In the northern town of Danville, Vermont we dined at the charming Bentley's Bakery and Cafe, a stop on King Arthur Baking Company's Vermont Bakery Tour. The pastries and breakfast dishes there were delicious, another successful stop in the Noshing Across New England series.
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We made our way to Danville, Vermont one weekend to visit Bentley's Bakery & Café, one of eight bakeries on the King Arthur Baking-sponsored Vermont Bakery Tour. They have everything from decorated cakes to breakfast pastries to savory sandwiches.
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Getting to Bentley's Bakery
The drive to Danville was beautiful, especially once we got on Route 2 and could really check out the long stretches of farmland with the mountains behind. We passed Joe's Pond (site of the annual Joe's Pond Ice Out Contest), the Danville School, and then reached Bentley's just off Route 2 on Hill Street.
You will know right away which storefront is Bentley's: look for the windows filled from top to bottom with colorful cupcakes!
The café space is cozy with several tables by the tall, cupcake-adorned windows, and the pastry cases and counters just inside.
The treats at Bentley's
We were pleased to find a large array of pastries, as well as breakfast sandwiches, to choose from for breakfast. We were a little early for the lunch menu, but that was full of tempting sandwiches, too!
My husband immediately went for a breakfast sandwich of eggs, sausage, and spinach on an Asiago bagel.
I originally ordered a not-so-small Pork Pie with a flaky crust—I do love a classic, French-Canadian Pork Pie or tourtière, such as the one we enjoyed at our Pie Challenge earlier this year.
But my husband's bagel sandwich looked so good that I caved and ordered one for myself, on a salt bagel.
The artisan bagels are hand-made on-site and are wonderful. They are the larger-sized bagel that you typically find at bagel bakeries, but much, much better. They are very soft and tender on the inside, with the perfect amount of chewiness in the crust.
My salt bagel had smaller salt crystals visible from a light salt wash over the outside. With spinach, ham, and melted cheese it was a damn fine breakfast sandwich.
My son started with a Berry Banana Smoothie, which was very fruity and, thankfully, not cloyingly sweet. The sight of us digging into our sandwiches (so quickly and ravenously that I almost forgot to take pictures!) proved too much for him and he decided to add to his breakfast a long, chilled éclair from the pastry case.
It was a classic, tender éclair with a lightly sweetened pastry cream filling, and a smooth glossy coating of chocolate on top. Watching him eat that éclair was almost too much for us, even though we were plenty full from our sandwiches!
We met the owner!
We were able to meet and chat with bakery owner Tarah Fontaine, who was baking with her staff in the small kitchen right behind the counter. Her kids were there too, moving deftly between the staff and customers, helping where they could or settling against the back wall of the bakery with a book in hand. (Her daughter stamped my Bakery Passport!)
Tarah was friendly, happy to stop and chat with us, and hear about our Bakery Tour stops. I told her how much I liked her café space. She confessed that they are quickly outgrowing it.
As if to prove it, as we sat and had breakfast, we noticed that customers streamed nonstop into the café, some choosing to have breakfast there and many taking treats and coffee to go. Though I like the cozy space, it's great to hear that business is growing at Bentley's.
In reflecting back over the bakeries we've visited, this one is definitely a favorite!
As we finished breakfast a woman dining near us who heard me telling Tarah about my blog, came to our table to ask me about it, and about blogging in general. She asked how I liked it and if it was worth it to start one.
What I told her and what I would tell anyone who wants to start blogging, is yes. Definitely do it. If there is something you're passionate about, that you love to talk to people about, blogging is really fulfilling.
There may be a ton of sites out there, but if you love what you're writing about (food, dogs, comics, anything!) you will be able to find your audience. It is what I look forward to doing every single day.
Find Bentley's Bakery
Bentley's Bakery & Cafe is located at 20 Hill Street in Danville, VT. In their café, enjoy treats like muffins, croissants, bars, sticky buns, and breakfast sandwiches (try one on one of their fresh bagels, made on site!) The owner, Tarah Fontaine also makes wedding and custom order cakes. Find out more on their website: click here!
The Vermont Bakery Tour
The old Vermont Bakery Tour sponsored by King Arthur Baking Company consisted of eight bakeries scattered over the northern half of Vermont. Participants visited the bakeries, tasted the fine baked goods, and had their Bakery Passport stamped at each.
The completed passports were then redeemed for an exclusive Bakery Tour tote bag!
Ron Pal says
What other bakeries did you visit in the NEK
Nancy Mock says
The summer before we also made it to Auntie Dee Dee's Homemade VT Goods in Burke!
Heidi says
Sounds like it was worth the drive, and makes me want to visit too, Nancy! The breakfast sandwiches you and Christian got look so delicious,
Nancy Mock says
It's a lovely drive out there, and the food was fantastic. I hope you make the trip! Thanks Heidi ♥