Back to Eden Bakery Expands to Pizza, Panini, and Hot Fudge Sundaes
The new Back to Eden dinner menu will feature gluten-free and vegan pizza.
Image: Courtesy Back to Eden Bakery
If you avoid gluten or animal products (and/or love rosewater cupcakes), you might already know that Back to Eden Bakery is undergoing a major upgrade this spring. The cramped Alberta neighborhood cafe is taking over an adjacent storefront, adding 40+ additional seats. But while many assumed the expansion would simply provide extra space for patrons to nibble on veggie quiche and lemon lavender cake, Portland Monthly has learned the plans include much, much more…
Rather than knock down the walls between the two spaces, Back to Eden is turning the new storefront into a discrete gluten-free and vegan café offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In addition to the existing roster of pastries, tarts, and biscuits and gravy, early-morning patrons will now be offered tofu scrambles, brunch cocktails, housemade coconut yogurt topped with sugar-free granola, and biscuit sandwiches with lentil sausage, tofu “egg” patties, cashew-based sharp cheddar, and seasonal veggies.
The café’s light lunch menu features focaccia panini piled with toppings like spice-crusted celeriac, smoked eggplant, nut cheeses, and pickled veggies. Come back for dinner to feast on sourdough pizza topped with creamy housemade mozzarella and local, seasonal produce.
The new menu is full of housemade ingredients and seasonal, local produce.
Image: Courtesy Back to Eden Bakery
“We are playing with curing, smoking, pickling, sprouting, and everything in between,” says assistant culinary director Torri Rubi. “We will be growing micro-greens and sprouts in house; I already started our first round of daikon sprouts.” The dinner menu will also include breadsticks, antipasto boards, and a small bar menu.
The existing Back to Eden space will receive a few menu upgrades, as well. Highlights include cake slices, hand pies, and an expanded sundae menu that appears to be designed to compete with local fro-yo destination Eb & Bean. (Think hot fudge, magic shell, Butterfinger-style crumbles, caramelized bananas, and a larger number of soft serve flavors.)
The new café will be open from 8 a.m.–10 p.m, seven days a week. Keep an eye out for a grand opening in early July—until then, you can still get plenty of treats at the existing bakery and the Back to Eden cart at Tidbit.
