Mt. Morris is right across the state line into Pennsylvania and is home to Rising Creek Bakery, a sweet, hidden treasure in the town. Known for their salt-rising bread, the bakery ships it all over the United States. You can even get a shirt or bumper sticker proclaiming your love for the bread. They have other kinds, baked on different days, as well as a breakfast menu, lunch menu, and pastries on pastries on pastries...
The shop is a little off the main route and overlooks a creek, so I suggest you Google it to get the specific location because I kept that photo on my phone, and it got me right there. We walked in and fell instantly in love with the traditional charm and modern flare. Along the wall was a long bench with pillows and chairs on the opposite side. Cases were full of pies, pastries and desserts. A chalkboard menu hung above the counter, and I took a few minutes to digest the options.
Mostly, it looked as though they had some typical sandwiches: turkey, BLT, grilled cheese. But I saw they had quiche, so that was something different - turkey and caramelized onion. I also got a side salad with their balsamic vinaigrette, as well as a coke.
The quiche was pretty tasty; I would've liked an even bigger piece, but it was great. It definitely had more of an egg-y taste than ones I've had in the past. It was a great flavor combo - like breakfast flavors. Even more cheese would've made it over the top.
The house salad was surprisingly stacked with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, peppers - much more than your typical house salad. The balsamic was tasty, too. While eating, I was trying to figure out how much more I was going to spend here - I definitely needed a loaf of the salt-rising bread. But before I could say much more, the sweet woman working the counter asked if it was our first time visiting, which it was, and she asked if we knew about salt-rising bread. She came over to our table to try to explain that "old folks" know about the tradition. She brought us over some slices of toast so we could try it. Quite tasty!! I think it was around $8.50 for the quiche and salad, so not a ton of food, and I was still a little hungry.
I browsed the case to select some goodies - banana bread with walnuts and a brownie were headed home with me. The banana bread was phenomenal - I think they added some coconut, but it wasn't a prominent flavor. I'm not huge on coconut, but I was huge on this bread. The brownie, though huge and looking milk-chocolatey, was more bittersweet. So much so that I didn't finish it. I like my sweets sweet.
Overall, it's a really nice little place, just outside of town, with some delicious fresh food. Check out their Facebook. The bakery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Grade: B
2 comments
Funny, I'm not big on coconut either. Especially the texture. I love their quiche and their balsamic dressing. As you probably know, I ply I-79 quite a bit between Morgantown/Fairmont and Pittsburgh, so this place was a welcome addition to my route and love of getting the hell off the interstate sometimes for a break/lunch. Wasn't much to speak of off the Mt Morris exit before Rising Creek. I feel the portions are pretty fair for the price/quality. It's a tough business being a small food business in today's world, especially off the beaten path and not right off the interstate. Glad this one has made a go of it and hope they stay the course and stay in business.
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely a nice little hidden treasure. I've heard so many great things about this place that I wasn't even traveling I-79 - I just wanted to go check it out! It really is a nice little place, and if I were traveling often, I would probably stop. Not sure how crazy I am about going out of my way to go to it, while it is good, it didn't blow my mind, so to speak. However, it was a nice environment, they were super accommodating, and for anyone in that area or traveling, I know it must be a welcome addition.
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