I admit it. It has taken me a while to get over the idea of paying for bread service at restaurants. Forever, bread has been a staple of dining out, as a filler to idly nibble while waiting for appetizers to arrive.
Yet here in Wine Country, the noble starch is usually custom-crafted daily, either on-site or by a boutique bakery nearby. It becomes as much a statement of a kitchen’s talent as homemade pastas and desserts.
At the Trading Post, which opened in October in Cloverdale, things are even better. There’s a full bakery showcased through a glass wall off the dining room. Head baker Aaron Arabian changes the bread board line-up daily, such as the superb brandied onion rolls, potato-arugula focaccia, pumpkin rye and rosemary pain d’epi we enjoyed one evening, or the French baguette, artisanal sourdough country loaf, seeded rye and sweet fruit-nut bread on another.
Served in generous portions with creamy cultured butter, the bread fantasia ends up being a mouthwatering bargain for just $6.
It seems like we’ve been waiting forever for this delightful eatery, after the bakery side first debuted in June 2015. A project from the Mercer Restaurant Group that was behind Mid-Market San Francisco former hot spots TBD, Bon Marché and AQ, the bakery alone took more than a year to build out, and then the remainder of the 3,000-square-foot building at First Street and Cloverdale Boulevard needed substantial renovation to turn it into restaurant space.
Now, Mercer has turned the reins over to executive chef-new owner Erik Johnson and his wife and business partner, Marissa Alden. Johnson previously worked at Healdsburg’s Dry Creek Kitchen and J Vineyards & Winery’s Bubble Room.
It’s very easy to like this stylish, raw-wood-trimmed space with its wood and brass wine bar that runs the length of the room.
Especially given the limited dining choices in Cloverdale, it feels like an under-the-radar hideaway, joining neighboring hip charmers like Savvy on First café and pastry shop, Plank coffee and Cloverdale Ale Co.’s Ruth McGowan’s Brewpub.
The restaurant is still evolving, too, with recent additions like a bakery counter at the restaurant entry stocked with changing temptations such as jalapeño-cheddar-bacon focaccia that’s rich and pillowy, and whole baguettes that are long, crisp-crusted wands of perfect fluffy crumb.
(I also admit it: I took home two loaves of bread after dinner one night, and devoured them both within two days.)
Expanded counter
In January, the counter expanded to a takeaway center, offering specialties like smoked salmon with cream cheese and green onion on rye ($7), brie layered with sweet piquillo pepper, butter and spicy pepper cress on baguette ($7), and rice noodles tossed with bok choy, roasted winter squash and sesame soy dressing ($7). There are chocolate chip cookies, flan and tarts, and we can grab a picnic, or take a seat at the oversized wood tables that sit atop the Saltillo terra cotta-tile and wood floor.
Still, dinner remains the main attraction, featuring a simple but entirely satisfying lineup at reasonable prices. There are plenty of pleasing bites, from a platter of five deviled eggs (where does the last half egg end up?) topped in finely grated horseradish and mustard seeds ($6), to dill seasoned tater tots lightly fried in duck fat and plated with aioli and herb salad ($8).
Trading Post Restaurant & Bakery
Where: 102 S. Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale
When: Restaurant: 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. Bakery: 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Bakery counter and takeout: 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday
Contact: 707-894-6483, thepostcloverdale.com
Cuisine: California, American
Price: Expensive, entrees $16-$49
Corkage: $20, waived with bottle purchase
Stars: **1/2
Summary: The combination of a full bakery and casual California restaurant is delightful; try the savory topped toasts
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