Yesterday started with Elisabeth and I going to an Iraqi bakery she had read about a few weeks ago – Shahrazad Bakery. She was interested in their flatbread but I was interested in their baklava. I quite love the dessert but find that it’s hard to find really good quality baklava. So imagine how thrilled I was when the lovely woman in the shop let me try a piece for free and when I tried it I discovered it was delicious. Holy crap it was delicious AND they had four different kinds – pistachio, walnut, almond, and peanut. Guess who splurged a bit on baklava? Yep, it was me. I figured I could splurge once to try all the different kinds, determine my favorite, and get less in the next trip. Because there will be a next trip.
Let me also say, the flatbread was delicious as well. It will become our pita and naan for when we have falafel or make one of our Indian dishes. It was soft and huge and cheap. We got the bread fresh too, we literally saw the baker pull the bread out of the oven. All three of the staff were so amazingly friendly and kind and didn’t scoff at all the questions Elisabeth and I asked. They made me feel welcome and I’m excited to go back and try some of their other baked goods. Right before we left we snagged two sausage wraps that I had caught a glimpse of and I’m happy to say those were great too. The sausage was huge and salty and the bread and was soft and went perfectly with the meat. It was a lovely experience and I’m glad this place is less than a 10 minute drive from the house.
Then this morning I met up with an old coworker at Tokyo Premium Bakery to grab some breakfast and wander around Pearl Street. Turns out there is a farmer’s market there every Sunday from May to November so we strolled through the street looking at the booths and catching up since I hadn’t seen her in a month. It was so nice walking in the morning sun and chatting. The farmer’s market was pretty cool too, there was lots of produce and even a couple of plant booths, along with absolutely gorgeous flower booths. I would love to go back. It’s been a good weekend and I’m hoping to get in a walk around the neighborhood before the day is out.
Just Lauren 