Heidelberg Bakery

Way off the beaten path, in the sleepy town of Herkimer, NY I encountered the most phenomenal little bakery. The Heidelberg Bakery, owned by bread advocate Boyd Bissell, is always sure to please. Though the bakery once housed a restaurant with a fantastic farm-fresh brunch, the building was recently transformed into a storefront. While I miss the old German ambiance of the restaurant (mainly the mounted boar's head), the storefront still provides fresh breads, cookies, pies, and a barrage of delightful pastries. Go early though because the pastries do fly off the shelf.

While I loved the old restaurant for its proximity to my upstate property, there is some silver lining to its closing: Boyd Bissell opened a new restaurant called the Balkan-Hadley in Utica, New York. Though I haven't had a chance to visit, the cheerful cashier at the bakery informed me that the new restaurant is to take the place of the old bakery restaurant (and yes, there is a mounted boar's head). So while I weep (with a cherry strudel) for my fresh eggs and toast, I now have a new destination to explore.