Seattle's Saint Bread bakery has been recognized by The New York Times as one of the best in the nation. In the list "22 of The Best Bakeries Across the U.S. Right Now," the bakery's cardamom croissant is described as a laminated, convoluted delight, and its cinnamon-Okinawan sugar toast as a pillowy slab of morning comfort. The review also highlights the egg-and-cheese sandwich, served on Hawaiian bread or melonpan, with the option of adding Japanese-style smoked turkey sausage for a sweet-savory balance, as KING5 reported.
The recognition comes just over three years after Yasuaki Saito opened Saint Bread in April 2021, amid uncertain market conditions. The bakery is located in a historically significant building that once housed the Jensen Motorboat company machine shop. Saito explained in a 2021 interview with KING 5 Evening that the name Saint Bread is a play on the Danish term "sandt brod," meaning real or hand-made bread, honoring the Jensen family's Danish heritage and the community-focused act of feeding others.
Despite this recognition, customers eager to sample Saint Bread's celebrated pastries will have to be patient. In an interview with The Seattle Times, Saito admitted to being stunned by the high praise, considering he had concerns about the business's sustainability after its debut. Having closed yesterday for the holiday season, the bakery will not be serving up its renowned baked goods again until it reopens on Friday next week.
The bakery is open Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays. Saito acknowledged the recognition as a reflection of the team's hard work, stating, "Oh you know they don't tell you about these sorts of things, they kind of show up in the press. We are very fortunate here. We've had some good press over the years…this is another one of those recognitions of the hard work and effort the team puts in every day. We are the type of place that is based in our community, and we make sure the product going out is really great, and we are serving it with a smile," in a statement obtained by FOX 13.
