Carbs News
Artisan bakery Village Baking Co. expands to Dallas' hippest neighborhood
An acclaimed Dallas bakery is bringing its carbs to the perfect new neighborhood: Village Baking Co. will open a location in the center of Oak Cliff's Bishop Arts, at 308 N. Bishop Ave.
The location is at the corner of Melba, in the former cute-cute house that was previously home to the Good Companions coffee shop. According to a Village Baking Co. representative, the new bakery will open in spring 2023.
"I know we're hoping for March, but you never know for sure," the rep said.
Good Companions was the coffee house and natural wine bar from Exxir Hospitality and the first business to open in at that location, a 1916 Craftsman-style house that was previously owned by the Kemp family and carefully restored.
The cafe opened in mid-2019 with European-style sandwiches and pastries, including its signature bombolone (aka Italian cream-filled doughnuts). It was popular and got good reviews, before closing quietly during the pandemic.
Village Baking has been a longtime bread presence in Dallas, founded by husband-and-wife Clint and Kim Cooper in 2004, who started baking out of their home kitchen.
They opened their first wholesale bread bakery and boulangerie on University Boulevard in 2014. The space had a small storefront where they could sell breads and baked goods to the public, but no seating. That led them to Greenville Avenue, where they debuted their quintessential French-style boulangerie in May 2015.
They do crusty sourdough breads and authentic patisserie including scones, palmiers, financiers, chocolate truffle cakes, fruit tarts, and coconut macaroons.
They make an amazing variety of croissants, from sweet to savory, from almond and chocolate to croissants brimming with meal-worthy fillings such as ham and cheese.
They were among the first in Dallas to offer trendy items like the canele, the small, moist cylindrical French pastry; and the kouign amann, the rich croissant-based Breton treat named for cake (kouign) and butter (amann). They've also become known for their laminated brioche, sort of a fancy version of a cruffin.
They've been on a minor opening spree, with new locations on Knox Street and Oak Lawn.