A little off-topic, perhaps, but I figured the quantity of participants
here will give me better breadth of replies.

I'm headed to Boston next week on a lightning visit. I'd like to find a
good bakery for *bread*, not pastries. (The French have it right - you
should have separate terms, "boulangerie" and "patisserie" for the 2 types
of establishments. Why does English lump them together?) It's proving
difficult to get any advance information because virtually all reviews,
travel guides, etc focus on patisseries virtually to the exclusion of
bread. So you'll find plenty of recommendations saying such-and-such a
place is excellent, then read and see them raving over cakes or pies or
eclairs or whatever.

When I think "good", too, I'm not thinking so much of a bakery that's a
standout for unusual, unique types of bread or a particularly broad
selection of breads with unusual ingredients. I'm looking for high-quality
basic breads - e.g. plain white French and Italian, straightforward brown
bread, ordinary rye, etc. I highly prefer breads not made in a sour style
(in Seattle sour-style breads are ubiquitous to the point of
monopolisation).

Any recommendations?


--
Alex Rast

(remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)