The idea for Milano Bakery & Cafe existed long before we opened our doors. The seed was planted while Leslie Mackie was in cooking school and continued to take root throughout her early restaurant career and during her travels. In the search for a name for this new bakery, I wanted something not connected to any country or culture, yet reflecting my philosophy.
First liking the sound of the name Macrina, the 4th century Greek mystic and visionary, I later discovered through research, that Macrina started one of the first communities that held property in common and emphasized a simple, self-sufficient life. Caring as much as I do about the connection between bread and the communion of sharing that happens at meals, there is a natural bond with the philosophy of Macrina’s community.
Much has been written about the mystique of bread and how a simple and elementary food has such magnetism— the soul and passion of the baker transcends into the loaf that is shared with the community.
Based on the model of the traditional old-world village bakery; the bread has unique characteristics because of the use of available regional ingredients. The rustic European breads and baked goods from Macrina use as many indigenous products as possible as well as organic grains and natural ingredients.
The philosophy of the bakery is to enhance both the natural products and the flavor of the various grains. The baked goods are created from Northwest apples, potatoes, cranberries and hazelnuts, as well as wheat, rye, barley and buckwheat flour. Macrina Casera, the house bread, was developed to be eaten at any meal, complementing all foods.
The bakers at Macrina love bread and that shows in the quality. This is bread that celebrates the tradition of breaking bread with family and friends.
In Italy, and throughout continental Europe, cappuccino was traditionally consumed early in the day as part of the breakfast, with some kind of sweet pastry. Generally, Europeans did not drink cappuccino with meals other than breakfast, preferring espresso throughout the day and following dinner.
