Keeping West Palm Beach residents' rising dough fantasies fulfilled in both the eastern and western areas of the city, two new bakeries have recently opened.
One has made sourdough and beautifully inventive pastries its mission while the other is focused on a very particular style of Italian bread and a menu jam packed with creative sandwiches.
Along West Palm Beach's western front Café Marseille opened on July 31 and in the city's downtown The Daily Focaccia opened their doors on Oct. 5.
Though they each fill a very particular niche, both bake with passion and have a hyper focus on using only the best ingredients.
Café Marseille, West Palm Beach
Café Marseille is located at 7776 Okeechobee Boulevard and is the creation of chef Jean Marseille.
Marseille is adamant about using only
French flour and butter and prides himself on crafting sourdough and pastries into "edible art."
If you've been to Café Marseille or seen their posts on Instagram you know this is more than hyperbole. From the chocolate and hazelnut cube croissant to the fleur cookie topped with Valrhonausa chocolate ganache to the Reuben croissant and the capri chicken sourdough baguette, his creations are gorgeous.
Marseille said that one of his favorites is their sourdough pistachio, white chocolate baguette. Pulling inspiration from his most recent trip to Paris, he said that he put his own spin on it and it has become his most recent favorite.
Marseille said he baked out of a local commissary kitchen before opening his brick and mortar shop and that the location of his new bakery fills a very unique niche. "I think there was definitely a need for this, especially in the western part of West Palm Beach… There aren't a lot of scratch bakeries in the western part of the city."
In addition to the new store, Café Marseille can also be found every Saturday at the West Palm Beach GreenMarket.
Though he does have some staff that helps him at the shop, he's one hundred percent involved with his products. "Overall, I touch every pastry. I touch every piece of bread. It's certainly something that I'm heavily involved with."
A man of many talents, Marseille is also a practicing lawyer as well as self taught, passionate baker.
The Daily Focaccia, West Palm Beach
This new downtown West Palm Beach bakery and sandwich shop is the creation of Fernanda Bruna and Erjon Musaj.
Both are veterans of the wildly popular Palm Beach restaurant Bice and met while Bruna was working as server and Musaj as executive chef.
The idea came to them about two years ago upon the realization that there were no traditional focaccerias in the area.
Taking a leap of faith and venturing out on their own, the pair first began their adventure hosting pop-ups at Datura 123 and other locations before eventually opening their brick and mortar store at 410 Evernia Street.
Though the address is Evernia, the front of the restaurant actually faces South Dixie Highway.
As their name implies, they make focaccia bread and every loaf is made by Musaf. Born and raised in Tuscany, Italy, Musaf's focaccia is made using only organic ingredients and made fresh every morning.
"Focaccia is a traditional Italian bread made with simple ingredients like flour, olive oil, yeast, and water. What makes it special is the process. It takes time and patience to allow the dough to rise properly, which gives it that beautiful, airy, pillowy texture on the inside," Bruna said.
"Our focaccia is incredibly light, which is something people really appreciate. Our sandwiches are generously sized, but because the bread is so airy, you don’t walk away feeling overly heavy or stuffed."
The Daily Focaccia uses their lovingly prepared focaccia to craft nearly a dozen different sandwiches. Some of these are already gaining a cult-like following.
"The response has been really exciting," Bruna said. "People are loving the freshness of everything, especially the bread and the quality of the ingredients."
Some of the favorites so far have been the Siciliana Rustico, made with genoa salami, burrata cheese, arugula, roasted bell peppers, and garlic aioli; the Italiano Bello, featuring mortadella, ricotta cheese, pistachios, balsamic glaze, and arugula; and the Toscano with prosciutto, arugula, tomato, and truffle cream.
Bruna said they always recommend those three to first timers who want to experience some of their more traditional Italian flavors.
Joking, but also stating a fact, Bruna said they don't have side dishes because "the sandwiches are big enough."
They do, however, serve soft drinks, coffee, Italian beer and Italian wine.
Café Marseille, West Palm Beach
Where: 7776 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach
Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday to Friday; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; closed Monday
Information: instagram.com/cafemarseille
The Daily Focaccia
Where: 410 Evernia St., West Palm Beach
Hours: noon to 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday; closed Sunday
Information: 561-727-8802; thedailyfocaccia.com instagram.com
Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at eritz@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Two new West Palm Beach bakeries have east and west areas covered
