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Foodie Friday: Joanne Chang’s Flour Bakery in Harvard Square

If you live in Boston you know Flour Bakery. Pastry chef proprietor Joanne Chang (half of the husband/wife duo Myers & Chang in SoWa and James Beard award winner), just opened her fifth and sixth locations, Harvard Square and Cambridgeport (soft opening was yesterday). The next outpost is coming soon to Dalton Street just behind the Pru.

Designer extraordinaire Alina Wolhardt of Wolf In Sheep Design has been collaborating closely with both Joanne Chang and her husband/business partner Christopher Myers on the trio of new cafés, which are being built by Cafco Construction Management (also responsible for Row 34 and other area hotspots).

Last week Alina sent along these photos of Flour Bakery Harvard Square shot by the ever lovely Joyelle West, along with some design notes. Alina says, “We took a slight departure in terms of design but still maintained the integrity of Flour’s handmade feel.” Let’s have a look.

Joanne Chang's Flour Bakery In Harvard Square

The signature communal table—each Flour Bakery has one— is in the front of the space along the curved window.

Joanne Chang's Flour Bakery In Harvard Square

The communal table was custom fabricated by Boston-based studo FKIA. The walnut tabletop sits on a vintage Eames table base. Eames molded plastic dowel leg side chairs surround the table. The Tam Tam chandelier by Marset is from SoWa furniture showroom Casa Design.

Joanne Chang's Flour Bakery In Harvard Square

The playful hex floor tiles meet the concrete with a jagged edge. Alina says, “They act as sort of a guide for the flow of the queue.” The white small hex mosaic wall tiles are also done with a jagged edge. IC Lights S Pendants by Michael Anastassiades for Flos hang over the counter. Cafe tables (you can see one in the background) have Carrara-like Silestone tops and bistro chairs from Casa Design.

Joanne Chang's Flour Bakery In Harvard Square

The Flour logo cut into the stained, cerused quarter sewn oak millwork of the sandwich counter features an antiqued brass yolk of Flour logo and have that spilling onto the floor using antiqued brass.

Joanne Chang's Flour Bakery In Harvard Square

The cement floor tiles are Popham by Ann Sacks. Alina loves their patina.

Joanne Chang's Flour Bakery In Harvard Square

Photos by Joyelle West

Flour Bakery, 18 Brattle Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Foodie Friday: Pre-Winter Break Holiday Brunch

This morning I had a few friends over for a pre-winter break holiday brunch. An excuse to drink Mimosas and Bellinis, try out a few recipes, and hang with friends before two solid weeks of family.

I baked orange sour cream muffins with an orange glaze and made the egg soufflé sandwiches from Flour Bakery, with the recipe from Joanne Chang’s second cookbook. (So good.) I also put together a shredded brussels sprout and kale salad with chickpeas and pomegranate seeds. I have no idea if this was any good since I wasn’t feeling lettuce-y this morning. For starters I did cream cheese on pita crackers with smoked salmon and capers or sun-dried tomatoes and fresh dill. One of my favorites.

Since I’m neither an entertaining blogger or food photographer, I didn’t set a beautiful table (there’s only so much time) or take stunning photos. But here are a few decent shots of the me, the food, and the absolutely beautiful flowers. Happy holidays, happy weekend.

Self-Portrait with (Blood) Orange
I was surprised when I cut the orange open. I didn’t expect blood red.

Orange Sour Cream Muffins with Zesty Orange Glaze
Very easy to prepare. You melt the butter so there’s no need to pull out an electric mixer. The most effort went into zesting the orange. The final result, glazed and good. The glaze is very sweet, and very easy. Recipe from Damn Delicious, discovered via Pinterest on my “Breakfast” board.

Egg Souffé Sandwiches
Those famous egg sandwiches from Flour Bakery, straight from the Flour Bakery cookbook by Boston chef and bakery owner Joanne Chang, Flour Too. The egg portion of the recipe is very easy and tastes delicious. You can make them the night before. In fact, the whole reason Change developed the recipe is because her shops don’t have the capacity to fry up eggs on a griddle. Skip the whole baking your own bread part. I served them open face, on croissants from Trader Joe’s, with tomatoes I roasted the night before, slices of melted cheddar cheese, turkey bacon, and a Dijon mayonnaise sauce.

Bloom Couture
Gorgeous asymmetrical white and green centerpiece from Bloom Couture Floral Studio, a new florist in Boston’s South End. The arrangements have a distinctly modern Japanese aesthetic, created with a mix of classic flowers, like white roses, and others that I rarely see and can’t name (but I’ll find out). Look carefully at the leaf on the left. . . the metallic gold square is a nice touch.

Foodie Friday: Flour, Too by Joanne Chang

Pastry chef and Flour Bakery owner Joanne Chang just debuted her second cookbook, Flour, Too (a followup to Flour: A Baker’s Collection of Spectacular Recipes). This time around Chang includes recipes for the cafe’s most popular sweets and savories. I went to the book launch party at Flour’s newest outpost (in my neighborhood!) and sampled all the goodies. Here are my Instagram photos. Now I need to try out the recipes in my own kitchen. I’m hosting a 6th grade graduation brunch for 25 this Sunday, so it’s perfect timing. The problem will be which to choose.

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