Weinrich's Bakery- Willow Grove, PA

On a spur of the moment adventure, I decided to venture to Philadelphia (boyfriend in tow) to bring in the New Year. We traveled down toward Philly and stayed in ....for the night before New Year's eve. The morning before the New Year, Jon is the die-hard coffee fiend. He would happily sync himself up to a coffee drip 24-hours a day, purposes for us to grab a second cup of coffee before our train comes. Across from the Amtrak train station and around the corner sits the Weinrich bakery.

The Weinrich bakery has been in operation for almost 100 years, the Willow Grove location has been opened since 1952. The original family migrated from Germany and has been operating a bakery every since. Over the years they branched out to other locations as the family grew from New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

The Bakery in Willow Grove is 100% a landmark of entrepreneurial dedication and sophistication. The authenticity is genuine and the family itself is a treat (3 generations) they are all working hard to serve exceptional service and above average bake goods and coffee. I had walked in by chance and was greeted by the matron of the establishment who gave me a full tour of her family photos and a quick tale of how the bakery at Willow Grove came to be.     

Jon and I grabbed two coffee's a bag of their butter sprinkled cookies and two cinnamon rolls (MADE FROM SCRATCH!!) that were to die for. Delicious....simply delicious. Overall, an unexpected delight that I hope one day to replicate.

(5stars*****)- Cafe & Bakery- Dine in or Take-out

Weinrich’s Bakery

55 Easton Road  Willow Grove, PA 19090
(215) 659-7062

Opened: Tuesday- Saturday

Black Sheep (Amherst, MA)

In the heart of the city of Amherst, MA, off the main street, sits a quaint bakery/cafe that houses a plethora of tasty freshly made treats daily. Ranging from delicate desserts to fresh made sandwiches, this hipster/college hang out is the kind of San Francisco wannabe deli that make me ache for the west coast's famous Tartine off 18th street.

I tried the Californian Sandwich, as more of a novelty, then for any other reason. I was pleasantly surprised by the roasted warm sun dried tomato paste with red onions, spinach and coupled with thinly sliced chicken. I was looking forward to tasting a pesto flavoring within the paste as described and was disappointed not to experience anything close.The house regular iced coffee was rich and robust which helped speed me along for the rest of my afternoon. However, the variety in coffee was weak and I did not notice a selection in Tea's which would help diversify their clientele.

The Apple Pecan Muffin, I tried on a second visit as more of an early morning dash to work. The muffin was not only a refreshing treat, it was a sweet comfort that was not overpowering nor was it bland. It was warm, fresh, and exactly what I wanted. I look forward to trying more of their baked goods soon.

Four Stars ****

Black Sheep
79 Main St
Amherst, MA 01002

(413) 256-1706

http://blacksheepdeli.com/