Loleta Bakery

I woke up this morning to my husband "gone fishin' " and not a single drop or speck of coffee in the house. Ugh! I was mortified! But then! My foggy mind woke up just enough to remember we have a new bakery in town and they serve good strong fresh hot coffee starting at 7 am every morning (except Monday and Tuesday). Today is Saturday and I looked at the clock. 7:36 am. Yeah! I was stoked! Coffee! My oldest woke up right about that time and I told her, "I think I'm going to run to the bakery and get some coffee."

Her response, "Awesome! Get me one of those chocolate filled croissants please."

Well, you can't just buy a $2.00 cup of coffee on a debit card and feel okay about that can you? So down I went. I got my large cup of coffee, a ham and cheese muffin for me (OMG was it good!) and two chocolate filled croissants for the girls.

Here's the front window of our new little bakery. The sign was just painted on yesterday:
Here's the bakery right next door to the Loleta Meat Market. (The Butcher, the Baker, where's our Candlestick Maker? - apparently we have one, but he sells his wares in Ferndale - I'll settle for our cheese maker instead - Loleta Cheese Factory, just up a block from the Butcher and Baker)

Here is what I came home with, minus the croissant my oldest snapped up before I could get a picture. (And yeah, I took a bite out of the muffin on the way home.) As my daughter sat savoring every last bite of her pastry, she commented, "I wish this croissant was an everlasting croissant so I could keep coming back and eating another bite, all day long, and it would still be warm." They had just come out of the oven when I got there. They were so nice and warm, I thought she was going to cuddle with it rather than eat it. If you live in Humboldt come try out our new bakery in Loleta, or if you're traveling through Humboldt on highway 101, stop by for a cup of coffee and some sweets. They also make panini sandwiches, and I've been told they plan to make soups from local ingredients for lunches. You can find them by taking the Loleta exit and heading west. You can't miss them in the little downtown area in the gold building at 348 Main St. 707-733-1789

http://www.loletabakery.com/index.htm

La Petite Maison

Friday I had a rare opportunity to have a lunch date with my husband, sans children. I decided to go to La Petite Maison in Ferndale. I had purchased their fresh made bread from the Farmers Market in Fortuna several times last year, and once again this year. I always get the lemon rosemary French bread. Absolutely delicious! Of course fresh bread is always good, but the lemon and rosemary combination just took it over the top. Since I've tried the bread, I've been wanting to try the restaurant.

I ordered the grilled cheese. No ordinary grilled cheese. It was made with bread made fresh that day in their bakery, mozzarella and Cypress Grove Chevre goat cheese, tomato and basil leaves. Very basic and simple. The flavors were very subtle, but the melted mozzarella was comforting, and the chevre added a layer of texture and flavor. The basil took it over the top. The only thing I would have added to the sandwich would have been some prosciutto or crisp pancetta. The small house salad that came with the sandwich was incredible. The spring lettuce mix was so fresh it tasted like it had come straight out of the garden. There were small pieces of pear in the salad that added a nice mild sweetness that was a great contrast to their homemade blue cheese dressing. They don't use dressings out of bottles at La Petite.

John had the BBQ pork tenderloin and cilantro coleslaw sandwich. This sandwich is served on cheddar cheese bread made fresh that day. I didn't get a chance to try the cilantro coleslaw, but as much as I love cilantro, I'm sure I'd like it. I did get one small bite of the pork tenderloin. Very good. The BBQ sauce had a nice spiciness to it.

I was pleased enough with my lunch that I hope to go back and try dinner soon.
Here's a sample of their dinner menu:
La Petite Maison Bistro Dinner Menu

Bistro Dinners, Tuesday - Saturday, 5-9 pm.
Phone Orders Welcome! 707 786-4301

Soups

From the garden into the bowl, LPM’s soups are fresh and hardy. Accompanied with fresh bread, they can make a light meal all by themselves

Potato with cheddar cheese and Niman Ranch bacon… $7

Roasted pepper and tomato cream with cilantro oil and lime crème fraiche… $7

Soup by the cup… $5

Salads

All of our salads are served with LPM’s freshly baked breads. No bottles or mixes here, all of our dressings are made from scratch (bleu cheese, ranch, seasoned white balsamic vinaigrette)

House salad… $7
Organic Greens tossed with white balsamic vinaigrette and topped with pears and gorgonzola

Buffalo chicken salad… $14
Buffalo style chicken breast, romaine, bleu cheese crumbles, buffalo sauce and bleu cheese

BBQ chicken salad… $14
Organic chicken breast, fire roasted corn, tomato & cilantro with LPM’s BBQ sauce and ranch

USDA Choice New York steak and blue cheese salad… $16
New York strips, romaine, purple onions, blue cheese crumbles tossed in balsamic vinaigrette

Pastas

Chiopotle Chicken and Penne…$18
Grilled Petaluma Farms organic chicken breast, roasted corn, chipotle cream sauce, and asagio cheese

New York Strip with Balsamic and Penne… $20
USDA choice New York steak strips, penne pasta, wilted arugula tossed in a Dijon and balsamic sauce and asagio cheese

Gourmet Pizzas

12” Homemade Organic Flour Thin Crust Pizza Dough

Marguerite with tomato, basil, garlic, mozzarella and goat cheese… $15

Organic chicken, purple onion, cilantro, mozzarella and LPM’s homemade BBQ Sauce… $18

Roasted garlic with pepperoni, gorgonzola, basil, tomato and mozzarella… $14

Entrees

Niman Ranch pork tenderloin cooked to medium with mustard tarragon sauce And mashers… $24

USDA choice14 oz. New York steak with blue cheese and sweet potato sticks… $27

Crispy pan seared duck breasts with plum & port sauce atop soft Cypress Grove goat cheese polenta… $26

Creole style Petaluma Farms Organic half chicken with mashers… $20

Ferndale Farms sirloin burger topped with smoked cheddar, fried shallots, lettuce, tomato and aioli relish…$15

Ferndale Farms tri-tip sandwich tossed in fig and onion jam with sweet potato sticks…$17

USDA choice 10 oz. filet mignon with mashers and chardonnay cream sauce…$34

Ferndale Farms grass fed lamb chops cooked to medium rare served with mascarpone polenta…$24

You can find La Petite Maison and explore their wonderful lunch and dinner offerings at 619 Main St. Ferndale California.
Bon Appetite!