Hours: Cafe hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Sunday Brunch is served 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Bleu Door’s Express walk-up bakery is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Where: 2413 Main Street, Vancouver.
Contact: 360-693-2538 or www.bleudoorbakery.com. Bleu Door may be found on Facebook as well.
Health Score: Bleu Door Bakery received a score of 0 on May 21. Zero is a perfect score, and Clark County Public Health closes restaurants with a score of 100 or higher. For information, call 360-397-8428
Why: Bleu Door Bakery has established a reputation of producing high-quality fresh pastries and breads available with walk-up service using its unique Express window. The bakery recently expanded its offerings to include breakfast, lunch and Sunday brunch by adding indoor dining.
Hours: Cafe hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Sunday Brunch is served 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Bleu Door's Express walk-up bakery is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Where: 2413 Main Street, Vancouver.
Contact: 360-693-2538 or www.bleudoorbakery.com. Bleu Door may be found on Facebook as well.
Health Score: Bleu Door Bakery received a score of 0 on May 21. Zero is a perfect score, and Clark County Public Health closes restaurants with a score of 100 or higher. For information, call 360-397-8428
Bleu Door provides baked-from-scratch items made in small batches using traditional methods that incorporate local ingredients and are always free of hormone rBST.
What I tried: I settled on the house-made pulled pork hash, which is served with a side salad of fresh, local, mixed greens tossed in a light, tangy lemon vinaigrette and sweetened by dried cranberries. I also took home a slice of carrot cake, a coconut macaroon, a slice of bostock (almond toast), and a twice-baked chocolate almond pastry.
I thoroughly enjoyed the breakfast, which I paired with a cup of Earl Gray tea. The hash is made with golden fried Yukon red potatoes combined with a generous portion of tender and moist pulled pork, red bell peppers, sweet onions and drizzled with a scrumptious poblano cream. Two eggs (prepared by choice) sit atop the potato mixture and create a sort of deconstructed scramble experience. The greens alongside were garden fresh and the accompanying mini butter croissant finished the dish perfectly.
Of the items that I took home to try, each had distinct qualities that put them in the running for my favorite. The lemon curd cream cheese frosting on the carrot cake gave it a citrus character that was both appetizing and unlike any I have tried before. The coconut macaroon was fluffy with a cakelike character instead of dense and sugary. I enjoyed the twice-baked chocolate almond pastry that tasted just as its name implied and was gone much too fast. The almond-encrusted sweet bread bostock was very good. I thought a pat of butter and a drizzle of real maple syrup would suit it perfectly.
Atmosphere: The cafe brings a charming array of elements together to create a one-of-a-kind dining experience. Just inside the entry door, the baked items tempt from behind a spotless partition of glass flanked by wrought iron leaf scrolling. Refrigerated goodies are next to these, attractively displayed in a cooled bakery case. Lighting consists of chandeliers which are different from one another and all beautiful in their own right, embellishing the space with an air of elegance. A cool color palette of white and purple complements black and natural wood tables and chairs in arrangements of two to six. Walls are tastefully decorated with a collection of handsomely framed mirrors, which, like the chandlers, are all different. Each table is topped with a bouquet of fresh flowers. Overall, the cafe has a sophisticated vibe sure to impress all who choose to dine in.
Menu highlights beyond what I tried: Biscuits and gravy come with either sausage gravy or a vegan mushroom and onion gravy. Seasonally inspired quiche is on the menu, as is a seasonal scramble of eggs and “whatever is fresh and local.” You may also keep it simple with steel cut oats or a breakfast sandwich.
Lunch includes hot and cold sandwiches made on delicious fresh baked bread and served with a pickle and a salted peanut butter cookie bite. The Roast Beef & Bleu sandwich is made with medium-rare beef with arugula, bleu cheese spread, and caramelized onions on a grilled bleu cheese ciabatta roll. The grilled Reuben is available on Friday and Saturday. Soup of the day is made in-house and fresh every day. You may pair it with a half grilled cheese sandwich or opt for the bread bowl.
Bleu Door’s signature dessert is the chocolate truffle brownie, which comes in eight different flavors.
Other observations: While I was eating breakfast, a couple came in expecting to find doughnuts. I noted that the staff acted courteously and respectful, engaging in conversation, making the couple feel nonetheless welcome. As a result, they selected some pastries and left Bleu Door smiling and obviously happy they were mistaken to have found something other than doughnuts. This, I thought, was a good example of top-notch customer service.
The waitstaff was professional, friendly, and attentive. Breakfast was no less impressive than the pastries and bread that Bleu Door has acquired its outstanding reputation by. In my opinion, Bleu Door is one of those places in Clark County that gives us privilege.
Cost: Breakfast selections range from $7.50 to $13. Coffee, tea, and lemonade is $2 to $4.25. Wine is sold by the glass for $7 or by the bottle for $20. Lunch entrees are $5 to $10. A cup of soup is $5. Salads range from $8.50 to $15.50 and sandwiches cost $9 to $11.
