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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Tea News

New tea at Dallas' Mansion on Turtle Creek is seriously surreal

Mansion on Turtle Creek

Surreal desserts at Mansion on Turtle Creek

Dallas is a little tea crazy these days, but the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek has launched a new tea that stands out as truly surreal: Called the Surrealism Art Afternoon Tea, it's a limited-time immersive culinary experience timed to coincide with the International Surrealism Exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Art, and it's open for reservations through March 22, 2026.

According to a release, the Surrealism Art Afternoon Tea transforms The Mansion’s regular afternoon tea into a dreamlike journey, starring a parade of whimsical desserts paired with organic teas and celebratory champagne.

Guests will begin with savory sandwiches, followed by scones and inspired pastries reimagined through Dalí and the surrealistic lens.

The menu is informed by three pastries inspired by surrealistic works of art — two of which take direct inspiration by iconic works of Salvador Dalí. Each pastry draws from the symbolism, whimsy, and surreal visual language of these masterpieces.

These desserts are the centerpieces of the experiencing, evoking dreamscapes that are surreal in form and flavor.

Highlights include:

The Queen of Hearts, inspired by Dalí’s “Playing Card” collection. At first glance it looks like a regular card, but with a closer look you can find an array of traditional and non-traditional symbols and colors.

This pastry features ruby peach jelly, almond sponge and glazed strawberry mousse on a red sable heart, garnished with chocolate decorations and an edible queen of hearts.

The Metamorphosis of Narcissus. Painted in 1937, The Metamorphosis of Narcissus is Dalí’s interpretation of the Greek myth. Focusing on the narcissus flower, which begins to blossom out of Dalí’s egg, the flower symbolizes new beginnings.

This cake is composed of a mango and passion fruit jelly, pistachio financier and vanilla mouse, dipped in passion fruit chocolate and garnished with sugar daffodil and chocolate leaves.

Butterfly Windmill. this surrealist-inspired creation reflects the butterfly as a timeless symbol of freedom, metamorphosis, and transformation, central themes within the Surrealist movement.

The pastry layers citrus crémeux, olive oil cake, and almond–hazelnut praline, encased in Manjari chocolate mousse, glazed, and dipped in yuzu chocolate. A delicate butterfly, crafted from chocolate and sugar, crowns the piece as a final tribute to its symbolism.

The tea is set in the historic 1925 Mansion Library, surrounded by stained‐glass windows in a 16th-century Italian Renaissance-inspired setting. Price is $95, or $115 with a glass of Bollinger Champagne. Reservations are available Saturday and Sunday from 12–2:30 p.m. and may be made on OpenTable.

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