Gold Winner Julien’s Patisserie, Bakery & Cafe, Hydrostone
Silver Winner The Old Apothecary
Bronze Winner Scanway Bakery + Cafe
Husband and wife team, Lana and Mike Ansari own Julien’s, and running the cafe/bakery sounds like a lot of work. But a lot of fun. “Everybody likes bread,” Lana says, especially the delicious loaves and pastries master baker Didier Julien produces, making the shop a magnet for both loyal clientele and new customers. “It’s a community place, like a big family. We live in the area, two minutes away, and this is like a second home.” The daily bread delivery arrives every morning, the croissants, baguettes and whatnot still warm from the oven. The store shelves get stocked, the mouthwatering smell of baking fills the air, French music plays to complete the atmosphere. This magical moment can’t last—people need their bread, a bakery needs to sell it. You might arrive hungry at the end of the day, and get disappointed because those shelves are now empty, but Lana doesn’t mind the sight at all: “Empty shelves speak for themselves.”
