Baked goods are one of the greatest pleasures of life. And like so many other culinary pleasures, the French have nailed the whole baking thing to a T.
There's nothing quite like that first bite of a fresh-out-of-the-oven, warm, crisp yet pillowy baguette, flaky croissant, or buttery pain au chocolate.
Although we do have a few bakeries scattered around, such merrymaking delights are not all that easy to find in the confines of South Florida -- hey, we have lots of other fattening options.
The newly opened Egmondt Bakery in Fort Lauderdale is here to present yet another glutenous pastry course of action. Situated on East Broward Boulevard, the new shop offers a selection of French and European-style pastries and breads right in the heart of downtown.
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Owned by husband-and-wife team Olivier and Nadine Maes, the bakery opened in the bottom of the Waverly building about two months ago. Straight from Brussels, the couple decided to open the shop in Fort Lauderdale because they saw a gap in the market.
"We went back and forth for the past three or four years," said Olivier. "We knew we wanted to be in South Florida, but we had the choice of Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach. We thought Fort Lauderdale was a good balance and a great starting point for expansion."
The shop specializes in traditional French and European pastries created from old recipes. It sells a variety of goods ranging from chocolate croissants and crepes to tarts and eclairs to full sheet cakes; however, Egmondt's specialty is the bread.
In addition to baked goods, the spot serves full breakfast and lunch as well, with items like egg breakfast ($6.95) with eggs, bourbon beans, bacon, a roll, and butter with jam; quiche ($5); croque monsieur ($8.95); and a variety of sandwiches, such as veggie ($8.75); with mozzarella, grilled vegetables, pesto, and arugula; BLT ($8.75); and Nordic ($9.75), with salmon, cream cheese, herbs, lemon juice, and cucumbers.
A selection of salads ranging from caprese ($9.75) and caesar ($7.75) to the Egmondt ($9.75), with baby spinach, chicken, pine nuts, and strawberries with balsamic glaze and walnut oil, present healthier -- i.e., not carb-filled -- options.
For a $10 minimum, the bakery delivers free of charge east of Andrews Avenue; it's 65 cents per mile for anything farther west. The shop also specializes in catering, with a number of breakfast and lunch options customized to fit individual budgets.
"There are a lot of businesses and apartments downtown," said Maes. "We want people to know we are here to delivery breakfast baskets and coffee or anything else to them."
Egmondt Bakery is located at 100 N. Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-999-0124, or visit facebook.com/pages/Egmondt-Bakery.
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