Core City: Ochre Bakery

The duo who brought us Astro Coffee, Jessica Hicks and Daisuke Hughes, have opened up shop in Detroit’s Core City neighborhood with Ochre Bakery. Ochre Bakery sources quality ingredients from local farms, and producers, with much of it being organic. Everything is made from scratch and it shows. The menu includes a plethora of baked goods, both sweet and savory, salads, sandwiches, with a substantial amount of vegetarian and vegan options. Aside from the food, one of the best features of Ochre Bakery is the lovely park, shaded with trees, that is shared with Magnet, the veggie forward spot, that sits across the way.

Dips & Bread

A compilation of three dips including beets and hazelnuts, smoky carrot and almond, hummus topped with dukkah, which is typically made with cumin, coriander, sesame seeds, herbs, and hazelnuts. The bread is crusty, chewy, yet soft on the inside. All three dips are delicious and served with garlic yogurt, but my favorite is the beet and hazelnut dip! It is sweet and earthy, and oh so good. I could not get enough. I really liked the dukkah as well. Toasty, nutty, and spiced flavors exploded through with each bite. I was first introduced to dukkah while eating at Leila (Downtown, Detroit). Amazing that something I have never experienced in my life pops up twice within a month’s time.

Veggie Pita

Sourdough pita stuffed with feta cheese, beet and hazelnut dip, dukkah (mixture of herbs, nuts, and spices), garlic-yogurt, and mixed greens. The pita is lightly charred, slightly chewy and heartier than other pita I’ve had. The briny, salty feta is great with the sweet beet and hazelnut dip!

Seasonal Salad

Huge chunks of sweet carrots, beets, cabbage, fresh parsley and hearty grains. I really liked the big pieces of vegetables. I also liked that this salad didn’t have lettuce as most common salads do. It was fresh, healthy, and filling. This is something my good friend Lora would enjoy (she isn’t a fan of leafy greens)!

Lemon Pistachio Cake

Moist, sweet, and a perfect balance of lemon, and pistachio with a layer of light frosting. I never used to be a lemon person, but this cake is a game changer. It’s light, bright, and refreshing.

Cinnamon, Custard Tart with Gingerbread Crust

The combo of cinnamon and gingerbread with the creamy custard is delicious. Warm, nutty, perfect fall flavors. The crust was good too, nice texture.

The first thing I noticed when I walked in Ochre Bakery was a glass pastry room behind the counter. This is the focal point of Ochre Bakery and its where baker, Max Leonard works his bread magic. It reminded me of watching pizza being made behind the glass as a child. Ochre Bakery was channeling my inner child, only with big, adult flavors. Combine that with display cases of mouth watering, freshly baked goods, ton of natural light and Ochre Bakery is the perfect place to enjoy a pleasant breakfast, brunch, or lunch.