Marie B.
Yelp
Note: Yelp reviews prior to summer 2020 are attributed to prior bakeshop, Le Rêve. After summer 2020, Olympia Coffee took over turnkey operation and became Moonrise Bakery on Queen Anne. Similar situation how Herkimer Coffee took over Cafe Besalu in Ballard, or Petit Pierre took over Celine Patisserie in Phinney Ridge.
Somehow, I have been under a rock and totally late to the party for over two years for Moonrise Bakery. I finally placed an online order via Square and wandered over there on Sunday morning (10/23/22). It's nice being on Queen Anne early in the morning. Calm, tranquil, autumn day with folks out jogging, walking the dogs, or folks like me in search of pastries, lol.
Plentiful angle in parking this early in the day. I was surprised to see folks bundled up and dining outdoors. However, unlike how I remembered Le Rêve back on 2/13/19, there is currently no indoor seating. I was told that the front counter and other re-configurations would be considered if future indoor seating was to be made available. I did see my boxed order already on the designated spot upon entering, but took quick indoor snaps of the retail bakeshop first.
The pastry case was nicely arranged with plentiful variety of baked goods. Around the corner were also examples of breakfast sandwiches and a large quiche on a cake stand. There were other items on display like Olympia Coffee beans, wine, mugs, Tshirts, and other retail merchandise that are not listed via the online ordering site.
I also enjoyed my brief convo with the counter person. She was cordial enough to answer my questions. The other three staff members in the kitchen area looked a bit sleepy, but having worked in a former life as a baker and assistant pastry chef, I totally understand.
I have seen the Queen Anne neighborhood evolve since the early 1980s and it's great to see again an actual established bakeshop on the main avenue.
I had prepaid for four pastries online. They were conveniently boxed up and ready for pickup when I arrived:
*Bacon, Cheddar, and Caramelized Onion Croissant ($5.25)
*Ham, Gruyere with touch of mustard Croissant ($5.50)
*Spinach and Feta Croissant ($5.25)
*Pain au Chocolat ($5)
And for the latter yes, Chocolat and not Chocolate. Some other regions, known also as chocolatine (SW France, Canada) or couque au chocolat (Belgium). Just an fyi.
Pricey pastries, but to be expected with cost of labor, overhead, and raw materials. I wished these pastries were baked and burnished a bit longer, but again that's my personal preference. Definitely, once I got home, these needed a warm up prior to consuming for optimal flavor. Compared to my favorite viennoiserie elsewhere, these did not have signature lamination. Surprisingly, the pastry with the most heft and spot on flavor was the spinach and feta...tasty bang for your buck!
Three stars overall, but added one more for the friendly and interactive conversation with the counter person that morning.