Photos courtesy of Neil Horsky
Canele, Coffee and Stew at Amaranth Bakery and Café
Canele, coffee and stew at Amaranth Bakery and Café
Venture to the historic West Side neighborhood of Walnut Hill, to the east of Washington Park along the Lisbon thoroughfare, and you will come upon an urban oasis—an overused term, I admit, but Amaranth Bakery and Cafe epitomizes the concept. On a massive lot transformed into a lush, verdant garden, complete with raised beds of berry, herb and vegetable varieties, wildflower plots teeming with butterflies, fruit trees and even a working apiary, Amaranth sets a tone of reprieve and renewal. Explore the outdoor patio cut from the greenery, and park yourself at a picnic table by a fire pit and grill, encircled by whimsical rebar sculptures, shielded by a wooden fence with folky mosaic tiles adorning its posts. It’s a nearly entirely insulated serene outdoor space for basking in the splendor of the Milwaukee morning.
Entering the establishment, beneath an ornate tin ceiling, you are immediately enveloped in warm atmosphere. Hopeful sincere conversations murmur about and interweave with a peppy but unobtrusive jazz on vinyl. It’s a diverse, artsy, community building, do-gooder crowd, in meetings to save the world, or their own block, or dining out with friends and family. They come to Amaranth for more than just the nice surroundings. The kitchen offers a rotating variety of global lunch options, ranging from French quiche and savory brioche to Italian sandwiches, Mediterranean salads, Moroccan stews, Creole soups, Indian curries and more. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, they have you covered. There’s Anodyne coffee and Harney & Sons tea. But anyone who knows Amaranth would be kidding themselves if they didn’t admit the unanimous main draw is the fresh bread and pastry selection.
World Class Pastry
Get there early during their limited hours if you want your choice of all the options because it’s a mad dash to acquire and devour anything and everything baked. It’s no secret the pastries are literally world class. The tarts, for example, are highly prized, masterfully and lovingly prepared, with perfectly balanced sweet, buttery and eggy flavors, and crisp and melty textures. The raspberry tart is made with berries from the aforementioned garden—heaven! The classic croissant is above and beyond the competition. Even the gluten free crowd gets treated to a richly decadent double-chocolate buckwheat cookie. For me, the pièce de résistance is the canelé—a bite-size sensual adventure you’ll want to savor in bits, as the caramelized vanilla rum crust gives way to a fluffy custardy core. It’s a morning treat unrivaled in Wisconsin.
Photo courtesy of Neil Horsky
Bee Hives - Amaranth Bakery and Café
Honey bee hives at Amaranth Bakery and Café
Sip your coffee and feel genuine gratitude for this unique neighborhood bakery cafe. Take the time to notice the full library with an apparent focus on urban studies. Here you can learn about Milwaukee history, culture, nature and cuisine, local activism efforts and community gardening. Sit somewhat in awe of the larger-than-life shrine to one Frederick Law Olmsted, the premier American landscape architect who designed nearby Washington Park. Take in an art exhibit on the cafe walls. The current show features portraits by a local painter. Pick up some bulk maple syrup or honey harvested from hives just outside. They even sell rabbit manure, of all things, if you need some of … that. Amaranth has nearly all you could want to sustain your good living. It’s a place to share, to enjoy, to escape to and reconnect with. Be there now.
Visit Amaranth Cafe and Bakery at 3329 W. Lisbon Ave. from 7 a.m.-2 p.m., Thursday to Saturday. You’ll be greeted with a smile and leave with an even bigger one.
