"Without bread all is misery"

There is much to love about Mexican cuisine (George and I should know as we love it just a little too much). From salsa and guacamole to chile rellenos and chicken mole, the food here in Loreto (and the whole of Mexico) is not just good, it's great. But sadly, there is one glaring exception to that awesomeness and that would be bread, or more specifically, loaf bread.

Julia Child once said, "How can a nation be great if its bread tastes like Kleenex?" Truer words were never spoken. That handy paper product is exactly what Bimbo bread tastes like to me. Yuk!
Before anyone takes me to task for dissing all Mexican bread, I will freely admit that most of the commercial loaf bread sold in the States is awful too (just not as awful as Bimbo bread, the most awful of them all). The difference is that in the States we can get some good commercially-produced bread, but that kind of bread can't be found in a 200-mile radius of Loreto. And believe me, we've looked.

My doughy complaint lies strictly with commercial breads like Bimbo, so it should be noted that the local panaderías here in town offer some decent bread, it's just not my cup of tea. And speaking of tea, who can deny the joy of a thick slice of fresh, warm bread slathered in butter and/or jam accompanied by that fine beverage? Not me, that's for sure, and not Frank McCourt who wrote in his best-selling memoir "Angela's Ashes" that "...after the egg is there anything in the world lovlier than fresh warm bread and a mug of sweet golden tea?" No, Mr. McCourt, there is not!

All this complaining is just a prelude to the announcement (drum roll, please!) that there is a new bakery in town and the bread is as good as any artisan bread north of the border.

Pan Oli recently opened two doors down from Dali Gourmet (which re-opened this week after a summer break) and although they didn't have much to offer when I stopped by yesterday, they did have some rolls and very nice round loaves of fresh bread.

We went back to snap a photo and stock up on some fresh bread when we happened to bump into another Agua Viva home owner who had just discovered the new bakery. He, too, was thrilled at this new addition to the Loreto business community.

Today we went back and bought some ciabatta bread, focaccia and a cinnamon roll for George, as those little treats are his absolute favorites. We haven't yet tried the focaccia, but the rest was awesome. They also offer different types of rolls and pastries and will open a small restaurant in the coming months.

When you're next in Loreto, be sure to stop by this new bakery. It's well worth a visit.

Note: The quote that acts as a headline for this post is from a British journalist, William Cobbett (1763?-1835). He was a smart man.