenaciously work on to create the new freeway lid over 520 and reshape this busy transportation and transit interchange. Montlake’s road diet won’t ever really happen — but there have been changes hoped to make the area safer for drivers, pedestrians, and bikers. Meanwhile, the city’s school zone speeding cameras continues to dole out tickets at record pace.

Hopefully your own diet has room for baked goodness including bagels, special breads, and, eventually, pizza. Continue reading

Sea Wolf’s new bakery will extend ‘golden age of Capitol Hill bagels’ to Montlake

(Image: Sea Wolf Bakers)

CHS reported this week on the richness of bagel offerings currently available on Capitol Hill with the opening of a Rubinstein Bagels on 15th Ave E joining Loxsmith, Westman’s, Eltana, and Dingfelder’s to keep the area well-stocked with fresh, crispy, chewy circles.

Those chewy circles, it turns out, will also be the focal point at a new, coming soon bakery project in Montlake. Continue reading

Batch Baking Company bringing dessert date nights and nostalgia-filled Squareos to 12th Ave

Squareos, palmiers and chocolate chip cookies (Image: Batch Baking Company)

With memories of dates at Cafe Septieme and inspiration from recent delicious examples like Hello Robin and R&M Dessert Bar wafting from their planned open kitchen, bakers and business partners Jared Watson and Scot Partlow are hard at work bringing together a new sweets-forward, nostalgia-inspired bakery on 12th Ave across from Seattle U.

Watson calls Batch Baking Company a “dessert focused, small batch” bakery paying “special attention to cookies” with “a bit of a nostalgic bent to it.”

“Homemade Oreo-style Squareos, Nutter Butters, Pop Tarts — puff pastry with real fruit. We’ll add savory pastries.”

But, Watson says, “cookies are having a bit of a moment.” Continue reading

Crumble and Flake’s gluten-free sister Niche set to close on 12th Ave

(Image: Niche)

The challenges of running two bakeries, a commitment to family, and a changing business environment with increased options for gluten intolerant customers are behind Toby Matasar’s decision to close down 12th Ave’s Niche Gluten Free Cafe and Bakery.

After four years of business, the “100% dedicated” gluten free bakery will sell its final batches on Halloween. What will she miss the most? Making kids who can’t eat gluten happy.

“I will truly miss seeing their smiling faces as they realize they can eat ANYTHING in the whole store!,” Matasar said.

“I think the closing is due to a multitude of things,” Matasar tells CHS. “Definitely having two businesses is wearing me down. And my kid won’t stop growing which has always been my first priority – as he enters his teenage years I feel the need to make myself more available for family.”

She also said there is more for her clientele to enjoy and eat today. Continue reading

At Capitol Hill’s Starbucks Roastery, exit Tom Douglas, enter company’s Italian bakery investment Princi

Love it or hate it, the Starbucks Roastery at the base of Capitol Hill has been a “runaway success,” driving the growth of the giant’s efforts in the “premiumization” of its coffee “experience.” But the Melrose and Pike project will move on from a major local partner this spring, CHS has learned.

The Seattle-headquartered company is planning to replace Tom Douglas’s midscale pizza Serious Pie restaurant with another component of Starbuck’s premium set of brands: Continue reading

Bakery Nouveau Capitol Hill opens where challenge became opportunity at 15th & John

Chef Leaman inside the new Bakery Nouveau Capitol Hill (Image: CHS)

Chef Leaman inside the new Bakery Nouveau Capitol Hill (Image: CHS)

Highly anticipated since CHS first broke the news last November about its plans, Bakery Nouveau Capitol Hill is ready to serve its first batches of flaky, buttery croissant at 15th and John.

“We’re preparing like it’s a regular day in West Seattle,” William Leaman said Sunday as he and his crew put the finishing touches on the space and got to work baking and making in anticipation of the Monday morning opening. You can be there at 8 AM to try to be first. But there’s no rush. Bakery Nouveau’s pastries, chocolates, sandwiches and treats untold are here to stay. Continue reading