Verveine Cafe & Bakery
Bakery · Cambridgeport ·
Award-winning chefs Monica Glass & Ken Oringer's entirely gluten-free bakery
Award-winning chefs Monica Glass & Ken Oringer's entirely gluten-free bakery
"A completely gluten-free cafe and bakery opened in 2024 by chefs Monica Glass (Boston’s gluten-free pastry magician) and Ken Oringer, Verveine has become a haven for celiacs and a crowd favorite among all diets thanks to creative flavor profiles and regular specials. Expect baguettes, cinnamon buns, and hand pies, and order Moni’s spicy chile biscuit ($15)—a soft, flaky biscuit layered with scrambled eggs, crisp arugula, avocado, and a hefty swipe of housemade spicy chile jam—plus the ube brownies ($7.25), whose rich purple hue matches their deep, not-too-sweet flavor, and the decadent cream puff ($7.25), piled high with cherry cream between two black sesame pastry puffs. The space exudes warmth and coziness with a sage-green palette and an open kitchen up front where you can watch dough being shaped and biscuits getting cut; seating includes a large shared table and a bistro table fashioned from an old church pew, and weekdays are best for dining in since weekends get competitive. Insider tip: the team sells small-batch bags of its signature gluten-free pastry flour, along with banana bread flour and frozen pizza crusts for halfway-there baking at home." - Celina Colby
"Every single item in this bakery is gluten-free. The menu, spearheaded by award-winning pastry chef Monica Glass, prioritizes breakfast and lunch with takeaway bread loaves and grab-and-go pastries as well. Try the spicy chili biscuit with chili jam, fluffy egg scramble, arugula, and avocado, and grab a crispy baguette or a sesame cream puff for later." - Celina Colby
"The cinnamon buns at Verveine, the eagerly awaited cafe and bakery that nabbed Eater Boston’s Best New Bakery award in 2024? Just about heavenly. Head to this beauty, masterminded by chef Monica Glass, for globally minded breads and pastries, plus heartier foods to savor all day. Among the standouts, find jiggly slices of custardy Basque cheesecake, fudgy brownies that are vivid purple thanks to ube (or purple yams common in Japanese cuisine), and a breakfast sandwich on a fluffy Japanese milk bun. Even sweeter: the whole menu is gluten-free." - Nathan Tavares
"Verveine Cafe & Bakery is a playground for pastry lovers. Try the rich, chewy ube brownies, the ooey-gooey cinnamon buns, or the creamy Basque cheesecake — heck, it’s impossible to go wrong here. There’s a savory breakfast and lunch menu, too; don’t miss the comforting maitake congee with Thai chicken sausage. The bakery, which was named Eater Boston’s Best New Bakery in 2024, is also entirely gluten-free." - Erika Adams
"A gluten-free bakery expanding the options for those with dietary restrictions." - Erika Adams