European-style bakery to open in Olde Towne Portsmouth

Residents have been waiting for years for a bakery to come to the Olde Towne neighborhood.  Well, the wait is almost over.  Artisans Bakery & Café is scheduled to open in mid-July 2011. 

Make no mistake, this is not the kind of bakery that most people are familiar with.  You can't get cupcakes or a birthday cake here.  You can't even order a graduation cake.  This is the kind of bakery most people yearn for.  Artisans Bakery & Café is a European-style bakery.  They will specialize in hearth baked European bread, specialty European desserts and artisanaly-crafted sandwiches and light fare.

Owners Georg & Karen Seyrlehner were looking to bring a taste of Europe to Hampton Roads.  Their journey started last October.  To the delight of many, the two Chesapeake natives chose historic Olde Towne Portsmouth.  "We just kept coming back to Old Towne and this building", stated Seyrlehner.  The bakery and café will be in a Queen Anne Victorian home at 711 Washington Street, just off the downtown High Street corridor.

The couple wanted a location where they could provide high quality foods in a relaxing setting.  Their dream was to open a bakery that would provide artisanal breads and pastries that they have experienced in their travels throughout Europe during their 14-year marriage.

It's one thing to renovate an older home. It's another to retrofit an older building to meet the proper codes and requirements for a commercial establishment today.  From the kitchen (shown right) to the seating area in the café, everything has been well planned.  The last piece of kitchen equipment should arrive within the next day or two. 

Seyrlehner had great things to say about working with the City of Portsmouth.  'They have all be so supportive and helpful in working with us" he said.

The Seyrlehners both have a corporate background.  Georg Seyrlehner left the corporate world and went to the San Francisco Baking Institute in March 2010.  He hasn't looked back since.

Artisans Bakery & Café will offer fresh baked selections daily.   All of their breads are handcrafted and baked on the premises.  In order to maintain their high quality standards, only certain breads will be available daily.  Their production schedule will be posted on their website and made available to customers.  However, you can expect to see Baguettes, Scones, Croissants and Danish on a daily basis.  You'll even find Challah available on Fridays.  Other breads you can expect to see include: Batards, Ciabatta, Pretzels, Semmel, Traditional Ryes, Wholewheat, French Country, Sesame Boule and Sourdough.

Pastry selecetions will include: Bourdelou, Gallette, Napoleon, Brioche, Jalousie, Scones, Turnovers and Cinnamon Rolls.

Artisans Bakery & Cafe will also offer a selection of tortes and cakes that will change with the season.  Their goal is to bring the freshest possible dessert at the peak of flavor.  Some of their more popular selections will include:  Mousse Cakes, Opera Cake and Carrot Cake.

Fresh Fruit Charlotte filled with Bavarois, Lemon & Raspberry inclusions and ringed with Ladyfinger Sponge is shown above.

Shown right is Lemon Mousse with Blackberry Inclusion & Glaze

The 45-seat café will offer breakfast and lunch.  The menu will include soups, salads, sandwiches and beverages.  The Seyrlehners have selected Massimo Zanetti as their coffee partner and will feature Segafredo Zanetti Italia coffee.  The international coffee company is headquartered in Portsmouth.

In addition to their à la carte menu in the café, they will offer a catering menu to include bread and dessert trays for meetings and events.  They will also offer their sandwiches as well for catering.  Perfect for business lunches.

 

For those residents that have been to the Olde Towne Farmer's Market, they've had a little preview of some fresh basked selections by Artisans Bakery & Café.  Recently, their display of baked goods included:  Scones (Blueberry Lemon, Candied Ginger Pecan Lemon and Raspberry Chocolate Chip); Croissants (Plain, Almond, Chocolate and Nutella); Breads (Marble Rye, Francese) and even Semmels (Rustic Kaiser Rolls).  They even had Peanut Butter Bouchons available.

Look for Artisans Bakery & Café at the next Olde Towne Farmer's Market on Saturday, June 25, 2011.  The event takes place every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the corner of High and Court streets.  If you get to the market early and see a line of people at a booth, you've probably found Artisans Bakery & Café.

 

About Artisans Bakery & Café

Artisans Bakery & Café, 711 Washington Street, Portsmouth, VA  2704. Tel:  757.396.6313.  Hours: Wednesday thru Friday 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday and Sundy 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.  . 

Visit Artisans Bakery & Café online at www.artisansbakerycafe.com.  You can also follow them on Facebook.  If you're on Foursquare, you can also check-in here.  Email: Info@artisansbakerycafe.com

 

David Cartier received this comment from a reader on June 24, 2011:

Peanut Butter Bouchons

(last weekend) My mother wanted me to send a note that she purchased a batch of peanut butter bouchons to carry for her church group since it was her day to bring snacks.  Although it was the day after she purchased the bouchons from the market, they were to die for and wished she bought more as the ladies gobbled them up and there were none left.  She says she will be back again this week!

 

Would you care to make a 'Comment' or want to 'Reply'?   Click the 'Comment' button below.   If you're not registered, just e-mail me, at David.Cartier@ANewDayInOldeTowne.com.   I would be pleased to post your reply as a 'Comment' without using your name and e-address (your privacy will be maintained).

Thanks, for reading and sharing... 'A New Day in Olde Towne'.

Have a great day!

David Cartier

757.478.0056 | David.Cartier@ANewDayInOldeTowne.com

COMMENTS ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here; comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its websites. Users must follow agreed-upon rules: Be civil, be clean, be on topic; don't attack private individuals, other users or classes of people. Read the full rules here.
- Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the report violation link below it.