Manresa Bread bakery-cafe will open this week — with 3 new desserts

If you were already a fan of Manresa Bread’s bestselling levain loaves, kouign amann and monkey bread, get ready to add to your shopping list.

Avery Ruzicka’s Manresa Bread will open its fourth Bay Area bakery this Friday at Palo Alto’s Town & Country Village — with new desserts making their debut at this location in the coming weeks.

For Peninsula residents who were accustomed to buying from the bakery’s booth at the California Avenue farmers market from 2013 until the pandemic hit, it’s actually a return to Palo Alto. The bakery was launched that year as market stands by Ruzicka and David Kinch, chef-owner of the three-Michelin-starred Manresa restaurant in Los Gatos, so that locals could buy breads they had enjoyed in his restaurant.

“We’ve been part of the Palo Alto community for a long time,” said Ruzicka, the head baker and founder who has overseen the brick-and-mortar expansion from Los Gatos to Campbell and Los Altos. “It’s exciting to welcome customers back.”

Over the coming weeks they will roll out new desserts (actually, entremets, as Manresa calls them, which is French for a layered dessert): Strawberry Rhubarb Roll Cake, Carrot Cake and Almond Rye Blueberry Tart. Also new will be bake-at-home brownie, cookie and waffle mixes.

Hearing that customers want more dessert choices, Ruzicka said she hopes to create other cakes and tarts soon for the repertoire.

This cafe location will also offer Quiche Lorraine, Smoked Salmon Tartine, the Bacon, Egg and Cheese Sandwich, Coconut Pearls Breakfast Bowl and other breakfast and lunch items.