Baked - WALTER Magazine

Trays of bialys, croissants, and other pastries at Boulted Bread in the Boylan Heights neighborhood.

text and photographs by Juli Leonard

Not long ago, Raleigh was a bit of a bakery desert. That began to change a few years ago, and today, there are five new bakeries in the heart of Raleigh alone. With this sweet new layer to our rich food scene, Raleigh has become a city with a baked good to suit every appetite.

Visit the sunny Yellow Dog Bread Co. at the corner of Franklin and Person streets for savory stuffed croissants. Stop by the Night Kitchen Bakehouse & Cafe at Seaboard Station for a good honest salt bagel with homemade jam. Go across town to historic Boylan Heights for a loaf of seeded rye and strong coffee from Boulted Bread’s three-man team. Or head in to the center of downtown for the fanciest of desserts. On Salisbury St., the patisserie lucettegrace is the spot to gawk at desserts that mimic fine art – and are delectable, too, if you can bring yourself to ruin one with a bite. And Bittersweet on Martin St. is the place for a pop-culture inspired cocktail to go with a salty chipwich ice cream sandwich.

Yellow Dog Bread Co.

219 E. Franklin St.

984-232-0291

Cinnamon buns at Yellow Dog Bread Co. in the Person Street district.

Night Kitchen Bakehouse & Cafe

Seaboard Station, 10 W. Franklin St.

984-232-8907

Night Kitchen Bakehouse & Cafe owner Helen Pfann works before sunrise. The display case will be full by the time Pfann opens the doors of her Seaboard Station shop.