A hit and a miss at Bread

Our plan of re-enacting the Parisi Bakery lunch SYB and I had shared nearly a year ago was thwarted by inclement weather; the prospect of trying to eat a sandwich outside while trying to keep it and myself dry was not appealing. Luckily, around the corner from the bakery and sandwich shop was the cozy restuarant Bread, which offered a warm respite from the cold winds and rain.

After scarfing down almost a full basket of the restaurant's raison d'être—fat slices of a delicious, airy loaf—I dipped my spoon into a bowl of their hot tomato soup. Creamy and rich with olive oil, the soup was bright, sweet, and comforting, and perfect for the chilly day.

Less satisfying, however, was my order of crispy polenta topped with mushrooms and fontina cheese. The pan-fried slices of polenta were crisp and tender within, but their mushroom and fontina topping was salty to the point of being inedible. After several bites I found myself scraping off the mushrooms and eating the polenta unadorned. Too bad, for the dish had been so promising.