Louisville's 2nd Best Baguette

Where does everyone get their baguettes on Mondays when Blue Dog is closed?

Ermin's is ok. Any others?
(not a fan of Lotsa Pasta's.)

[Robin Garr]

Hmm, interesting question. Blue Dog is so far off the chain - and within walking distance of our house - that we don't DO alternatives.

But back in the day, Breadworks used to make what seemed like a decent baguette until Blue Dog came along. Maybe they still do?

Or make your own!

All the bread at Wiltshire Pantry is great. In fact, pretty much everything at Wiltshire Pantry is great.

[Robin Garr]

All the bread at Wiltshire Pantry is great. In fact, pretty much everything at Wiltshire Pantry is great.

Do they sell them retail, Iggy? Dang! I need to get over there. I love Wiltshire on Market, so I'm bound to love the Pantry, right?

I am not 100% sure they have a baguette. I might be misremembering. But they definitely sell loaves of bread, and their sandwiches and pastries are a hair better than Atlantic #5, Jackknife and Ghyslain IMHO.

Ghyslain has pretty good baguettes. Breadworks is ok. You may want to try some of the baguettes sold in the health food stores, as well.

The Bakery at Sullivan does a nice baguette, too.

[Robin Garr]

Marsha, the Bakery certainly makes consistently good product. I've long felt, though, that its focus is on a commercial style, getting grads ready to go to work at Kroger and other large producers, rather than imparting the kind of crazed perfectionism (like Bob "Blue Dog" Hancock) that puts the best artisan bakers over the top. I wouldn't put The Bakery's breads in the same league with Blue Dog. Am I offbase about this?

Second a damn fine baguette at Ghyslain.

I've actually gotten some very good bread at Fresh Market. Their Rosemary Sea Salt Rolls are wonderful!!! Also had some very good baguettes from there...

Wiltshire is a great place to start, but you'd be better off buying 2 baguette and freezing one from blue dog. Baking in San Francisco and New Orleans. Nothing comes close. I am not sure how lucky you know you guys are to have a place like this in your town. If they had the time and energy to compete in the coup de monde they would sweep it.

Wiltshire Pantry definitely has baguettes, and they are great. They also sometimes make a lavender baguette ( unfortunately I've not yet been able to try it).

Thanks for the Ghyslain suggestion- I'll have to remember that.

Wiltshire is a great place to start, but you'd be better off buying 2 baguette and freezing one from blue dog. Baking in San Francisco and New Orleans. Nothing comes close. I am not sure how lucky you know you guys are to have a place like this in your town. If they had the time and energy to compete in the coup de monde they would sweep it.

+1

We buy an extra or two on Saturday evening, freeze the extra, and that gets us through to Tuesday.

Agreed, the more we travel the more we realize how fortunate we are to have Blue Dog in our city.

[Robin Garr]

Bringing this back to the top: I had dinner with a group at Brasserie Provence this week, and was pleasantly surprised by the baguettes ... which they said come from Ghyslain!

They may lack the complexity and flavor of Blue Dog's baguettes, but they are far more "Parisian" in one way ... they have that amazing thin, glass-like, shattery crust, and damn, that's addictive. Move Ghyslain into No. 2, assuming that the stock they sell in-house is the same as the bread that they bake for Brasserie P!

I still think that Breadworks does a fine job. Not the texture of Blue Dog, but they are a reliable Louisville bakery that turns 20 next year. We stop by a few times a month.