L O V E J O Y B A K E R S

Tarts, custards, cakes and a prized recipe

tracy — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:24:34 +0000

Behold the beauty of our Granny Smith Apple Tart. It tastes as good as it looks. See the shiny sweet polish on top? It’s apricot glaze. The crust is made from buttery shortbread and inside is a delicate almond cream. Enjoy a slice or pre-order for a whole tart.

We serve our Caramel Pot de Creme in the evening for dessert. A pot de creme (”pot of cream”) is whipped sweet cream and egg custard with a touch of vanilla. Our chef infuses caramel and this makes the taste and the texture even richer. The edible blue flowers are “bachelor buttons.”

Switching to breakfast treats, keep on the lookout for Lovejoy’s limited-time Blueberry Danish. Oregon is having a terrific blueberry season this year, but as fall approaches and berry season wanes, there’s probably only a few weeks left to get one! The moist center is filled with pastry cream.

This is our habit-forming Peach Pecan Coffee Cake. It melts in your mouth (or in your coffee) and besides being delicious it is very easy to make. Here’s the recipe for you to try at home.

Peach Pecan Coffee Cake

Cake
1/2 cup (4 oz.) butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sliced peaches

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, sugar and salt. Beat in eggs one at a time. Sift dry ingredients and add alternately with milk and vanilla. Gently mix all together then spread evenly into sprayed 9″ springform pan. Arrange peach slices evenly over batter. Top with pecan streusel mixture (see below). Bake for 45 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Cool thoroughly.

Pecan Streusel
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup toasted pecans
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup (4 oz.) cold butter

Process all ingredients together in cuisinart to fine crumbs. Use immediately or refrigerate for later use.

Have you seen this man?

tracy — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 23:22:33 +0000

He’s the guy wiping down tables, offering free cookies to kids, and carrying plates of sandwiches and salads to hungry guests. Our hero, Marc Frankel, is the owner of Lovejoy Bakers and looks forward to making everyone feel right at home the minute they walk through the door.

This is the other sight you’ll see - two magnificent 6″ x 6″ racks filled with all shapes, sizes and tantalizing varieties of freshly baked breads. From baguettes to batards, ryes, whole grains, brioche and ciabatta, challah on Friday and cinnamon raisin loaf to come, living by bread alone is, well… doable.

Here’s a photo of cookies and pastries on the cooling rack, fresh out of the oven. What we don’t sell today, is your luck for tomorrow. Check out our ‘day old” bags of sweets and breads near the front counter. 1/2 off!

Now picture yourself here. Lounging on one of our comfy adirondack chairs. Loving your latte. Enjoying the sights and sounds of the Pearl. On behalf of everyone at Lovejoy, and especially Marc, we look forward to seeing and serving you soon.

Lovejoy Bakers now serves dinner

tracy — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:54:31 +0000

We’re proud to add dinner service to our repertoire of fine baked goods and cafe items. From 5 – 8 pm every Thursday to Sunday, we welcome you to enjoy your evening meal with us. Pictured above is our Lovejoy Deluxe Burger, house ground tri tip, bacon and Fontina on a Lovejoy Bakers’ bun. Our delicious rosemary garlic ‘pommes frites’ also come with.

If the warmer weather calls for lighter eating, we have a lovely selection of Tartines on the dinner menu. Tartines are French-inspired open faced sandwiches. This vegetarian option features our homemade Kalamata hummus and watercress salad on multigrain. Perfect for smaller appetites.

Chef Steven highly recommends the warm Brussels Sprouts salad. He uses his own preserved lemon zest and adds fried capers and julienne prosciutto. This works well as either a main dish or appetizer to share.

But if you’re just in the mood to sit on the boardwalk, watch the people go by and listen to live music — yes we have that too — Lovejoy Bakers is the place to be. We suggest a glass of sparkling Gruet Brut and a bowl of roasted shallot popcorn. For our full evening menu and wine list, please click on the link at the top of the page.

Here’s a taste of what’s coming

tracy — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:34:29 +0000

Starting July 1st, Lovejoy Bakers will welcome you not just for breakfast and lunch — but for dinner too. Enjoy a summer evening on the boardwalk, sipping wine and nibbling from our delectable assortment of small (and not-so-small) plates.

We call this our snack sampler, with Nicoise, Cerignola and Castelvetrano olives, along with house pickles (you must try the pickled grapes!) and smoky marcona almonds.

Here is our ham tartine, one of four French-inspired tartines we feature on our evening menu. The Vanderose Farms uncured ham is all natural, the best we’ve ever tasted. We add creamy Fontina and a swath of Dijon mustard and serve with a simple tossed salad.

If you’re a little hungrier, we suggest the Prince Edward Island mussels. Steamed in a luscious broth of Pernod and fennel fronds, we add spicy Italian sausage and fresh parsley. The Lovejoy baguette is both accompaniment and utensil — perfect for sopping up the mussel nectar.

If you’re a little hungrier still, Ben’s pulled pork with crispy onions should do the trick.�
The Amarillo sauce gives this sandwich a sweet and spicy kick, while the cabbage apple slaw cools it down and adds a good crunch. We’ll be posting our complete dinner menu soon. Stay tuned!

Bistro sandwiches, just pack and go

admin — Sun, 23 May 2010 22:57:52 +0000

Sooner or later Spring (make that Summer?) will come, and when it does Lovejoy Bakers will help you enjoy the great outdoors. Pictured above is our Roast Beef and Organic Sharp Cheddar bistro sandwich. We have four or five to choose from. They’re simpler than our cafe sandwiches, delicious in their own straightforward way, and cost just $5.00.

Now close your eyes and imagine what will be… tank tops and sandals, lounging on the boardwalk, great coffee, Lovejoy goodies that make everything seem right with the world.

Can’t stay? Have a picnic at your desk, at the park, or be a hero and bring lunch to someone who’s never tried one of our sandwiches before.

And here’s a shameless plug for one of our newest soups: Cream of Tomato. We puree ripe tomatoes with roasted red peppers and top with creme fraiche. It’s perfectly filling with a wedge of fresh bread – truly amazing when you pair it with the Lovejoy Grilled Cheese on Brioche.

The way to mom’s heart…

admin — Fri, 07 May 2010 23:57:57 +0000

…is through her stomach, just like the rest of us. Lovejoy Bakers answers the call this Mother’s Day with a special Eggs Benedict created by chef Steven Woerdehoff. He starts with a freshly baked ciabatta roll and tops it with perfectly poached eggs, Smoked Salmon, Hollandaise and hot bacon crumbles. Dreamy.

Of course we have all the usual nutty, flaky, fruity, chocolate-y treats that grace our pastry case. And we promise it will be full of orange oat scones, cinnamon twists, almond croissants, and rasperry Danish, not to mention Russian tea cookies, triple chocolate cookies, steel-cut oatmeal raisin cookies – and a few surprises too.

Have you tried our pucker-up Lemon Bars?

They are delicious with an expertly made latte. Well, everything is good with our amazing (Ristretto Roasters) coffee. It’s rich, bold, satisfying and has the good kind of caffeine that puts a happy smile on your face. So with that – and the promise of a sunny forecast this weekend - Happy Mother’s Day one and all!

Lovejoy Bakers in the news

admin — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:33:56 +0000

Aw shucks, getting noticed sure feels good. In one week, the Willamette Week and the Portland Tribune wrote glowing articles about our little bakery. We’ve provided links to the articles below.

The Willamette Week, Apr 22, 2010 writes [ AIRY TREATS ] A new addition to the Portland bakery scene, Lovejoy Bakers is a partnership between head baker Dan Griffin (formerly of Pearl Bakery) and the owners of Pizzicato Pizza. The space, just off Jamison Square, offers a cozy, welcoming atmosphere: Pastry labels are attached to forks… read more…

The Portland Tribune, Apr 22, 2010 writes Bright and airy and smelling faintly of cinnamon, Lovejoy Bakers is pretty much just what you want in a bakery – and in a neighborhood café. This welcoming spot opened about six months ago on the corner of Northwest 10th Avenue and Lovejoy Street… read more…

Lighter bites at Lovejoy Bakers

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 23:04:06 +0000

“I really feel like a salad today.” That’s the mantra of many of our customers as the sun begins to shine and the days lengthen. Using the bounty of our favorite farmer’s produce, we offer you a variety of delightful options simple in preparation with no shortage of flavor.

Above is our roasted red and yellow beet salad with Cypress Grove Chevre and curly frisee. The mellow sweetness of the beets marries perfectly with the earthy cheese, and the slightly peppery frisee offers a pleasing crunch.

Here is Lovejoy’s version of the Caesar salad in the final moments before serving. We combine romaine and radicchio so the greens themselves have flavor and toss with a creamy anchovy dressing that blends garlic, lemon juice and fruity olive oil in just the right measure. The croutons, made from day old baguette, are bathed in the dressing during the salad’s final toss and imported Parmigiano Reggiano is grated on top.

One of our most popular dishes (out of all our lunch items) is the Butter Lettuce salad, pictured here and in the first photo of this posting. What makes it so delicious is our Creamy Tarragon Vinagrette. This fabulous dressing is so versatile, it inspires almost any salad and is equally at home tossed with hearty or delicate greens. We are proud to share our recipe below:

Lovejoy Baker’s Creamy Tarragon Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
2 egg yolks (whites reserved for another use)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons (or more to your liking) chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the vinegar, mustard, garlic, egg yolk, salt, and pepper. Tighten lid and shake until blended. Uncap and add olive oil. Tighten lid once again and shake until emulsified. Taste and adjust for seasonings. (You can add more olive oil to thicken dressing if you choose.)

Note: This recipe calls for raw egg.

Oh, and one last thing before we sign off. The Russian Tea Cookie. Humble in presentation, this powdered dome is the crown of Dan’s confectionary. You must (must!) try one if you have not already. A fitting finale to a Lovejoy salad.

Now that’s a sandwich!

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:02:15 +0000

This big boy (not the one in the blue sweater) is our Roast Turkey on Multigrain. Easily one of our most popular sandwiches, we brine and roast a natural turkey breast, slice it just right and then add ripe avocado, bacon, mascarpone & housemade cranberry chutney.

Here’s our version of the French-influenced Vietnamese classic: Banh Mi. We start by preparing a melange of shredded cabbage, lettuce and carrots, and jazz it up with a rice wine vinaigrette and fresh cilantro. Next we grill a juicy tri tip steak, slice it paper thin and place it inside one of Dan’s crunchy baguettes. In goes the salad mixture and a sprinkle of chopped peanuts. One of the best “street foods” ever imagined.

This is what heaven looks like. Organic sharp cheddar and fontina on the inside. Two slices of brioche on the outside. A few minutes in the panini press and shazam, Lovejoy’s Grilled Cheese becomes a melted miracle.

The above sandwich is perfect on a day like this. It will make you feel warm inside and very, very satisfied too. (But a sunny day wouldn’t hurt either.)

Bet you can’t eat just one

admin — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:21:10 +0000

The greatest thing since sliced bread is… a ruse. Really good sliced bread is still the greatest thing! Dan and his busy bakers offer you a tantalizing variety of take-home loaves that differ in flavor, consistency and complexity.

Brioche… is lovely toasted and then topped with honey.
Multigrain… shines as sandwich bread.
Country loaf… so versatile; anything goes.
Sourdough… try topping with peanut butter and fig jam. Add sliced granny smith apples for a real treat.

It’s best to stop by the bakery early, when the best selection is available. But if you can’t make it, feel free to place a pick-up order for later in the day. Call 503-208-3113 and we will reserve your favorite(s), ready for you when you arrive.

We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention these beauties. Arguably the best in the city (that’s what people tell us anyway), we offer the classic French as well as a Sourdough baguette. Perhaps man actually can live by bread alone.

Scratch that. How would we satisfy our sweet tooth?