Last week, the City Paper published a piece by Scott Reitz discussing the bread that is used around town. In particular, Reitz noted the baguettes at Locolat:

Par-baked demi-loaves arrive frozen in boxes of 60 from a local distributor after a flight across the Atlantic…Owner Geert Piferoen claims he orders his baguettes all the way from France not just for the superior quality, but also for the price. According to Piferoen, nothing in the area comes close at a similar cost.

Par-baked loaves are not unusual around town, and it immediately sparked some suspicion — most par-baked loaves are built for speed and not for flavor. The idea of importing them from France came off as a double absurdity. I decided to stop by Locolat to see if they were worth the hype. During my visit, I asked for a basic smoked salmon sandwich, which came with a mayonnaise-based spread and arugula — a non-toasted choice to reduce basic externalities on the bread, though the bread had been warmed when I received it.