5 days ago
Craftsman and Wolves Serves Kalamansi Choux and Philly Cheesesteak Kouign Amann in Mountain View
Innovative bakery Craftsman and Wolves is opening its first permanent space outside San Francisco. On Saturday, June 7, the bakery swings its doors open to the Peninsula at 400 San Antonio Road, Suite 4, inside Mountain View development the Dean. Before his death, co-founder Lawrence Lai shared his excitement in a press release. 'We've loved serving the South Bay community for years through the Palo Alto Farmers' Market,' he said, 'and we're excited to finally put down roots with a dedicated space in Mountain View.'
Fans of the Rebel Within and the standard Craftsman and Wolves items will find all the usual fare — but with a few exclusive pastries, too. There'll be a summer choux on the debut menu, full of vanilla crème fraîche whipped ganache and guava kalamansi. There's a pink craquelin crust over the exterior and a chocolate wolf on top, too. On the savory side, there's the jalapeño helix, a twisted croissant dough with jalapeño cheddar béchamel, drizzled with hot honey. Then there's the bakery's riff on a kouign amann: a Philly cheesesteak homage, jammed with a cheesesteak filling, caramelized onions, and peppers.
There's a full savory side of the menu set to roll out in the coming months, too. Lai gave a lot of input on the menu, experimenting with head baker Sam Ceccotti leading up to this opening. The helix was meant to be just a snack for the two of them, but he insisted it become a standard in Mountain View. Kalamansi and guava flavors may rotate off the menu, yet will serve as a summer banner-carrier in the meantime.
Also in Lai's realm, the color palette at the Mountain View location is meant to be darker, more handsome. Masculine, sharper, cleaner elements, but with copper and origami-looking chairs and lighting fixtures. Burnt wood serves as the base for the bar, a nod to the Japanese technique shou sugi ban. The idea here was to make a blueprint for following outposts still to be announced. 'I'm sad Lawrence didn't get to see this space. The last time he saw it, it didn't even have walls,' Ceccotti says. 'It's bittersweet. I just want to keep his vision for Craftsman and Wolves going.'
Craftsman and Wolves (400 San Antonio Road suite 4, Mountain View) opens Saturday, June 7 and will be open every day of the week, weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and weekends 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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