Stopping into Bread and Honey

Earlier this week I heard some great things about a new bakery that opened up along Madison Ave between Quail and Ontario. And since I’m a sucker for an everything bagel and an even bigger sucker for Gimme! Coffee, I stopped into Bread and Honey.

The real draw for me was the fact they serve Gimme! Coffee. I always will grab a bag of their coffee whenever I’m near Ithaca, but for me to be able to grab a bag locally is huge. Their coffee selection shows that they are putting a very strong emphasis on quality. Any place that opens with Gimme! as their coffee option is likely to apply that same high-level of quality throughout the rest of their establishment.

I grabbed an everything bagel and pretzel, and both were incredible. The bagel had the right crispiness and chewiness to the outside and the inside was soft and pillowy. The size of the bagel was perfect as well. They offer a few excellent sounding cream cheese options, but for those of you like me who don’t do dairy, I’ve been assured that a non-dairy option is on the way.

I unfortunately didn’t get a chance to test out their other offerings, but they’ve since been adding sandwiches and other baked goods to the menu. Also of note, they sell their breads, pretzels and other items at Honest Weight. I spoke briefly with the owner Naomi Davies, and she told me they’re working on soups as well. I like how much it seems they are experimenting with the menu and can’t wait to stop by again soon.

I strongly recommend stopping in and grabbing a bite to eat along with a cup of coffee. They’re located at 809 Madison Avenue, right next to Duke’s Barbershop (which I would also recommend). The bagels come out of the oven around 7am and they’re open until they sell out, which has been around 2pm so far. Check ’em out and let me know what you think!