Hillsborough Bakeshop & Cafe — Restaurant in Hillsborough

I wish I could give it 15 stars. The staff is clearly jazzed just to be there. I think they take care of their staff... having worked in restaurants, I probably would have gone back just to feel the joy oozing out of the people who work there again. It's refreshing. Please take my money to create that in the world. And. It's small, clean, efficient, and truly friendly. I was going to have lunch nextdoor, but that place was closed. So I asked some folks leaving what appeared to be a coffee shop where to get lunch, and, emphatically, they said, right here. This place. So I did. The menu is short and sophisticated, and must change regularly enough to justify writing it on a chalkboard only. When I first walked in, the noise seemed raucous... I soon adjusted to the gentle clamor inside, though. The 90s R&B put me in a really good mood. The whole ambiance is comfortable and cozy. The salad made of bread was a new concept for me, and with all the enthusiasm of anyone who is facing an unfamiliar and unexpected change, I tentatively dug in. Panzanella. Worth looking up if, like me, you were not already familiar. Point being, the salad was moist, tart, sweet, filling, and almost subtly yet fragrantly flavored with fresh vegetables and herbs in perfect proportions. It didn't pop or punch. It just quietly glowed. The sandwich I subsequently had was similarly extravagant. The focaccia wasn't just fresh. I make focaccia. It's not world class. It's just ok (my focaccia, that is)... so I still figure I know what I am talking about when I say that I don't know what they did to theirs. It's got all of the complex crumb one expects from a masterful foccaccia-- and it is moist but not greasy or sopping, soft and round with complex notes. Baking is clearly this place's calling... but that's just the bread the sandwich was on. The pairing of meat, cheese, and mild tapenade (house made?!) was masterfully filling, interesting, and again, like the salad... the flavor pairings didn't pop or overpower. They just glowed. Now I wish I had been brave enough to try the sandwich with the fennel seasoned meat-- not always my favourite seasoning-- and, I want to know what the mind behind the other two dishes decided to do with it.

And did I mention that the staff are nice and happy to be there? Love it. This place is a masterclass in hospitality. Visit for the charm, visit for the flavor, and visit to find out how much you're missing if you don't. Apparently they serve dinner, too, I guess on a day when they don't close at 2? Or do they reopen later in the day on a particular day? I overheard someone asking...

Amazing gourmet food (esp pasta) in the guise of a friendly neighborhood bakeshop, plus top quality baked goods and excellent coffee. Fans of Panciuto (the dinner restaurant that turned into the bakeshop) will recognize (now-luxuriantly-mustachioed) chef Aaron Vandemark’s talent for combining surprising flavors on the lunch and especially dinner menus on Friday and Saturday nights. The menu is always changing, but there’s always at least one vegetarian entree and salad option, and the grilled ciabatta never disappoints even if your kids are picky. I wish he’d bring back the vegetable board. That was a work of art. Right now, I’d get the goat cheese tortelloni and Greek salad, the chocolate babka and the tea cake, as well as the regular coffee with cream. It can get expensive if you have hungry kids along with you but is a great place nonetheless. There are currently no prices on the website— Entrees run $20-40 after the mandatory 20% “fair wage” charge. (Tips are not accepted, and the restaurant is mostly counter service.) Salads probably 15-20. Baked goods are around $7.50-$9. The food is the best, so it’s worth...

Hillsborough is a quaint little town. The Bakeshop has special spaghetti nights and I’ve had the pleasure of attending two.

In both nights I’ve called ahead to inquire about vegan options as they do not have anything in writing on their website or menu about this. And both times I have been able to attend and order the “vegan pasta.”

I have attended with groups of friends who are enjoying their traditional menu offerings and they have all enthusiastically enjoyed their meals with almost all saying it’s the best pasta they’ve had. The vegan pastas I’ve had on the two separate occasions were some of the only meals I’ve considered not eating. They were not bad, however they were lacking in flavor, texture, cravability, and overall enjoyment of the food.

It’s been quite a bummer to audibly hear how wonderful the food around me is while I am having a very different experience.

I do appreciate the option and ability to accommodate different diners, I do wish the experience was closer to that of their...