Foodie Friday: Craft Bakery & Cafe, Night Kitchen Coffee
DENTON, Md. – A can-do couple in Denton is the force behind a lively spot where you can get some of the best coffee around, and tasty eats to go along with it. Foodie Friday Host Hannah Cechini and Photog Mike visit Craft Bakery & Cafe and Night Kitchen Coffee.
Cup of Joe
When it comes to the brews, there’s something for everyone to love.
“If they like a bolder coffee, we have that; if they like a more fruit-forward or acidic coffee, we have that. We also have everything in between,” said co-owner and coffee roaster, John Rutkowski. “You can expect very well-balanced sweetness and acidity. Drinkable coffees, approachable coffees.”
But a good cup of coffee starts before the roast, says John.
“My philosophy starts with the producers who make the coffee. My primary goal is to work with the same producers of the coffee, year in, year out,” John explained. “You can create steady flow of income for them so that they can take care of the people working the farms, pay adequate wages.”
Once the coffee beans make their way to Denton, the roasting process begins. The beans are poured into the roaster, and John turns on the air flow and adjusts for the desired temperature.
After a short wait, the beans are ready to be ground up into a tasty cup of joe.
“This is really easy-drinking, and I can see it perfectly pairing with any pastry,” said Hannah with their first sip. “Or, sometimes I think a good cup of coffee is the perfect component to a sandwich.”
A Sandwich Worth Studying
Lucky for the Foodie team, because they got to try both. That’s where co-owner and pastry chef Bri Rutkowski comes in. While John handles the beans, Bri handles the bites, and skillfully so. We start with a towering sausage, baked egg, and cheddar cheese, sandwiched on a homemade chili salt sourdough bagel.
“We have some very clear strata of protein. We have the ovum age, and the sausage age,” Mike joked about the thickly layered sandwich. “Generations will study this later.”
Seriously speaking, though, “The sausage is really well-seasoned. You’re getting a nice, thick slice of it,” Hannah said. “That’s a legit bagel. The texture is there, it’s got the right chew to it, and a nice little crust on the outside. But also, I like that it’s a sourdough bagel because it give that hint of funkiness underneath everything.”
The Jawn
Also on the menu: the Jawn. It’s a marriage of ideas from the married co-owners. “I think we ran this as a special one time, and sold so many of them, that we were like ‘And, this never goes away,'” Bri explained.
It starts with Bri’s focaccia, which is shmeared with John’s “super secret sauce.”
“It is a Dijonnaise essentially, except without Dijon it’s spicy brown mustard,” Bri said. “It’s got a little herbs, a little hot sauce, and a little pickle juice, actually.”
Add on pickled pepper spread, chopped romaine dressed with olive oil, balsamic, and salt and pepper. Throw in provolone cheese and the meats. “Ham, prosciutto, two kinds of salami, and olive loaf,” Bri said.
“Those peppers have a very nice mild vinegar action going on that does bring it back to that fresh deli sandwich experience,” Mike said. “[The focaccia is] fluffy, and the crunch on that crust is fantastic. I definitely like that they used finishing salt on it to get those little pops of saltiness.”
Perfect Pastries
Even if you’re full, you can’t leave without trying one of Bri’s pastries, like the cardamom knot. “It’s a really aromatic flavor. If you haven’t had cardamom, it’s very herby. I would venture to say it almost has a smoky flavor in a way. But the little chunks of sugar, and the pastry has that sweet component to it,” Hannah said.
And, the prosciutto knot.
“Imagine you have a super flaky, buttery croissant, and then you’ve taken prosciutto and gruyere, and you put it in the middle of that, and then you cover it in everything bagel seasoning,” Hannah said with a smile. “It’s probably a good thing that I don’t live near here, because I’d be here spending all my money on these prosciutto knots every day.”
Craft Bakery & Cafe
Craft Bakery & Cafe and Night Kitchen Coffee are located at 12 South 3rd Streer, Denton, Md. You can call them at 410-934-7519. If you go to check it out, tell the team that you saw them on Foodie Friday.
