Expect to exert a Herculean effort to resist the in-house confections churned out on a daily basis by the diet-busting kitchen of Bartram House Bakery in Wexford.
“Built From Scratch In 1976,” the family-owned business headed by Tim Warne is a nod to his grandmother, Sara Bartram, whose legacy began with homemade pies made in the basement of her Houston, Washington County, home. These days, the ovens at the Wexford, McMurray and South Side locations kick on daily between 3 and 4 a.m., churning out recipes that, in large part, originated from the pages of Sara's cookbook.
Top-shelf items ($5.99 each) include individual slices of Fruit Tarts, Raspberry Truffle Tarts, White Raspberry Cakes, New York Cheesecakes, a Peanut Butter Mascarpone Mousse coated with chocolate ganache and Flourless Chocolate Tortes, a gluten-free “big seller,” says Andrew Worthington, who co-manages the Wexford joint with Preston Gorman.
Towering cupcakes ($2.99 each) flavored with Snickers, banana cream, chocolate-covered strawberry, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, red velvet, and double chocolate vanilla are neatly arranged above rows of cakes that typically fly off the shelves at a rate of 20 to 25 per day ($16.99 for 6 to 8 servings; $29.99 for 12 to 16). If a custom cake is on your mind, give them two to three days' notice before you start celebrating.
As if all of the above weren't enough to leave you with a severe case of dieters' regret, it's probably best that you try and shield tender eyes from the trays of colorful, French macarons (99 cents each), a less-sweet version of the uber-popular macaroon whose almond flour, powdered sugar and egg-white base is gluten-free. Never mind the various flavored cake pops on a stick ($1.99). “We can't keep the Oreo ones on display,” Worthington says.
If, for some odd reason, the notion to satisfy your sweet tooth takes a backseat to more respectable eating habits, chalkboard menus offer a plethora of cafe food.
“People see (the name) and they come in and don't realize that we have regular food,” Worthington says.
Oatmeal with Fresh Berries ($5.99), quiche (bacon, ham or veggie, $7.99), Eggs Benedict with home fries ($9.99) and crepes ($7.99) of mixed berry, bananas foster or cinnamon caramel apple round out the all-day breakfast menu.
Sandwiches run the gamut from Crabcake ($11.99) to BBQ Pulled Pork ($9.99) to a Pepper Jack Chicken Wrap ($10.99). Salads include an apple cashew on a bed of springy spinach leaves ($4.99, $9.99), strawberry walnut ($4.99, $9.99), filet mignon ($13.99, $18.99), and a Harvest Pear Grilled Chicken ($7.99, $13.99).
Even at 2 p.m., when the lunch crowd is expected to taper off at the Wexford location, it doesn't. Occupying the indoor seating and outdoor, umbrella-covered tables on the patio is a melting pot of professionals, young adults and a contingent of ladies who lunch.
For those who feel especially sadistic, grab the table next to a glass partition where bakers roll out the vast array of sugary confections. And good luck with that.
“Luckily, I've been baking these for so long that I'm immune to it all,” Worthington muses.
Bartram House Bakery, Village at Pine Shopping Center, 2000 Village Run Road, Wexford, is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays. Details: 724-719-2442 or bartramhousebakery.com
Kate Benz is a features writer for Trib Total Media and can be reached at kbenz@tribweb.com, 412-380-8515 or via Twitter @KateBenzTRIB.
