Really, how can anyone say no to these?

Let’s say I weighed 100 pounds when I first began working at Bread and Cie. (I didn’t, but just let me pretend.)

It hasn’t even been two months and I’m already at “105.”

I knew gaining a few pounds would be one of the casualties of this job, especially since I’m allowed to take home a free loaf of bread after each shift. But I’ve budgeted for that - only taking bread one or two times a week and giving away much of it to family and friends.

So five pounds? Already?

It seems I didn’t account for the ridiculous amount of snacking that happens here during the day. Everyone in the office is extremely generous and they’ve shared everything from deviled eggs and Tabasco-flavored chocolate to frosted cookies and a candy jar that never seems to run out. The pastry department, which is both my favorite and my most dangerous place to visit, sends out new items for us to try as well as any extras lying around. Then there are the customers who visit, bringing us homemade enchiladas and hummus just because.

All this time I thought journalists were the ones scoring all the free food in town.

Obviously not. So, yeah, five pounds.

Baseball hats make me look like a boy.

I recently joined the Bread and Cie wholesale staff from the newspaper industry, a profession that requires you to learn things fast.

Give me an hour and I can tell you everything you need to know about Balboa Park or San Diego Unified’s Choice program or my new boss, Charles Kaufman.

Apparently, it’s not so easy to figure out the bread business.

Did you know it takes two days to make a sourdough baguette, but only one day to make a French one? Or that every bread has a mother? And more happens at Bread and Cie than just baking – there’s packing and delivering and who knows what else.

So to begin my education, I was sent on a 3 a.m. delivery route. My co-workers said this would give me a first-hand look at the restaurants we work with and also help me troubleshoot if we ever ran into delivery problems. But really, I think it was a hazing.

I’d be spending the day with Bobby and when I arrived at 3:15 a.m., he was already there, loading up the truck in the dark. It was one of those mercilessly cold mornings, but in the truck it was warm and cozy and smelled of fresh bread.

Just as I was about to hop in, Agustin, the delivery boss, pointed to my head and said there’s no way I was going anywhere without a hat.

“But I have short hair,” I protested. Baseball caps make me look like a boy.

At 3:30 a.m., Bobby was ready to go and I had a hat on my  head.

I’ve been out after-hours before and it was boozy and exciting. This was different. This was work.

Bobby drove through the dark streets, dropping baguettes and batards throughout the Gaslamp, saying hello to the fellow second shift workers. One security guard even gave us gossip about who was staying at the Westgate that night. (A certain football team owner from Texas.)

Then it was time to deliver pastries to the University Club.

I was once invited to the University Club, back when the Copleys owned the newspaper, but after all the tumultuous changes, my lunch never happened. I never imagined the first time I’d see it would be as a bread delivery girl.

Even though it was 4:30 a.m., and even though all the lights were out, the place still lived up to its reputation. The view of San Diego’s skyline was spectacular, and thanks to the flash on my camera, I could see I was walking on marble floors.

We continued up to South Park and Golden Hill, stopping at some of my favorite places (Counterpoint) and discovering new ones (Grant’s Marketplace). We crossed the Coronado Bridge just as the sun was rising, Bobby handed me a scone baked by Daniel, our pastry chef, and, you know, this wasn’t so bad. I think maybe Led Zeppelin was on the radio, but that could be just how I remember it.

A delivery truck full of warm, bready goodness

Our biggest delivery of the day was to the Hotel Del Coronado.

I wasn’t looking forward to this one only because I know how massive the hotel is and with my scone haze fading, I was getting tired. But guess what? There’s a super secret underground world at the Del and how exciting is that!

Bobby took about 15 or 20 crates of breads and pastries through a dark, narrow tunnel that you can only find after a security guard clears you. At the end of the tunnel, you’ll find a series of kitchens and walkways that let employees get around the hotel quickly. It felt both Dickensian and Goodfellas, with old pipes hanging dangerously close to our bread and employees nodding to each other in secret codes.

It was easily the most exciting thing that’s happened since I’ve joined the Bread and Cie staff and as we finished our route through Rancho San Diego and Bay Park, it was clear that this is definitely not something I can learn in a day.

Here’s to all the adventures on the horizon . . .

The unique flavors, textures and crusts give our breads a wonderful versatility and are a result of meticulous preparation using age-old artisan bread making techniques, premium ingredients and the finest stone-hearth oven imported from Europe.

All of the breads at Bread & Cie reflect our commitment to the highest standards of quality, our dedication to the time honored traditions of European artisan bread baking and our undying love of fresh baked, old world country bread.

We invite you to learn more about our Café, Catering and Wholesale.

Our café offers a “bistro” breakfast and lunch menu including specialty sandwiches designed for our bread, a variety of fresh and original salads and courageous soups made from scratch by our passionate soup maker.

Visit our Café at:

350 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92103
(Hillcrest, between 3rd & 4th Avenue)

Tel: 619.683.9322
Fax: 619.688.1758

Hours:
Monday thru Friday 7am-7pm
Saturday 7am-6pm
Sunday 8am-6pm

1 hour free Parking in rear

Can’t come yourself to the cafe for pick-up? Please check out these links for Bread & Cie. home/office delivery: http://expresslygourmet.com/  or http://www.fooddeliverysandiego.com/

Catering orders come with all necessary flatware, napkins and utensils.
Please, give us at least a 24 hours notice. Merci.

To place your order, please call us at (619) 683-9322.

Since 1995, Bread & Cie. Wholesale has baked rustic European artisan breads on stone-hearth ovens for all leading San Diego restaurants, hotels, and markets. Our distinctive line of hand-made pastries, sweet baked goods, croissants and other vienoisserie is now also available for wholesale.

• Baked fresh and delivered 7 days a week
• Competitive prices
• Greater bread choices and selection than retail
• Products designed specifically for chef and restaurant requirements