Category: Ave News

Each new person that works with us at Avenue Bread has their own unique personality, perspective, and for those in the kitchen and prep, new approach to food. Recently we have had the opportunity to see one of our employees grow and transition into the role of Food Manager and we’d like to take the time to formally introduce her to the community!

Meet Sara Warberg-Dolan.

From the time Sara arrived at Avenue Bread, her creativity was admired by many. Having grown up drawing and painting since a child, she further developed her skills throughout school, eventually landing herself at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, OR. With her BA in Art and a focus on Printmaking, Sara lived in Portland where she eventually met her now wife, Heidi, and they made their way north to Bellingham about 4 years ago.

Admittedly, Sara says she never gave cooking much thought in her younger years. One of her initial jobs in Bellingham working for a catering company is where her creativity with food first clicked. Eventually coming to Avenue Bread and working under our long-time beloved Prep Manager, Trudy, Sara was able to develop her food skills and eventually have the freedom to experiment with different flavor profiles.

After Trudy stepped back from her long reign in our kitchen hub, Sara stepped in with newly found confidence, enthusiasm, and excitement to showcase what she has learned and what she can offer. When asked what some of her favorite creations have been, Sara responded:

“I make some really killer beef stew. Most recently, however, I made a puree of sweet potato with brown butter and sage that is also pretty good.”

Pretty good is an understatement. It’s been one of the more popular puree soups we’ve had, but of course her creations don’t stop there! Sara has revamped the sausage gravy that many know from weekends at the James Street café. To go along with it, Sara comes in each morning to hand prepare and bake buttery, crumbly, fresh biscuits on Saturdays and Sundays. Additionally, she’s provided Vegetarian and Vegan Bahn Mi lovers across Bellingham with a Tofu version that we proudly offer on our menus. The marinade she created is salty, sweet, with a small bite that even meat lovers alike adore.

If you can’t tell from this post, we’re very proud of Sara and so appreciative of the time and dedication she has given Avenue Bread. She’s already made such a positive mark on this place and we cannot wait to see how much further she develops here.

“CREATIVITY IS INTELLIGENCE HAVING FUN”

Albert Einstein

Short Q&A time with Sara…

If you were a soup, what ingredients would you be made of?
“Milk and Reese’s Puffs”

What are some interests and hobbies outside of cooking?
“I like to make art, play video games and go fishing. I also love sitting outside in the sun whole our two cats, Harvey and Chicken Nugget, roll around in the dirt.”

Tell me if this sounds familiar…

You’re out with some buddies and a few drinks turn into a few more and when you wake up the next day, you feel a bit off. You head is hazy, maybe you have a headache, your stomach isn’t sure if it wants food or hates it, but you know you need something in it. You gather your compadres and decide that you should all go get breakfast at your favorite spot. You all order coffee, maybe that one friend orders a mimosa or bloody mary (we all know who that one friend is), but the overall consensus for food is, “we should order benedicts.” Did you know that there’s an entire family history behind that?

The main character of this story is known as Lemuel Benedict. Working at a stock broker in New York in the late 1800’s, the story goes, he was hungover but still very much in the mood for breakfast and sought it out at the Waldorf Hotel at Fifth Avenue and 33rd Street. Arriving at the hotel he reportedly ordered buttered toast, two poached eggs and a pitcher of hollandaise, building the classic breakfast that is mirrored to this day. Now, I will say that there are claims that a couple, Mrs. And Mr. LeGrand Benedict, may have founded the dish with the use of English Muffins as we do now, but they do accredit the creation to the story of a “young man” who was hungover at the Waldorf Hotel. Their story, however, reported this young man as Samuel, not Lemuel. There’s a whole lot of “family name being cleared up” and “we’re going to open a restaurant” that succeeds this story, but I’ll let you look up the details yourself. It’s an interesting read!

Anyway, it’s so fun that there’s this widely accepted notion that if you’re hungover, an eggs benedict is a good breakfast choice AND that the history behind it reflects that! So if you’re feeling a bit hungover, or just want a filling & rich breakfast meal, Avenue Bread on James Street and Avenue Bread in Lynden have you covered. Check out their creations by selecting “Menu” at the top of this site and selecting either café.

Stuff you should know about our benedicts!

Hollandaise sauce is always made in house and fresh daily. Our Hollandaise consists of unsalted butter, cage-free/organic egg yolks, fresh lemon, sea salt, chipotle tobacco and cayenne. When you order your benedicts, you’re asked how you’d like your eggs poached; soft, medium or hard. If you’re unsure about it, your staff can explain to you what the textual difference is to help you decide. The eggs we use are also cage-free and organic! Next, you’ll be asked what kind of Avenue Bread English Muffin you’d like to enjoy your benedict on. We offer Plain, Rosemary (the most popular), Eight-Grain or Gluten-Less. If you’re feeling extra buttery that morning, you may also ask to have it prepared on a croissant for an extra charge.

No matter which benedict you decide to enjoy, prepare to slip into a food-coma of happiness.

A nap is also highly recommended.

Traditionally speaking…

In Christianity, Hot Cross Buns mark the end of Lent and the different parts of the bun have a certain meaning. For instance, the cross represents the crucifixion of Jesus and the spices are meant to represent the spices that were used to embalm Jesus’ body at his burial. These buns go back far in traditional history and have some interesting stories tied along side.

Regardless, these buns are delicious and worth trying

Every year our bakery excels in producing zesty, sweet, soft Hot Cross Buns and each year the community floods our shops in joyous anticipation of these treats. Stop by each year around Easter time to get your hands on some and let us know what you think!

A Brief History

Soda bread, as we know it now, has generally been around since 1830, but did you know that the practice of chemical leavening has been around earlier? That’s right! Native Americans had been leavening their breads with ash before the process was “discovered” by others. The ashes Natives used contained alkaline salts which, when combined with grains, created small pockets of bubbles, giving the bread it’s distinct texture. When colonists picked up on what the Natives were doing, they were able to recreate it with some modifications of their own which is closer resembles what we see baked today.

The practice of soda bread took off in many colonies, but flourished in Ireland for numerous reasons. Firstly, the country was facing wide spread famine. Secondly, many people did not have ovens to bake. Not only that, the climate in Ireland did not support the growth of hard flour which is rich in gluten and essential for yeast-leavened bread. With the invention of baking powder in 1846, serving as a sub for previously used ashes, the practice of combining the mixture with some sort of acid, like sour milk, allowed for folks to mix with a soft wheat that could be grown in Ireland. The lack of ovens were also no longer an issue since soda bread could be made in an iron pot or in a griddle over an open hearth!

Chemical leavening was a no brainer and many countries adopted this practice, but because of it’s major impact during the great famine in Ireland, it’s assumed that’s why we distinctively call it “Irish” Soda Bread here in America. Soda Bread is made in many areas, both savory and sweet, and there are so many amazing recipes out there whos traditional flavors vary from region to region. Look some up! You’ll definitely find delicious creations.

Are you excited for Irish Soda Bread time, too?
Stop by your nearest Avenue Bread café and pick up a loaf for yourself!

Be sure to snap a pic of how you will be enjoying this delicious bread and tag us on Instragram

@avenuebread

Thanks for reading 🙂

Tofu has been long consumed within China for over 2,000 years and is a traditional staple in cuisines across other Asian countries. What tofu has to offer is a low calorie, high protein option that is also high in iron. Why are we talking about tofu right now? Well, because Avenue Bread has added this amazing sponge-like option to our Bellingham café menus!

Enlisting the creativity of our prep staff, our very own Sara Warberg-Dolan has put together a wonderful vegan-friendly ginger-soy marinade for our organic tofu. Each dish contains a powerful punch of flavor! Fresh and light, they are the perfect food transition into spring and we cannot wait to hear what you have to say. Come by any of our cafes and give one or all a try.

Be sure to snap a picture and tag us on Instagram!

Tofu Banh Mi
Two pieces of our lightly grilled ginger-soy tofu topped with zesty banh mi veggies and drizzled with sambal sauce all on a toasted French Roll.

Tofu Banh Mi Salad
Organic mixed greens topped with our banh mi veggie slaw, chopped tofu and fresh cilantro all drizzled with sambal sauce and served with a side of Avenue’s house-made Avocado Vinaigrette

Tofu-ggenue
A Breakfast sandwich, but with tofu instead of egg! Made with avocado, fresh cilantro, red peppers and caramelized onions all drizzled with sambal sauce on your choice of English muffin.

A DEEPER LOOK INTO THE INGREDIENTS

Sambal Sauce: A very mild spice level mixture of mayo and sambal oelek

Banh Mi Veggies: Shredded carrots, daikon radish, cucumber and ginger soaked in rice vinegar with lime, lime zest, salt, pepper and sugar for that perfect level of tartness

Ginger-soy marinade: Soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, garlic oil, organic maple syrup, red pepper flakes, minced garlic and fresh ginger

Avocado Vinaigrette: Avocado, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, mayo, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, white wine vinegar and an oil blend

We are quite honored to have our bread served with many great plates at this amazing awarded high-end coffee producer and restaurant on Holly St. Pictured is our Wheat and Seed bread under Roasted Squash Toast. It’s as good as it looks.

Here is more information from Bellingham.org: Camber, a microroasting coffee company located in Bellingham, WA, celebrated the grand opening of its new restaurant at 221 Holly Street in downtown Bellingham on Aug. 26, 2017.

Owned by David Yake, Andrew Bowman and Todd Elliott, Camber has been roasting coffee in Bellingham for select restaurants and cafes around the country since late 2015, including The Willows Inn on Lummi Island, Canlis Restaurant in Seattle, Cognoscenti Coffee and Go Get Em Tiger in Los Angeles, Mazarine Coffee in San Francisco and Barista in Portland.

Much more than a coffee bar, Camber is excited to be serving fresh and delicious food, beer, wine, tea and coffee in its new space seven days a week. The hours of operation are Monday – Friday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday – Sunday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Check out there menu here.

In the later half of 2019, we came to a realization that the world of sustainability can be complicated and often unclear. Avenue Bread wants to make sure that we are constantly pushing ourselves to be environmental and social leaders in our beautiful Bellingham community. That requires making educated and thoughtful decisions during every point of our process. To help us in this journey we enlisted the help of our friends at Sustainable Growth Consulting. 

Sustainable Growth Consulting is a local company that specializes in helping Whatcom County businesses navigate the complexities of environmental products and regulations. They bring expertise and a dedicated research team to assist businesses operate in a way that is environmentally and socially conscious.

With SGC’s assistance in 2019 we worked on reducing our plastic waste by switching away from single-use jams and butters at some locations, and reducing our use of plastic wrap significantly. Avenue Bread has increased our involvement in our community by providing cookies for and volunteering at Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association work parties, and we’ve taken a dive into our supply chain to check the ethical value of our various suppliers.

We are excited to see how we can continue to evolve as a sustainability-minded business, and as an active Bellingham community member. We believe partnering with SGC will help us do that.You can learn more about SGC, what they do, and what they believe in at sustainablegrowth-consulting.com. Follow us on our journey by visiting our Facebook and checking in on our blog for weekly posts.