It's hard to resist the mouth-watering aroma of freshly baked breads, pastries, and muffins that drift past the door of the Bretzel Bakery in the cherry-colored building at 1a Lennox Street, Dublin. Its rich, warm smells conjure up memories of the past while offering an irresistible invitation to today's passersby.
Established in 1870, the Bretzel began as a kosher bakery; the Portobello district to Clanbrassil Street was once the center of Dublin's Jewish community. Though many Jewish families emigrated to America, England, and Australia, along with other Irish citizens during Ireland's lean years, the Bretzel remained a kosher bakery until the 1990s. The baked goods have become as diverse as the customers, but these bakers still use traditional recipes and the double-decked oven dating from the 1900s.
It's hard to decide which goodies to buy-the selection includes white twists (a soft, braided loaf with an egg white-glazed crisp crust called Challah that traditionally ushers in the Sabbath and holidays), seeded baguettes, small walnut loaves, tomato bread, chocolate macaroons, buttery croissants, snappy cheese and pepper focaccia, almond pastries, plus fine olive oils and Helen Gee's homemade gourmet jams and marmalade.
The bakery is named after the bretzel, usually defined as a pretzel, although purists hold that a real bretzel is soft and moist on the inside with a reddish-brown, crispy crust sprinkled with salt crystals. No matter-each bite of these bretzels is an experience to be savored.
I chose an almond pastry that lingers in my memory and makes me yearn for Dublin, several jars of marmalade destined to be slathered on one of the Bretzel's sinful baguettes, and one of the Bretzel's bretzels, which more than lives up to its reputation.
The Bretzel Bakery is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 am until 6:00 p.m.; Saturday, 9:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.; tel. +353(0)1-4752724; website: www.bretzel.ie.
P.S. For culture with your munchies, visit the nearby Irish Jewish Museum, or George Bernard Shaw's house at 33 Harrington Street and 52 Upper Clanbrassil Street-a site mentioned in James Joyce's novel Ulysses as the birthplace of Leopold Bloom.