Buffalo Rising Online

Mar 20th 2007, 11:00am By Christa Glennie Seychew

Standing at the corner of Elmwood and Breckenridge, Dolci bakery springs from the curb, emitting tantalizing scents. Once inside the door, you encounter not only display cases filled with sumptuous treats, but also an air of calm, content happiness. Kevin and Melissa Gardner, along with partner David Simpson, have re-invented this little village bakery. The sweets are sweet, but so is the love that is poured into every cookie, pastry and cake. Brittany Kirkley, the woman that handles the front counter, always has a beaming smile for her customers, and loves her job so much that she has occasionally asked to come in and work on her days off (for free!)

The recent addition of artisan bread maker Josh Willett only increases the value of Dolci to its surrounding neighborhood. Josh has a passion (much like the rest of the staff) for the traditions and principles of authenticity that accompany rustic baking. He’s baked bread for numerous city restaurants, but has found true happiness at Dolci.

“What they’re doing here at Dolci, the desire to produce an authentic product in this positive environment, lends itself to what I want to do, what I want to accomplish. It’s an honor to bake bread here,” Josh smiles, ‘to have my bread sit on the shelves next to Dolci’s pastries.”

Josh’s loaves run the average price of an artisan loaf, $3 - $4 a piece, but they’re anything but average. The baguette has a marvelously chewy crust and the interior is not only packed with great flavor, but is also the perfect texture and consistency one looks for in a good baguette. The hearty multi-grain is made with 10-12 grains, raw honey, and contains no yeast. The ciabatta (which was devoured by my family within 15 minutes of returning home) has gentle hints of whole wheat and rye and just the right number of large alveolus (air holes). There is also a sesame batard and whole wheat. Occasionally, Josh creates a bread offered as a “special”, amongst these is a traditional French sourdough made with apples.

“We have all of these dynamic people here, doing what they have passion for, what they love,” Kevin enthusiastically tells me. “It isn’t incredibly profitable, but when you’re doing something like this, people feel it. It’s like a big love fest over here everyday. Love is the first ingredient that we use in everything we make, and you can taste it. It’s beautiful when people can express themselves and make a living being happy. We love our staff, Brittany, Zilly and Melinda, David with his gelato, Josh with his bread and our fantastic investor Richard Buccleau. We need all of them to do what we do.”

And they do it well.

Dolci
732 Elmwood
882.5956
Tues – Sat 8:30 – 5:30, Sun 10 - 3