Yoonie L.
Yelp
What can I add to this page of stellar reviews without sounding like a broken record? Well, I'm gonna give my 2 cents anyway! Back In The Day Bakery (BITDB) has been on my list for quite some time, but they are only open from Thursday to Sunday, so it hasn't worked out...until a few weeks ago. My husband got off work early and we took the kids to the SCADMOA and remembered...wait, what day is it?! Is it open?! ? Yes! Yes! YES! So off to BITDB we went for lunch. Walked in around 12:30 pm, no line, but unfortunately they were out of the Buttermilk Biscuit, one of the things I heard they were famous for. But am I surprised? Of course not. My bad for coming this late in the day, but there were still some solid choices.
- Parking -
Street parking. Around this part of town, it's free. Most of the parking is not metered, but watch out for restricted days and times as indicated on street signs.
- Vibe -
It has this simple, clean exterior and then you open the door and walk into this super cool, old school, industrial vibe. The shop layout is in a L-shape. The order counter is on one end, so you order, pay and grab a seat. They'll call you up when it's ready and you bus your own table. They seemed to have just cleaned up the original interior, keeping original window panes and preserved wood from...wait for it....back in the day (ok, I had to throw that in there somewhere LOL). They painted some of the brick walls white and they have all sorts of vintage items and furniture, paired with new pieces. You know when mismatched furniture is put together that it all somehow matches? Yeah, that's the look. I was also delighted to see several art pieces by Cedric Smith, a local artist.
- TLC -
The lady who served us was very courteous and even introduced herself and to let her know how she could help as we were trying to decide what to order. You don't really get the introduction at most order counter places. Am I wrong? She was super sweet and genuine.
- Eats / Refreshments -
Dirty Chai - This was great! My husband ordered this one and let me have a sip.
Cardamom Sweet Milk Cold Brew - I loved the addition of the Cardamom for their version of an Iced Coffee.
Custom Made Biscuit with egg bake, ham, Gruyere cheese on Everything Buttermilk Biscuit - Since they were sold out of the Buttermilk Biscuit and since I desperately wanted to taste this biscuit after making it here on the right day, the closest thing was the Everything Buttermilk Biscuit. The only difference is the Everything seasoning on top, so it was the next best thing.
Ok, are you ready? It's the best damn biscuit I have EVER eaten. EVER. Yup, I said it and if you know me well, I actually hate (ok, don't tell my kids I said that, it's a bad word in our house)... strongly dislike when people make these types of claims. Personally, I rarely make claims like that, but when something is as memorable as BITDB's biscuit, I am forced to throw in the towel and dish it out. Sure, I may meet another biscuit in the future that may take away that title, but I won't forget this one quite so easily. The biscuit was so thick, so buttery with so many layers. It was almost flakey and really, it's okay to be flakey when you're a biscuit. I couldn't fit the whole sandwich in my mouth. The Everything Seasoning was sprinkled on the right amount and the pairing of ham and Gruyere cheese was the classic combo. Oh, and the egg bake needs an honorable mention. It is no ordinary egg. It's not an omelette, fried egg or scrambled as you might think. Please note in terms of texture, not the flavors, but it almost reminds me of the consistency of a Gyeranjjim (Korean steamed egg dish) or maybe even more closer to a Chawanmushi (Japanese steamed egg dish), cut into a generous square perfect for the biscuit. From the description, their egg is baked, but it was soft, silky and smooth texture to it! Amazing, I tell you!
Curry Chicken Sandwich - made with house made ciabatta bread. The crust of the bread was a bit too hard for my husband as he has braces right now, but I loved it! It was a curry mayo with golden raisins and greens! So delicious!
- Kiddos -
No Kids menu, but the kids shared a Grilled cheese that was made with Gruyere and Cheddar Cheese. Plenty of gooey goodness and half a sandwich was a perfect portion for both kids. They also offer sweets, did I mention that? I have to go back for those too!
So the moral of this story is go early and 12 pm may be too late. There is a reason why this wife and husband duo have written books and won awards, and a well deserved one at that. The fact that we get to indulge in their weekly offerings right in our city is a gift. Treat yourself and plan a visit... anywhere between Thursday and Sunday.