Restaurant: Cherbourg Bakery, Columbus, Ohio
This review…is long overdo.
Here is my confession –
I actually went into Cherbourg Bakery back on December 31, 2011. I did. Because my friend Jenn had told me about them and while we were out and about that day, we decided to swing by and get some New Years treats. The problem was…we waited a little too long. The bakery was pretty much sold out of everything save for the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, a Carrot Cake Muffin, and a Chocolate Cupcake. We actually had our hearts set on the Double Lemon Bars…but they were long gone and the bakery was almost out of treats due to the holiday. Understandable. So, we took one of the items that were left and headed home.
That night, we split everything three ways and had our first taste of what Cherbourg Bakery could do. The cookie was my favorite thing, which is weird for me since I’m not a fan of oatmeal cookies. But…yeah…these rocked. It was delicate and caramel-y. And the chocolate chips just made it soar. The carrot cake muffin was…pretty good. It was spiced just right for a carrot cake, but it didn’t compare to the cookie. And the chocolate cupcake was…good enough. I thought it felt heavy compared to the lightness of the previous two treats, but it was rich, chocolate goodness in one bite. And, yes…I devoured all three.
I had thought to write up my review based on that…but then found that I just couldn’t do it. It wasn’t fair. I wasn’t able to really test them by ordering what I wanted. I had to order what they still had.
But, I had another chance because I often find myself in Columbus, Ohio. So, on the day before I ran in the Air Force Marathon 10K, I was driving past Cherbourg Bakery with my roommate on our way to get coffee at Caribou Coffee and she asked if I wanted to stop in and grab something for me to eat for breakfast, since Caribou has nothing I can really nosh on. I thought this idea was the best idea I heard…so we turned around, parked, and went in.
This time, Cherbourg had everything I could ever dream of and more. Giant blueberry muffins, delicate cookies, the double lemon bars!! They had donuts and brownies and were just brimming with baked goods. I stepped into a gluten-free heaven of baked wonders. And so…when it was my turn to order, I ended up getting a Chocolate Donut (with chocolate icing and sprinkles…because…why not?), a Madeleine Cookie, and one of the Double Lemon Bars. We paid for the treats and left to continue on to the coffee shop.
And I couldn’t wait. I asked my roommate if she wanted to split the Double Lemon Bar right then. Of course she agreed. So, there in the car, I somehow managed to half the creamy, lemony bar in half. I handed her a napkin and her half of the bar and before I could even pick mine up, she had taken a bite and was already in love with it. When I took my bite of the lemon bar, I now understood why these were so popular. The Double Lemon Bar is a refreshing treat with every bite. It is a shortbread cookie base with a very lemony center. Dusted with powdered sugar, you get the right balance of sweetness and tart, while the shortbread cookie lends a buttery, much-needed savoriness to temper the hit of lemon. It was one of the best things I have ever eaten…no joke. In fact, I loved them so much, that when I was at the hotel in Dayton the night before the race, I called the bakery and ordered three more, so Jenn, Cathy and I could each indulge in one for dessert that evening.
Upon arriving at Caribou Coffee, Cathy ordered her breakfast sandwich and got our caffeine for the morning. We took up residence at one of the tables to enjoy the rest of our breakfast. Once she received her breakfast sandwich, I popped open the bakery box and now had to decide if I wanted to eat the donut first or the Madeleine.
I decided to sample both…but I started with the Chocolate Donut. I broke off a piece of the round, baked wonder and loved how light it felt. Yes…even with the icing and sprinkles. It wasn’t dense or too heavy, especially for a cake-like donut. I was already impressed. Then, I popped it into my mouth…and truly fell under the spell of Cherbourg once again. The donut was moist and rich, the chocolate flavor the start. The chocolate icing melted away, really adding to the stunning richness of this donut. I had to gobble it up. I just couldn’t stop myself. I did pause long enough to share a piece with my roommate, who also expressed a deep love of the chocolate flavor, the light texture, and the all-around awesomeness of the bite. Yeah…it was one perfect chocolate iced chocolatey bite.
And last, but certainly not least was the little Madeleine cookie. Madeleines are classic French teacake cookies. And these had the perfect shell shape to them and everything. I was intrigued by it. And when I broke off my first bite and tasted it…I was forever hooked on these French classics. Cherbourg delivers a buttery, light flavor with every soft bite of these little teacakes. I was enamored by it. I, once again, shared a piece with my roommate and she was also blown away. Considering she doesn’t have to eat gluten-free, hearing her praise the items that I am able to eat made me so happy. I was in absolute love with the products I chose that morning to sample.
So, while this review might be a little late, it was definitely worth the wait. I wanted to be fair to Cherbourg Bakery when I wrote it. I wanted to critique it on items I truly would order, not just on what was left in stock. I’m glad I waited because it yielded a much better review overall. Now, every time I happen to be in Columbus (like this coming weekend…) I am going to make Cherbourg Bakery a stop. They have muffins, bars, breads, brownies and cakes that have still yet to be sampled. And I hear their seasonal Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars are one of the most exciting gluten-free goodies ever. And the Monster Blueberry Muffins seem to be calling my name as well.
Cherbourg Bakery, I hope that you live long and prosper in Columbus, Ohio. I know that I’ll frequent you whenever I find myself there. Which is quite often with one of my best friends living there. Keep on rocking those baked goods. What you do is wonderful for the gluten-free community. I have been singing your praises and bragging about you ever since.
I have a feeling…the best is yet to come.
The Celiathlete 