In crust we trust

Village Baking Co. opens retail shop, selling crisp, crackling croissants freshfrom the oven

Loaves with decorative flour at Village Baking Co.
Photo by Marc Lee
Village Baking Co. in Dallas has a small retail shop open Thursday throughSaturday.
Courtesy of VBC
Village Baking Co.'s bread selection includes such loaves as nine grain,sourdough and seeded rye.
Photo courtesy of Village Baking Co.
Village Baking Co.'s goods include "laminated brioches" dusted with cinnamonsugar.
Photo by Marc Lee
Village Baking Co. signage is hard to see if you're coming from CentralExpressway.
Photo by Marc Lee
Village Baking Co. staffer packs up goods to go.
Photo by Marc Lee

Village Baking Co. finally opened a retail shop in Dallas, selling breads, croissants, scones and pastries in a small room off its production facility on University Boulevard, half a block east of Central Expressway.

The big surprise about Village Baking's "new" location: It's the old Whole Foods bakery.

"We took over the space last year, and we're now supplying Whole Foods with baked goods," said a staffer at the store on Saturday. That explains the slight improvement in the quality of the chocolate croissants at Whole Foods: They are secretly being made by Village Baking. Did not know this.

It's been a complicated journey for owners Kim and Clint Cooper, who opened their first storefront in 2004 at Colleyville's Town Center, where they sold breads, croissants and espresso drinks. Colleyville turned out to be unfit for such a foodie venture, and the couple shut down the shop to focus on wholesale baking and selling their breads on weekends at local farmers markets.

The baked goods run on the heavy side, as opposed to delicate, which is not a bad thing. The baguette has a thick, crunchy crust and a substance to its crumb.

This arrangement was better than nothing, but it meant that customers had to track down which markets they were at, and on which days.

Last year, Village Baking Co. signed on to provide breads and baked goods for Bolsa Mercado, a halfway step to having their own space. And now they've completed the journey, opening for three days a week on University Boulevard — not so far from the production facility of Empire Baking Company — making this area kind of a Bread Basket, a Croissant Court, a Dough Row, if you will.

The Village retail space is a small room off the parking lot of the production facility. When there are multiple customers, navigation can be tight, but it's more quirky than annoying. Pastries are piled on a table, and packaged loaves are stacked on a shelf against the wall. Everything comes straight from the bakery oven, which adds a level of freshness that's uncommon. You can help yourself to free coffee.

The baked goods run on the heavy side, as opposed to delicate, which is not a bad thing. The plain croissant has a crisp, crackling, slightly caramelized shell enclosing a hefty, buttery center. The baguette has a thick, crunchy crust and a substance to its crumb.

The chocolate croissant is broad, with two parallel rods of chocolate down the center, not just one — so no scrimping. Village Baking also does a "laminated" brioche, with puff pastry twirled into a spiraling roll and a heavy coat of cinnamon-sugar. We paid $18 for two baguettes, two plain croissants, two chocolate croissants and two laminated brioches and felt like we got a lot for our money.

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Food and Drink News

Artsy eatery Allegory Kitchen makes for a night out in Grand Prairie

Allegory Kitchen

Shrimp at Allegory Kitchen

An artsy restaurant and bar has debuted in Grand Prairie: Called Allegory Kitchen and Bar, it’s in a former event venue space at 2601 W. Jefferson St., where it opened in February.

Founders Ronnie Harris and Anthony Griffin have pooled their extensive hospitality experience on this new venture. Harris spent the past 30 years in airport concessions at airports such as DFW Airport, while Griffin comes from hospitality in Alabama.

"We kind of stumbled on doing the restaurant by default because we wanted to open a hookah lounge and serve liquor," Harris says. "We couldn't serve liquor and no food, so it transitioned to us becoming a restaurant."

To that end, they retained Atlanta-based chef and restaurateur Carlos Brown who helped create the menu. Harris and Griffin are now leading the concept which continues to evolve.

It started as a fine dining concept with brunch, but they’re adding more casual Southern and comfort food dishes. Menu items include Southern fried catfish, a half-pound burger, grilled pork chop, and roasted half chicken. There are also vegan options such as roasted butternut squash tabouli with caramelized onion vinaigrette, chili flakes, mint leaves, almonds, and arugula, served with wild mushrooms and herb quinoa.

Small plates include three cheese lobster mac & cheese, Carolina pan-seared crab cakes, and collard green spring rolls filled with collard greens, onions and peppers, then deep-fried.

Sides are on upscale: pork belly Brussels sprouts, garlic parmesan truffle fries, sauteed haricot vert (French green beans), and sweet potato apple hash.

They have a full bar with domestic and imported beer, wine, and signature cocktails.

“My number one specialty is the Sexy Allegory — it has a cognac base and mix of blueberries and blackberries,” Harris says. “We can satisfy any palate with our beers, and we have a wine wall with the best of the best, such as pinot grigio and cabernet."

The atmosphere is lively and colorful with plush seating and floral wall murals. There’s booth and table seating with white marble tables and jewel-toned chairs and booths. The chandeliers over the bar are a visual treat, have white feathers arranged like a blooming flower.

As if food and drink are not enough, they offer more reasons for a night out with events almost nightly, including poetry night, live jazz from a saxophonist, and more.

wine cocktails openings