My boyfriend, Manny, is a self-proclaimed “bread guy.” It’s everything to him.
“As someone who is a big bread guy and probably also gluten intolerant, it’s been a struggle,” says the expert himself. “It’s been trying at times. But you gotta do what you love.”
So, because he (and probably many other smart people) believes that there’s “nothing quite like bread in this world,” I thought there would be no better way to celebrate the end of the semester than to reflect on some of the great bread we have shared in Boston.
Joe’s on Newbury
I’ve been to this classic American bistro a few times with family and friends, but the bread never stuck out to me before. It was probably the happiest I’ve ever seen Manny, though.
His face lit up. He claims he was just starving, but you would’ve thought he saw God.
Some words he used to describe it are fantastic, soft, sweet, buttery, and very American. I personally enjoyed the whipped butter and the sheer quantity of bread — it was like a sandwich-amount per person.
Rating: 8/10 loaves of bread.
Would he return? Yes, but he wouldn’t go out of his way. “If I am on Newbury Street and I’m hungry, I think the odds are high,” he says.
Ma Maison
“This is exactly what you want in a piece of bread,” Manny tells me.
This tiny French restaurant, located just a few minutes’ walk away from the Charles/MGH T stop, made all our baguette dreams come true. It’s a bit more upscale, but perfect for all the vibes and even more for the bread. The lamb shank was pretty amazing, too.
“I’m painting a portrait here,” Manny says wistfully, reflecting lovingly on the loaf. “It felt like homemade bread. Lots of flavor in it, subtlety.”
The experience of eating this bread was amplified by the fact that I was secretly recording the restaurant for ambient sound to use in a film project. Meaning, we had to crunch through the harder crust silently.
“It was hard to be quiet; we were laughing a lot,” Manny recalls.
In terms of taste, this bread reminded me of the Irish soda bread I grew up on, but I failed to replicate it this spring, when my sister and I nearly set the oven on fire and still ended up underbaking the loaf.
Rating: 9/10 miches de pain.
“100% we’re going back, I don’t care what you say.”
All’Antico Vinaio
So far, all his picks have been strictly appetizer-land, so I wanted to throw in a restaurant that truly knows how to keep bread front and center.
“You gotta love focaccia, there’s no going wrong,” Manny says. “When you get those Italian seasonings mixed in there, it’s just delicious.”
While Manny argues that the sandwich fillings themselves distract from the bread, I think it enhances the overall experience — a perfectly crunchy, salty bite frames every mouthful. The spreads they offer elevate your sandwich to the next level, such as sweet pistachio, spicy eggplant, or my personal favorite, savory truffle cream.
“I’m pretty sure they make it in-house, or at least they do in Italy,” he says. What a reputable source he is! But he makes a good point: this restaurant is the latest opening of a super popular Florentine chain. And boy, do I trust Italians on food!
Rating: 7/10 pagnotte di pane. Manny says we will definitely return, as this spot is “cheaper than the other restaurants, more casual. We’ll go back soon.”
What is a 10/10, then?
Manny says the best bread he’s ever had was in rural Iceland at an inn with seven or eight little huts, where three meals a day were served in a hall put together by Michelin star chefs!
“Every time I got there, they had this fig jam,” he tells me. When spread on sourdough with butter, it was “just delicious,” a traditional flavor similar to what we found at La Maison.
Final Thoughts
I let Manny take over writing to express his enduring attitudes on bread.
Bread, like life, is not always flavorful. Some see it as filling in between meals, the space between our desires. But sometimes it’s exactly what you want.
Appreciate the bread at the table; it’s something everyone enjoys together. It has its own flair, soft, subtle, and special in a standardized world. One must pay careful attention to enjoy it in all its flavors.
Appreciate bread, appreciate life.
Want to keep up with HCBU? Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, check out our Pinterest board, watch us on TikTok, and read our latest Tweets!