Neighborhood Treat(s): Midtown Bakery

"Some residents may not have discovered it yet, but a few months ago, the Midtown Bakery was opened on the ground floor of the historic Wiseman house, 2301 J Street. This space, which previously served a catering business, is entered from a blue door on the 23rd Street side of the building. It is just the right size for a “dessert boutique,” a beautifully fitted-out pastry shop with a European flair.

After stepping down into the shop, clients find themselves in a charming front room that has a sales counter with a display case at one end, and shelves with a range of dessert-themed china and glassware at the other.

The Midtown Bakery specializes in small batch, handcrafted cakes, cookies, and pies, but also offers a few savory treats, such as corn muffins laced with jalapeños, chives, and cheddar. The owner and chef, Angela Harris, welcomes custom orders, too, and can make sugar-free desserts on request. She enjoys preparing food that both tastes good and looks pretty, and she has the training to do just that. Her husband Thomas handles sales at the counter when she is busy in the kitchen just down the hall from the shop. Because the kitchen is so close at hand, shop visitors have the privilege of inhaling fragrant aromas and nibbling freshly baked items still warm from the oven. However, they only can do that on weekends. For the time being, the Midtown Bakery is open from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays."

Boulevard Park Beat Association by Catherine Turrill Lupi