Bread in Santa Fe

Some people seek the turquoise, others the high-end art and the funky clothing and cowboy boots. Me, I go shopping for bread when I'm in Santa Fe, the City Different. What am I doing in Santa Fe when I'm supposed to be in culinary college? I'm looking for bread, of course, examining how things get plated, tasting laminations, that sort of thing. It's summer break, n'est-ce pas?

Here are two delightful pieces from Clafoutis, a French patisserie on Guadalupe Street within walking distance of the plaza. A local told us about it, so we sailed in and waltzed out with some pain au chocolat and a croissant. Here they are, resting on a plate made by the skillful hands of porcelain gallery owner Heidi Loewen. That's how things work here. One moment you're hearing French spoken in a high, lilting voice over the bakery counter, and then you're just a few strolls down the street, watching clay become a handcrafted bowl of exquisite design.

Heidi's work looked so delicious, it felt important to give her the bread as a token of appreciation.

Our morning actually began at Sage Bakehouse on Cerrillos Road, a bakery I always try to visit when I'm in town. I love the chili cheese bread and the rustic, hearty nature of the loaves. It's good to know that Santa Fe can support both French pastry and artisanal breads - it doesn't have to be one lording it over the other.

Lunch at Restaurant Martin produced another discovery - their excellent organic bread comes from Albuquerque. I'm told that the restaurant Aqua Santa on Alameda makes its own, but we didn't quite get there.

I ended up going back to Clafoutis for breakfast and was delighted with the plating of the coconut French toast with fruit, lovingly squirted with a ripple of chocolate so you could swish your berries in the chocolate sauce. C'est mervellieux.

Here you see the happy toast, and below is a shot of co-owner Anne and her daughter, Charlotte. They'll greet you in French, which seems just so right with morning latte and sunshine in the City Different.

Fruit tart, anyone? Meringues? Eclairs? So many choices, so little time.