I discovered the WildFlour Bakery & Cafe via the Princeton Patch. The Patch described is an "artisan bakery and daytime café" and after checking out the web site I decided I would stop in on my drive through Lawrenceville on my way to the office.
My first attempt failed. I assumed that a bakery and café would be open early for the breakfast-before-work crowd. For me that means 7AM. WildFlour doesn't open until 8AM. I waited around outside until 8AM but the door remained closed and locked until 8:10AM. Keep in mind that at 8AM I am already sitting at my desk logged in to a computer and working.
I started to walk away just when someone came out to open the umbrellas for the outdoor seating area. I walked in an inquired about the Brazilian Cheese Puff I had read about on the blog. They were not ready yet and wouldn't be for another 15 minutes. I looked at my watch and left.
I returned the next day and was surprised that the women remembered my face. This time the cheese puffs were ready and I placed my order and downed an espresso as well. I ran back to my car and downed two of the cheese puffs before I got to the office. Tasty.
I returned later in the week to try the lunch menu. The bakery only serves gluten-free products. Bhavana has recently discovered that she has some issues with gluten. I thought that perhaps WildFlour might be a place we could dine together.
That day service was slow and to me it felt like the owners were not very organized. Given my first day experience, perhaps this is just "new business" figuring things out.
Most of the patrons sat outside but I found the traffic noise on 206 too much to bear. I sat inside one of the dining rooms ( there is more room on the second floor ) and chatted with another gentlemen and his wife who were waiting for a take-out order.
I would describe the decor and atmosphere as updated small town country. But it felt a little sterile to me and didn't seem to fit given the look of the outside. Not homey at all.
I had a hunger headache by the time the food arrived, which was about 30 minutes after ordering a mushroom burger. My iced tea was served in a nice drinking jar adding to the county feel. The mushroom wasn't as I hoped and was cold in the middle. The bread crust was too hard and crunchy. The mushroom squished out the sides. I took the bun top off and ate it separately with a fork. My sandwich was served with a side salad. No dressing was offered. My meal plus iced tea was about $16.
All in all a "meh" experience. But hey, I got some cool iPhone photos.
