Bartram House Bakery: Culinary Delight and Coziness From the Cold

Visions of sugar plums might not dance in your head as you walk into , but just give it a moment.

One look at the delectable bakery case and you might have pumpkin cheesecake, red velvet cake, Russian tea cookies, pecan pie and lady locks dancing into a box for you to take with you to an office party or your home.

Bartram House Bakery offers made-from-scratch desserts in its recently opened bakery/cafe at the Village at Pine in Wexford.  

On a cold wintry day, there's nothing like sitting in a cozy cafe to take away the ugliness of the weather. Here you can sip on a cappuccino or chai tea as you look out the floor-to-ceiling windows and note the wind bending the trees just outside the door.

You, however, are in a warm place surrounded by delicious food -- pastries, soups, sandwiches, salads and breakfast selections such as omelettes and crepes. You also may order whole-bean coffee and loose-leaf teas.

The coziness emanates from the taupe-and-black decor that is accented by a brick wall and chimney-like brick columns. The open-to-the-rafters dining room has a feeling of airiness that still feels cozy because of the warmth created by painting the overhead area a dark color.

Black chalkboards behind the counter tell customers what is on the menu.

The shelves under the front counter have a selection of packaged items that make nice gifts -- mixes for apple bread and monkey bread, teas, jellies, spices and hot chocolate mix. Bartram even has birthday candles [in case you order a birthday cake and forget the candles, I suppose].

Customers can grab a seat at any one of a half dozen high-top tables or more than a dozen square standard-height tables. Along the cafe's brick wall is a banquette. 

As the winter chill sets in and patrons enjoy the warmth inside Bartram House Bakery, they can dream of spring simply by looking out onto the bakery's patio where tables and chairs fill with customers when the temperatures climb.

Ah, to dream.