NJ SPICE

I’d been meaning to try Wildflour Bakery-Café in Lawrenceville ever since they opened last year, but only last week did I finally get there. My friend and I used to go for pizza when we got together, but she’s gone gluten-free, so we needed a change of scene. She tried a gluten-free pizza at a local pizza spot the last time we got together, and the crust was just okay – not bad, but just not the same.

Wildflour was opened by the personable Marilyn Besner, who used to be one of the Midnight Bakers team that was known for their strudel and strudel parties. She’s not gluten-intolerant herself, but she saw a need, and followed through with specialized training and plenty of time invested in developing her recipes.

I’d say her efforts are paying off; her bakery and café on Lawrenceville’s main drag appears to be a hit. The café tables filled up at lunch the Friday we were there, while the bakery was doing a brisk business on its own.

We each ordered the same entrée, the eggplant/tomato/feta crepe (we chose buckwheat, but could have had a rice/lentil blend instead), and they were delicious. I loved the garlicky kick in the yogurt sauce on the side.  For dessert, I ordered the crepe (a lighter batter) with ricotta filling and lemon curd on the side. Lovely! My friend tried an adorable lemon meringue tart from the bakery case and had that with a bowl of Bent Spoon Salted Caramel ice cream.

We entered from the small parking lot in back, so passed through the bakery to the seating area up front on Main Street. The bakery was buzzing, display cases full of gorgeous pastries of all kinds, and, in back of the counter, a large rack of breads that were just beautiful. I knew I wanted to try one of her deep brown boules of pumpernickel (made with a whiff of cocoa and coffee), and my friend bought a very attractive baguette. Fortunately we didn’t wait until after lunch to purchase those, because while we were eating, those racks were nearly cleaned out.  They also had round loaves of challah, and said some babka would be ready soon, too. I’ve been enjoying my pumpernickel bread as toast in the morning, and the caraway seasoning almost makes me think I’m eating a loaf made with the traditional rye flour (not gluten-free). The crumb is fine textured, making for especially good toast. My friend reported her baguette was flavorful and chewy enough to mimic the real thing.

Our lunch at Wildflour was a resounding success, so much so that I look forward to returning to try her pizzettes. I’ll bet she’s found a way to produce a good crust!