There was a bakery downtown Stockholm that closed last year, that had become an institution in the city. I don’t think I had ever been - maybe once. On its last days in operation, I remember seeing people queued up to grab their favourite breads and pastries one last time.
There was talk of "how come?" and "why" it was closing and I don't know the specifics other than that the baker, much celebrated, desired something new.
We would later find out that a new place was opening, under a new brand and concept, and in a completely different part of the city.
And for as much as you may identify me as someone on the pulse of the latest in urban development, food & beverage evolution and the latest in cafe hunting, I have a few friends and colleagues at work that are much closer to the edge of what's happening than I have been of late.
While this new place has been open for a bit and have heard these friends discuss it, post photos from it and even invite me to go check it out, it wasn’t until this morning that I headed over on my bike to see what the fuss was about.
See, back in 2014, I was living in Toronto and Vogue published its list of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world.
West Queen West in Toronto placed 2nd (where I had lived a couple apartments earlier) and at the time was living a few blocks east. That neighbourhood was where the majority of my life was. The architecture practice I worked at was nearby, as were my yoga studio and favourite cafes, shops, parks, restaurants and bars.
In that same list and coming in at 3rd was Södermalm, Stockholm (where the first bakery I mentioned was located before it closed down and moved). Fast forward almost a decade, and Södermalm has functioned similarly to West Queen West in my life here in Stockholm.
However, this baker, opened up his new place in what could be the opposite of cool (depending on how you define it). It’s not gonna make it on the Vogue list. Maybe in 20 years? I am not sure. But I think that’s the point.
Picture concrete, a still semi-functioning industrial park, chain link fencing and barbed wire, and a collage of industrial, commercial and retail spaces that serve a diversity of people. The new bakery functions more as a destination than an aesthetic relocation of what the entrepreneur had built for themself in Södermalm.
It’s funny how context shapes expectations and behavior. I got there and people didn't care about location or ammenities one bit. They gathered inside, sat on the steps or the pavement in the sun, leaned up against the fencing with their coffee and pastry, with bikes scattered amongst parked cars in what I can only describe as a space that was once a food terminal of sorts.
I had a pain au chocy (my slang for pain au chocolate/chocolate croissant at the moment) and a brew coffee with some micro-roasted beans from Rwanda.
The croissant was one of the best I ever had.
The location is out of the way, disconnected from walking or biking pathways. You have to seek it out. Maybe there's satisfaction in the challenge of getting there that makes it that much better.
It was nice to mix up my Saturday morning routine and come home and write about it. My morning routine had become quite stagnant of late, even with the spring pivot to at-home ice latte's via my Nespresso to bring on the summer vibe after a long, long winter!
Anyway, seasonal shift is here. New routines are here. Cycling is back. And exploration mode is on.
Happy Saturday. Jamie.
Happy explorations Jamie! Affirming that your days will continue to be filled with new sights, tastes and adventures.