On the side
IHATOV BREAD AND COFFEE ★★★ 1/2
3400 Central SE, 539-5445, ihatov.us
Ihatov Bread and Coffee opened in March just before the pandemic rolled in. It has survived since then on a brisk takeout business.
Ihatov is warm and homey, with one side given over to the bakery and the other to a few tables set around a fireplace.
The selection of baked goods changes as things sell out and replacements come forth from the oven. Breads include eight varieties made from sourdough, one from buckwheat flour and one from potato flour. Prices are $5 to $7 a loaf. Each loaf is like a work of sculptural art, the crusts split on top and mottled in various shades of brown from the heat of the oven.
A popular choice, Kawashiwo told me, is the nigella sativa ($5), a torpedo-shaped baguette with a crackling shell covered in black seeds. Pieces of sweet and savory caramelized onion permeate the bread without overpowering it, and the nigella seeds add a little nuttiness along with, purportedly, many health benefits.
The pastry menu features massive buttermilk biscuits ($3), their surfaces golden-brown and craggy. The crunchy shells yield to an airy core that’s not at all flaky like the traditional buttermilk biscuit.
Several of the items in the display case were still warm from the oven, including an impeccably done pain au chocolat ($5). I knew as soon as I bit through the crisp, wispy skin and reached the still slightly melted chocolate core, there were not going to be any leftovers.
Equally good was an almond croissant ($5), dusted with powdered sugar and filled with a sweet, buttery almond paste.
Less sweet, more spicy, the morning glory muffin ($3) comes packed with apples, carrots, raisins, coconut flakes and nuts. It’s like a spice cake in muffin form. A mixed-berry scone ($3 each) that materialized in the display cabinet just before I left was nicely done, the brick of flaky pastry enlivened with blueberries, dried cranberries and golden raisins and some crunchy turbinado sugar on top.
Ihatov also turns out a quiche ($5.75), and there are plans to offer additional lunch items.