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Yum, yum, yummy, yum, yum. I like it. Great little bakery in Roslindale. If you don't know, Rozzy is the hot spot! I've been here a few times now and have loved everything I've had (obviously).
Their baked goods are fresh, and varied. Their raspberry poptart (homemade!) is one of the best looking things you'll see. My husband goes wild for their ham and onion biscuit. Their bread is incredible and they have a really good selection of different homemade breads. Try almost any pastry and you will be happy.
They also offer sandwiches. Breakfast and lunch sandwiches. I've only had the lunch sandwich, but that and the soup I got was one of the best lunches I've had in a while. For $7 you get a half sandwich with fresh ingredients and homemade bread, soup, and a side. I chose potatoes for my side. They were red potatoes, fresh, cooked with some spices and created a wonderful side that was unexpected. The soup of the day the last time I went was ham and pea soup. They also had white bean soup which my husband ordered. These two soups were beyond incredible. Creamy, spiced just right, with quality pieces of ham (you know, not the itty bitty kind that is mostly just fat). It was a well rounded satisfying meal at a great price. Homemade bread too. Can't go wrong.
I like the decor as well. It looks like they went to vintage stores and picked out their favorite pieces. The tables are very 1950's, and all of the wall decorations and decorations around their counter are all vintage. I liked it cause it reminded me of my own vintage hunting and I saw many pieces that I too, would have bought.
Great spot, I will be back!
While apartment hunting in Roslindale yesterday I decided to check out Fornax Bread Company for lunch. I was excited to find such a cute little sandwich place on an otherwise not so inviting block (my apologies to fans of Roslindale Village- maybe I just don't get it yet).
I ordered the portobello mushroom and roasted red pepper sandwich. Not being very creative, I ordered it as it was designed, on a seeded roll. I thought perhaps it would be a bit weird since it was a pressed sandwich, but I went with it, because they're the bread people, not me. And yes, it was kind of weird. Also weird- they put lettuce or spinach or something on the sandwich which did not taste good pressed. It just tasted soggy. I picked it off.
The mushrooms were not marinated in anything, so it was just a blah mushroom sandwich. Normally I love portobellos, but they really have to be marinated to taste like anything special. For $8 this sandwich was waaaay overpriced.
I also bought some English muffins to take home and toasted them up this morning with some raspberry jam. My husband loved them. I could take it or leave it. I'll have to try another type of bread next time and reassess.
Fornax Bread Company is a great place to go if you want to pay extremely high prices for worse-than-average sandwiches.
Let's face it, if you're in Roslindale, you're probably having a bad day. Maybe you're waiting on an endless line at the post office, being ritually tortured at the RMV or trying to recover from identity theft at the Social Security office. Maybe you hit the trifecta. Worst possibility of all is that your entire life has been messed up and now you actually LIVE in Roslindale.
Where was I? Oh yeah, Roslindale. Trying to ameliorate your pain, you step into the Fornax Bread Company.
This place looks nice. They're obviously trying to be fancy. Whoa, check out those high-ass prices! They *must* be serving good food here.
No, I got the Pesto and Mozzarella sandwich on rye. Now, granted, I didn't throw up or get diarrhea or double-over in pain. That's the best thing I can say about the food. Everything was forgettable. The pesto may have been too salty. Or it may have been just right. Who can remember? Ditto the mozzarella.
At least the bread had to be special, right? I mean, it's the Fornax *Bread* Company, for crying out loud. (What's the matter? "Bakery" isn't a fancy enough word?)
No, the bread--rye in this case--was a complete non-starter. They tried to give it to me "toasted" but instead I got somewhere in between "burnt" and "practically on fire."
So what's the worst part of spending $8 for a sandwich that I could make just as well while walking in my sleep? I gave 'em a credit card because, well, I wanted to.
So it turns out that if you spend less than $10, they charge you a fee.
They are violating their merchant agreement when they do that.
http://usa.visa.com/ab...
http://www.mastercard....
Not only are they violating a contract, but they have the gall to complain that they're doing it because of "high merchant fees" imposed on "small businesses."
This "small business" just charged me $8 for a sandwich. Now they're violating their merchant contract to charge me even more!
So I politely informed the very nice lady behind the counter. All of a sudden, she copped a 'tude.
"Yeah, yeah. We know we're violating the agreement. You're NOT the first person to tell us that."
What. The. FUCK?!?
They're *knowingly* breaking their contract to tack on extra charges onto an $8 sandwich?
Honestly, if I weren't so honest I would complain about the several rat turds I saw on the floor at this place.
But there's no need to lie. This is a place that makes worse-than-mediocre sandwiches and charges you as if they had a tip that you were a member of the Saudi royal family.
Fornax Bread Company is run by the scum of the earth.
In light of the "colorful" review dated 8/12/2009, I would like to a minute and respond, for the sake of common decency, not to mention Fornax Bread Company, which truly is a cornerstone business of Roslindale, and widely (and rightfully) regarded as "the best bread in Boston."
As a regular at Fornax, I happen to know a bit about the way things operate. The place looks "nice" because it IS "nice." The idea is not to be fancy, but actually, to be "familiar" and inviting. "Fancy" is the wrong word, especially since the cafe was furnished by local artists and the Thrift Shop of Boston next door. Rather, Fornax supports local because it IS local - Roslindale loves it, and the owners love Roslindale.
For my part, I'm not qualified to step on the toes of a professional culinary expert such as the reviewer 8/12/2009. But it doesn't take a Michelin critic to know that ordering a Pesto sandwich on Rye bread is a relatively poor decision; at least, the flavors are very contradictory. On the other hand, why not try a Pesto sandwich on an Italian-style bread or on sourdough? Or take the Rye with Ham and Swiss? I'm a big fan of the Pesto and fresh Mozz on Sfilatino, especially since the Pesto is homemade, and the Mozzarella is fresh-cut buffalo - not the packaged shredded stuff.
And as a matter of fact, Fornax Bread company IS also a "bread" company, that specializes in making a huge variety of breads for retail sale, sandwiches, and - you guessed it - WHOLE SALE. Should your "profession" take around to other, fine restaurants, co-ops, or bakeries in the Boston area, you will probably stumble upon SURPRISE, Fornax bread. The word is out on these guys, and many other businesses are doing great things with Fornax bread - just not Pesto on Rye.
Now I know that $8 would stretch a little further at BK, but isn't it worthwhile knowing that (a) your food was homemade, (b) came from ALL fresh ingredients, and (c) that you leave stuffed. Let's be honest, the price reflects the portions! I don't mean that in a bad way, like a 5 dollar 1500 calorie Third Pounder with everything at McDon's. I mean that its a GOOD amount of GOOD food - stuff you can really feel great about digging in to, and usually some leftovers to take home.
Of course, there's the credit card issue. I've worked in small businesses before, and I know that it costs a lot of money for the business just to have a credit card machine and send transactions. Sure, we all forget to grab cash now and then - but fortunately, there just so happens to be 3 ATMS (that I know of, probably more) in Roslindale square alone. Now its one thing to charge 20 bucks to a card - quite another to swipe card on a small coffee. If you can't handle a 35 cent fee on a transaction, than you probably shouldn't be carrying the card in the first place. And if its a 'moral' opposition, than take it up with the credit card companies and there by-laws, since they have so much say in the ACTUAL passing of legislation and business ethics. I dread the day that Visa and Mastercard are actually making laws, don't you?
It's one thing to criticize a restaurant - but I was particularly offended by the "scum of the earth" comment. I've actually met the owners of Fornax, and they are incredible people, and widely known as polite, respectful, and professional - not to mention outstanding bakers. Moreover, Fornax gives back to the community - bread to local shelters, charities, and a weekly food pantry just to name a FEW examples. Roslindale wouldn't be the same without Fornax, and if you don't like Roslindale, then spare us the "blessing" of your presence.
For my part, I'm gonna go chow down on some Fornax Split-Pea soup with multi-grain bread. Peace.
I stopped in here on my meander through Roslindale Open Studios. I'd never been before but remembered having seen the name before as a good bakery. Once I was inside, I was a goner: I was surrounded by fresh-baked bread, whole-wheat brownies (!), slices of pumpkin bread, ham and cheese croissants, everything in the world to tempt me.
But as it happens, I had a bit of a sore throat, so I held back from baked goods, however delicious, as too dry to be swallowed easily, and I held back from the exciting sandwich menu, in favor of one of the daily soups: split pea with ham.
Split pea with ham is one of my favorite soups, and I especially crave it on crisp autumn days. This was one of the better pea soups I've had; the lean, tender ham really made it. It came with two thin slices of multigrain bread. The bread was warm. I don't know why-- it was such a simple touch-- but this made me all but shiver with delight.
The soup was exactly what I needed, and the bread was hearty and excellent for mopping up every last trace of the soup out of my bowl (which I'm hardly ever inclined to do, but here I HAD to).
As a sponsor of Roslindale Open Studios, the walls were decorated with a local artist's mixed media pieces. This added an extra bit of charm to the homestyle, thrift-store ambience.
Service was brisk and more friendly than I'm used to. I'm typically happy with the service I receive anywhere I go, but there was something extra here. I tipped generously.
It was only as I was on my way out the door that I noticed the wide selection of cookies in jars behind the counter. Alas, some other day, perhaps...
I've been buying bread here for months now and they have never let me down in that department. My latest discovery has been the rosemary bacci - just delicious.
Pastry items continue to underwhelm though. The scones are really absurdly hard and dry, and very skimpy on the fruit. Sandwiches are also nothing special, Blue Star and Jimmies on the same street make much better.
I've only gotten stuff to go, none of their meals. I like the bread, but it has a particular style… Read more »
This place is great! I first had their soup at the Taste of Roslindale, and I swear, it was the best thing I had all night! Went to visit Fornax and found it to be a cute space with great selection of meals, tasty treats, and loaves of bread. Soup was just as delicious as it was at the Taste. Also, it is appreciate that they list all of the ingredients in their breads -- my mom has a bunch of food sensitivities and it's great to know what she can eat. My only complaint would be that they don't post their soups and quiches of the day on their website. I'd love to see this info made available so I knew if I should make the trek over -- but obviously -- this is just a teeny weeny complaint. Overall -- wonderful!
Fornax has only been around since 1997, but in keeping with the Roslindale ethic, it looks straight out of 1955. The English muffins here are truly transcendent, so fragrant I sniffed them all the way home through the plastic bag. You'll never eat a supermarket hockey puck again. Breads and sweets are all good. The lemon meltaway cookie is superb and must be at least half butter (also sold at City Feed on Centre Street). Fornax is now a part of our weekend ritual.
The smell of this place is warm, yummy carbs.
I usually just pick up my loaves of bread here, but when I'm feeling really bad I'll get one of their delicious cupcakes. Mmmmm . . .
Had to grab a baguette for that lovely cheese we had just purchased around the corner. So we came for Fornax, since it was close and radiated delicious smells. I sampled a vegan oatmeal cookie, which was surprisingly good. But the bread was just lovely- crusty and chewy. The bakery itself was obviously full of locals who knew each other. It is very charming and a great resource for the neighborhood.
Great baked good, I had the sticky bun ($2.75+) which was a sweet croissant like roll perfect ratio of cinnamon-sugar and butter. Also I tried the walnut "something" bread ($2.50+) and the cinnamon twist ($2+). All pretty good and some great fresh bread/rolls. Prices are a bit steep for product but like everywhere in Boston.
My whole family loves Fornax, from the large whole wheat loaves, small white loaves, buttermilk biscuits. I always have to buy an extra one because I'll have it eaten before I get home & my family would be mad.
Mr bf man had been hounding me about going to Fornax for about a month, so we finally went. Because they're a bread company, they are known for having really good sandwiches. I have an anxiety about ordering food in new places where there are too many options, and Fornax pretty much presented that for me.
I didn't realize until later that I could customize the sandwiches shown, so I was intimidated by most of them and went with the pizzette, which is like a pizza, because it felt safe.
It was okay but I think I would have liked another option better. My bf liked his soup and sandwich. I thought it was a bit pricey, especially looking at the pastries.
I probably will be forced to go back, but I'm kinda meh on it. I could take it or leave it.
I wanted to like this place more than I did. I bought a loaf of challah and a buttermilk biscuit, even though I was eyeing their large offering of breads. I am going to give it another try, because I'm not sure if I just ordered the wrong thing.
The challah was dry-ish and didn't have the honey, egg-y taste I am used to from other very good bakeries I've been. The biscuit was big, but dry and not at all buttery or flaky, like I like 'em.
All this said, there were a lot more things to try, and I'll be back to give it another go.
Great selection of breads and pastries.
I had a breakfast sandwich, which was served on a freshly made english muffin. Excellent. I purchased two bags of them before I left.
They also have a rotating selection of traditional and creative soups, sandwiches and salads. Coffee, sodas and teas are also available.
The owners and employees were very helpful and seemed to be enjoying themselves which is a huge plus.
I'll be back for the pizza dough soon.
Had quite possibly the greatest breakfast sandwich ever this weekend. Bacon egg and cheese on fresh brioche... oh.my.god.
Loves loves loves Fornax. The turkey asiago and tomato sandwich is sooooo good. All of the breads… Read more »
You wouldn't know this wasn't just a bread company at first site-at least, that's what everyone I bring here says.
The butternut squash soup is good even in the summer. The grilled cheese w/swiss and potatoes is my favorite. Gooey, cheesy, melty...I'm starting to sound like a Taco Bell commercial.
I am a big fan of the decor. Kitsch-core.
Fun facts: They have a kids menu, you can call in orders, you pay after you eat, bread comes with the salad, anchovy on the Caesar.
Minus one because I always go here starving and wait seems too long (my fault or theirs?). And I can't come here when I'm cheaping it.
The bread here is amazing, as are the desserts and treats (I have a serious weakness for their butterhorns) It's a great place to stop and have a quick soup and sandwhich (I've done this a dozen times and never been disappointed, ever)
The holdback on 5 stars is the staff - I always feel like I'm bothering them somehow with my order. It's never bad enough to keep me away though.
I'm on a carb filled memory craze this morning thinking about where I've gotten amazing fresh baked bread that has knocked my socks off. Fornax jumps to the top of the list in Roslindale Village. This is a full on, extra hippie, stand up bread making operation that will not let you down. You can walk in and pick from the days creations, their regular loafs and rolls being my personal favorites. I really like the crunchy, almost hard crust that compliments a soft but not too mushy inner loaf. I've putsed around with making bread over the years and gotten quite familiar with the ingredients and complexity of baking and I really appreciate the work that they put into their breads.
A few years back they also added a sit down menu with soups, salads etc that are all really stand up. It's not super cheap and I wouldn't expect to be in such a high rent area but it is worth every penny in my opinion. A few local stores carry their breads and a few restaurants as well so you may have had their stuff and not even known it.
I tried this bakery after the many rave reviews here.
Unfortunately the standards of the reviewers must differ from mine.
This place is very amateurish and lacks real knowledge of how bread should be. I suggest they go train with a real European bakery. Any average bakery in Belgium, Holland or France will beat them hands down.
The oversized (why?) cinnamon swirl was chewy, so only half-baked.
The croissants really do not deserve the name. 'Croissant' means 'crunchy', not soft, chewy, shapeless, halfbaked. 'They are pieces of dough with stuffing, not true croissants.
Similarly the baguette was nothing of the kind. It was not fluffy, airy and crisp. It was instead tough from teh outside and thick, almost like a German type of bread.
The two positives were:
- that it was dirt cheap, so I did not feel like I lost a lot and
- the piece of carrot cake (or carrot bread) my wife had was delicious, which is no surprise since that is a total different subject matter as compared to true bread and is typically well done here in the USA because it is so simple to make.
Avoid if you can afford better.
Without a doubt the *best* bakery in Boston. The bacci rolls make the best sandwiches, the multi-grain boule is rich, moist, and substantial, and the North Italian sourdough has a great crust and subtle flavor.
Boston suffers under a plague of so-called bakeries, which are really bad Italian patisseries with Bird's Custard yellow cream.
But even the handful of real bakeries (Iggy's, Hi-Rise, Flour) can't hold a candle to this real, artisanal, old world bread.
You can pick up their breads at Harvest and City Feed if you don't fancy the trek to Roslindale.
I went here for lunch recently and was impressed with the place. It's a good spot for lunch. They have a good menu with various sandwich and salad selections. They have 4 soups available as well. I had the turkey asiago w/ tomato on semi-sourdough and it was pretty awesome actually.
Anyway, I was surprised that this is a place where you can sit down and eat lunch; I thought maybe it was just a counter where you order bread and pastries (which you can certainly get there), but there are actually 5 or so tables where you can sit down and eat your meal.
Such an awesome spot!! The breads are all freshly made and so tasty.
Reasonable prices and local charm make it worth walking or driving to.
Try the squash soup when they have it avialable!
3 Important Things That Haven't Been Said about Fornax:
By way of quick intro let me say I am a former professional baker, and extremely food-fixated. I'm not so easy to please, so when I am happy others tend to agree. While I think there is better bread to be had (Clearflour) and pastry (Canto 6) these guys have some charmers in their repetoire (the cinnamon raisin bread, their take-off on the Oreo with it's sweet/salty combination, and a very buttery decadent bearclaw like item that's name is escaping me)
1. The lunch salads are excellent, abundant and well-priced. For example, the mesclun salad is organic greens, currants, pine-nuts, home-made croutons from their bread, plus a couple pieces of fresh bread. Add chicken for for an extra buck. These easily feeds two (or nice leftovers).
2. They only make one breakfast but it's delicious and hearty and also could feed two if you weren't completely famished. They make a "breakfast sandwich" of eggs, their own fresh brioche, and your choice of breakfast meat (the sausage pattie is homemade and has fennel in it) a big side of roasted potatoes. It shows you why a righteous joint like this is light years from a fast food breakfast.
3. The physical space is really charming--old pressed tin ceiling, wood floors. It feels hip in a homespun way.
Absolutely one of the best bakeries I've yet to find in Greater Boston (Toretta's in Revere is another).
Their signature bread is a boule which in my experience always has a nice crust which is not too thick and not too thin and the soft middle is perfectly chewy with a just-past-subtle sourdough flavor.
The croissant I had once was AMAZING, but be prepared, while fluffy it was not light...very heavy on butter (which I love). I've also tried a few of their pastries and they too were just top notch. The stuff is just always fresh, always delicious. I have yet to try their sandwiches, soups etc.
If I want a great sandwich, mmmmm give me two slices of Fornax' boule and put just about anything in the middle!
Great Bakery, the sanwiches are delicious, but the seating area is very small, the tables are close to each other, that is the reason why I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars.
The bread is delicious, especially my favorite, the raisin pumpernickel. But the other baked goods are not so great. Good sandwiches and soup too, though they seem frazzled when they get more than one sandwich order at a time, so be prepared to wait.
The owner/head baker seems to be a sweetheart. The goat cheese spinach turnovers are to die for.
I don't care if I'll always be fat, I'm never giving up carbs and this is why. Fornax bread is outrageous, so freaking good. It's also really reasonably priced and they'll slice it for you! They also have fantastic baked goods, I got this weird almond thing (I think they called it a Wale Twist?) and it was ungodly good. It was like a mix of an almond croissant and a raspberry danish. Their sandwiches sound great too, I've only tried the grilled cheese and tomato (which they accidentally gave me instead of ham & cheese, minus one star!). Still, it was pretty excellent. The staff is hit or miss. When I came for pastries at 7am, the teen was nicer to me than I deserved, especially when I said I had to run next door to the ATM. But I've been here in the afternoon when some surlier teens were working. But I give them a break, those years are tough. Oh, and they do accept cards, but it's a $10 minimum.
Excellent local bread place in Rozzie Square. It's a great meeting place for the neighborhood as well. The breads, English muffins and sandwiches are great. The only downside is the service from the register staff -- who don't seem to take their job seriously and seem to be easily confused.
My 1st visit to fornax bread I had my favorite sandwich & have been ordering it ever since!
I ordered the mozzerella w/tomatos & olive oil, mmmmmmmmm!
I also had a scone the other morning it was just as tasty.
Best bread in Boston. I still make a regular trip there even though its not down the street anymore. Their sandwiches should not be missed either. Get there early for a good selection.
I have been going since the bakery opened in 1997. Love the breads, love the lunches, love the store layout. Recently, they have started selling pizza dough. I am not a java junkie so i can not comment on the coffee.
I only gave the place three stars because of the owners and counter staff. They are granola-crunchy snobs who are condecending towards working-class customers. When a yoga-mat toteing, j.jill - clad woman comes in, they are very personable and accomodating. When an over-weight joe six-pack lumbers in, they are terse and dismissive.
I used go there all the time for a half-boule, sliced. Such good bread - they get five stars just for that. I also love the tuna melt and some of the pastry. Lousy coffee, but you know they put their focus on bread and that focus pays off.
Outstanding bread. Stop on Saturday morning for fresh english muffins, and pick up a sliced half-boule to make some special sandwiches for the work week.
While Fornax is a bread bakery, and nobody can say nary a word against their bread, their other stuff -- in particular their scones and their croissants -- are simply dreadful.
We had visitors in from LA, and I got a smattering of goodies from Fornax (we are locals), and I was deeply embarrassed by the, uh, brickness of the scone (my hostess gene was kicking in...). My guest was making amusing comments about "monk food" when she tried to eat it, but she simply could not finish it. It was heavy and hard, really not something you'd expect at a place that calls itself a bakery.
Their croissants are always greasy, and never seem fresh, no matter which type you order.
Now I know that Fornax is primarily a supplier of bread to restaurants, but since they peddle themselves as a cafe as well, I would think that their coffee would at least be swallowable. I believe, however, that it is the fault of the brand they use (Green Mountain, I think?) because I have never had a good cup of that coffee anywhere (and I'm a Dunkin' Donuts girl!).
I love Fornax. Their bread is amazing, their salads are so good and their croissants are to die for! I gave them 4 instead of 5 stars because I don't think their butternut squash is very good but besides that, I love them!
I havent been there is sooooooo long but every time I had gone in the past I enjoyed the sandwich I got 100%!
$5.25 half/$7.00 whole is too much for a sandwich, especially one that isn't all that big, and the cole slaw side isn't really cole slaw; the vegetables are cut up, but not shredded, and there isn't any dressing. Still, I do like their tuna melts, as well as the mismatched furniture and the photos on the walls - they're interesting and give the place a nice local feel.
so they didn't have honey mustard today, but i don't mind even a little because i usually go for coffee and scone, or pb on toasted mutligrain. this place is so affordable and so delicious with a nice down to earth staff. the jars of home-made oreos, macaroons, chocolate chip cookies line the back wall next to shelves of home-made bread ranging from batard, to soda bread, brioche, french baguettes...in the front cases there are various scones: raisin, ginger almond, cranberry oat, banana, along with buttermilk biscuits, sweet rolls, ham and cheese baguettes, and beautiful cup cakes. the walls change decorations--from children's designed tiles, to a display of antique-y lace and embroidery, to the most current frames of old album covers, and magazine adds and portraits. the architecture itself is also wonderful. the old building has funky details throughout--make sure to got to the bathroom just to check out how it grows into the kitchen and prep rooms. i go fairly frequently with by boyfriend, and i hope it stays that way for a while. also, i have never spent more than 12 dollars there. its one of those places you not only truly enjoy as a space to eat and drink, but also one you love to support.
Neighborhood: Roslindale Village
Category: Cheese Shops
Neighborhood: Roslindale Village
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Roslindale Village
Category: Grocery
Neighborhood: Roslindale Village
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Roslindale Village
Category: American (New)
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