While Kevin and I were out in San Francisco last week, we couldn’t help but notice something: bread pudding seemed to be a “thing.”
In fact, Schulzies — a spot just around the corner from our hotel — serves up exclusively bread pudding (chilled, since it’s in California). And though Kevin and I opted for a morning bun and croissant at Tartine, we noticed that we were surrounded by diners eating bread pudding — for breakfast!
As a huge fan of bread pudding, I’m very okay with this.
We all know San Francisco is famous for their sourdough bread (it is amazing, by the way), so perhaps the emergence of bread pudding as a popular treat was destined to be a next step. Honestly, I don’t care all too much about what set this trend into motion — I’m just hoping it starts making its way over to the East coast. I mean, just listen to some of these bread pudding varieties available out in Cali: Butter Me Up Biscotti, Strawberry Brioche, Warm Black and White Chocolate, and Croissant and Custard. YUM! (If you’re in the Bay area and need a bread pudding recommendation, check out this round-up from Refinery 29.)
Slightly related story (in that it’s also about bread): Before heading out to California, Kevin and I were intrigued by another bread-related trend that’s been reported by John Gravois for Pacific Standard. He’d seen toast (just toast — buttered and such) become a common menu item at coffee shops around town and wondered was so special to warrant the fascination (and high price tag) associated with the simple food. Gravois initially assumed this was a run-of-the-mill overrated, hipster trend, but came to find out there was so much more to the story. (Unfortunately, we didn’t make it out to Trouble Coffee & Coconut Club during our visit — perhaps the only regret from our amazing trip.)
But I digress. Let’s get back to bread pudding.
Lots of sources (from the Houston Chronicle to the Food Channel to Dolche and Gabana’s online magazine Swide) have tapped artisan bread — and its derivatives like bread pudding — as a 2014 trend, but San Francisco seems to be at the epicenter of the trend thanks to Schulzies (they just dove right in!) and other local establishments.
And to that I say, “Well done, San Francisco!” Way to embrace this new trend with such gusto and skill. (And hey — if Winston-Salem eateries wanted to get on the bread pudding band wagon, let’s just say you’d have at least one avid supporter.)
