Three Notable Bakeries of Colonia Roma Norte

On our recent stay in Colonia Roma Norte, México, D.F. we stopped in briefly at three bakeries, all within a few blocks of each other. We went away with varying impressions. (This is not meant to be an intensive review, but only a quick look.)

Roaming Area

The first was Panadería Rosetta, AKA Panadería 179, in its new location on Calle Colima #179, about 1 block west of the mother Rosetta Ristorante Italiano. Previously, we'd purchased and enjoyed Rosetta's Pan Campesino, a hearty, sourdough loaf, as well as the excellent rosemary focaccia served in the restaurant. This time, at the new bakery, we bought two Danish style rolls and a butter croissant.

Panadería Rosetta

Back at our hotel room, we sampled the croissant. It must have been "proven" (raised) with excessive warmth, as it was crumbly and greasy. Later, the Danish rolls were better. Buttery and rich, even a half would suffice. Prices are well above average. There's also a narrow counter where coffee drinks and light food are served to what seems a "hip" clientele.

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Next stop, (another day), the more down-market Panadería La Artesa, at Calle Jalapa # 58, corner of Calle Durango; one of a chain of franchised bakeries, apparently originating in Puebla, but I'm not sure of where. La Artesa bakes a variety of breads on the premises. There are a number of attractive products, including whole grain items and gluten free breads. The various pan dulces we sampled were a considerable notch above those of the average panadería, but not, in my estimation, top ranking. Prices were reasonable, if slightly higher than in a typical panadería. Pan dulce items ran about $12 pesos each.

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La Puerta Abierta Bakery holds appeal for me

Finally, the surprise discovery: La Puerta Abierta Bakery (Yes, "Bakery", not "Panadería".) It's surprisingly close to Panadería Rosetta, at Calle Colima #226. My attention was first caught by the baker's peel signboard hanging outside the shop. It reminded me of a similar, carved sign I'd commissioned many years ago, by master wood carver Charles Widmer, to hang outside my bake shop, the HearthStone Bakery, in Mountain View, Arkansas. That, and the name, were more than enough to pull us into the attractive, well lit interior.

The Open Door invites you into the warm and friendly interior.

It was late in the day, we had just eaten at Yuban Restaurante Oaxaqueño, and there were few breads remaining on the wooden shelves. We chatted with a friendly young salesgirl (in English and Spanish), and learned that the bakery opens at 9:00 a.m. We decided to start our next day's breakfast there.

Accordingly, the following morning we entered again. The young, multilingual French baker was working. We conversed briefly with him. (Wish I had gotten his name.)

The baked goods were more abundant: rustic baguettes, dusted with flour, streaky oval ciabatta, batards covered in oats or flaxseed. But what attracted us at that moment were the beautifully formed croissants. We took a pair to go, and ate them at our table at Orígenes Orgánicos half a block east. The croissants were perfect. (Note that there were also chocolate croissants, almond croissants and the rustic ham and cheese croissants; all very tempting, but we were determined to breakfast lightly.)

The Perfect Croissant: from La Puerta Abierta

Ham and Cheese Croissants from La Puerta Abierta

There are also shelves with homemade, premium conserves, at a premium price: $90 pesos per jar. Some day we must get a group of friends to chip in to try these.

We also bought a pair of large loaves, one covered in flax seed, the other in oat flakes. We enjoyed these, although the flaxseed and oats were confined to the crust. The interior crumb was moist, chewy and had small tunnels running through the crumb. They weren't sourdough breads, but seemed to have been made with some pre-fermented dough or starter. La Puerta Abierta Bakery will be our first stop on our next visit to Colonia Roma.