For the first week, Mark Smith didn't have an "Open" sign for his new Townsend Park Bakery, so did the next best thing--he put a basket of his bread in the windows. "And the next thing you know, people started showing up," he said with a laugh.
No doubt about it, the organic sourdough loaves are appealing. Smith makes the bread on premises in a large wood-fired brick oven, and the large loaves are golden and crusty.
The fire in the brand-new Helderberg bluestone oven burns brightly, and warms the already cozy interior. Anyone who knows Smith, knows he is adept at designing warm, inviting spaces. He formerly owned the Antica Enoteca on Lark Street, better known to its customers as simply, "the Wine Bar," a popular basement-level restaurant retrofitted with European-style brick walls and fireplaces.
The inspiration for the new bakery came from his travels in Italy. He wanted a bakery that felt warm and relaxing, like the cafes he visited in Rome, he said. And the big draw? Great bread.
"Let's face it, bread in the states can be pretty awful," he said.
He tried to work on the new bakery alongside operating the wine bar, but eventually decided to sell the wine bar, and concentrate his efforts on the new enterprise. He doesn't regret giving up the old business, "For every moment I miss it, there's two that I don't," he said.
The new bakery will serve gourmet pizza alongside the organic loaves, and Smith is seeking a beer and wine license, too. The restaurant is comprised of two giant rooms, both of which overlook the bread oven. On another wall, he has constructed a community bulletin board, using 5,000 corks. There are already two notices posted, and Smith said he wants to put more up. He envisions the restaurant as a hive of community activity, he said.
Townsend Park Bakery is located at 238 Washington Avenue, across from Townsend Park.
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