Delectable Destinations: Bentley’s Bakery & Cafe, Our 6th Stop on the Vermont Bakery Tour!

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We made our way to Danville, Vermont this weekend to visit Bentley’s Bakery & Café, one of eight bakeries on the King Arthur Flour Vermont Bakery Tour! No interstate misadventures this time, I’m happy to report, though we did chuckle a bit as we passed the Richmond exit on our way south. (Read about our last bakery stop to find out more!)

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 of 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.

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, I caved and ordered one for myself, on a salt bagel.

Half of my bagel sandwich with ham, and half of my husband’s with sausage. We ate the other halves too quickly to photograph!

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.

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 were able to meet and chat with the 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 did a great job stamping 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, and she confessed that they are quickly outgrowing it.

Chatting with owner Tarah Fontaine.

And 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 if I like it, and if it’s 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 worth it and really fulfilling. There may be a ton of blogs 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. Jessica: if you’re reading this, do start that blog and email me with a link!

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Click here to see more Delectable Destinations: Vermont Bakery Tour posts, as I trek to all eight bakeries on the list!

Bentley’s Bakery & Cafe is located at 20 Hill Street in Danville, VT. In their café you can 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 King Arthur Flour Vermont Bakery Tour consists of eight bakeries scattered over the northern half of Vermont. Participants visit the bakeries, taste the fine baked goods, and have their Bakery Passport stamped at each. The completed passport can then be redeemed for an exclusive Bakery Tour tote bag! Visit this link, King Arthur Flour Vermont Bakery Tour for more information.