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September was a very good month for Front Range carbs lovers. In the eight flour-filled days between September 16 and 24, Denver and Boulder got a trio of new bakeries, including a sophisticated French patisserie, a Scandinavian hygge wonderland, and a RiNo pastry and coffee shop. Here, three new bakeries to satiate your sweet tooth, whether it’s craving canelé, buttery shortbreads, or a tangy raspberry white chocolate scone.
Hearth
RiNo
Matt Quinlisk learned his baking wizardry from one of the best. He spent time at Moxie Bread Co, the stellar Louisville bakery from James Beard Award Outstanding Baker semifinalist Andy Clark. There, he learned the flour and yeast whispering skills that he now puts on display at Hearth, the RiNo bakery he opened to give the neighborhood a source for top-notch local bread, pastries, and coffee.
Just how local? Quinlisk uses grains from Dolores-based Rocky Draw Farms, which he stone grinds himself. That flour then makes its way into loaves of sourdough, bagels, and seriously good treats like raspberry and white chocolate scones, morning buns, cookies, and croissants. The coffee is local, too, coming from sister brand Tablón Coffee. 2500 Lawrence St.
Noisette
LoHi
Hopefully you haven’t missed Noisette, the stunning French restaurant that opened in a quiet corner of LoHi in August. But you most definitely won’t want to miss the second half of Noisette, the attached patisserie where chef Lillian Lu unleashes her French pastry prowess. From by-the-livre croissants to lacy, caramelized canelé to pretty pastel macarons, the sweet treats are as delicious as they are gorgeous.
Besides the expertly crafted sweets, Lu sets out loaves of her almost custardy baguettes, as well as savory tarts and terrine. You can also pick up French cuisine staples such as the cultured brown butter, pâté, and Dijon mustard. “I don’t like eating sweets regularly, so I included several savory items because those are the things I would gravitate towards, and I know there are plenty of people who would pick savory over sweet,” Lu says. If you can somehow resist all the flakey, golden carbs—both sweet and savory—the patisserie also makes Novo Coffee drinks and serves Ku Cha teas. 3254 Navajo St.
Süti & Co
Boulder
Chef Andrea Uzarowski hunted for a space for over a year before she discovered the cottage off Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall that would become the home of Süti & Co, a bakery that specializes in süti (a style of Danish shortbread). The house required a complete renovation, but the Denmark native was drawn to its vibe. “Everything was an egg yellow color, but the bones were good,” says Uzarowski, who also owns Fresh Food Further catering company. The result is an inviting cafe that emulates hygge (pronounced hooga), a Danish way of life that promotes feelings of well-being and comfort.
Inside the wood-accented, light-filled space, rooms are equipped with cozy, tidy seating areas where patrons are encouraged to take time away from the daily grind to enjoy life’s simpler pleasures such as a cup of loose-leaf tea and a plate of buttery cookies. Some walls are decorated with hand-painted tulips, while others feature shelves lined with home furnishings and kitchenware, most of which are sourced from Scandinavian countries, made with upcycled materials, or produced by female-owned businesses. Before you find a seat, order a Rosebud’s Apothecary chai or a Boxcar Coffee Roasters latte and a selection from Uzarowski’s abbreviated lineup of light, airy shortbread; each variation is lovingly named after a family member or friend. We’re partial to the Lilly, a ganache-filled chocolate shortbread cookie named after Uzarowski’s daughter, or the Magdalena, a fig-jam-stuffed shortbread sprinkled with walnuts inspired by her grandmother. 2031 16th St., Boulder —Patricia Kaowthumrong
