Chattanooga Is Home

When the St. Elmo community was building their playground, food was provided by several merchants. One morning, several trays of banana nut muffins arrived and were quickly consumed by busy workers. The muffins were from Neidlov’s Bakery, a local artisan bakery, and they were really, really good.

Today, Neidlov’s opened their new shop located at 215 East Main Street, across from the fire station. I decided to take Fuller there for a muffin and some coffee (for me) and to see the new shop in action. It was easy to find, and there was plenty of free parking along the curbside.

There were several people in the shop, enjoying their coffee, scones, and muffins. I ordered a cup of coffee, a lemon currant scone, and a blueberry muffin, for a total of $5. The young lady at the counter was very helpful, and didn’t cringe at the two year old sitting in his stroller shouting “Hi” to anyone in his line of sight. She was so helpful that she let me go with an IOU when I admitted that I didn’t have any cash, which was all Niedlov’s was prepared to take. (I usually pay credit or debit. I was very embarrassed. She was very, very nice.)

I was able to relax at a table, sipping my coffee (they proudly serve Greyfriar’s) while Fuller hogged both the scone and muffin. There was plenty of floor space in the shop, with five or six tables to sit for a while.

Behind the counter you can see into the bakery and I noticed activity back there as someone (maybe John Sweet, one of the owners), working at a counter. I asked about the empty wire shelves, and when there would be bread available to buy. The young lady said that usually there would be pre-sliced bread available, but with the new shop opening, they were behind on getting everything out and ready. Also, she explained that they do not slice the bread until the day after it has been baked, otherwise it falls apart. She did give me a pamphlet that explained the breads they made and the bakery’s timetable for having the bread out of the oven. The front of the pamphlet states:

Chattanooga’s traditions artisan bread bakery, Neidlov’s uses stone-ground organic flours, natural leavening, extended fermentation times, and loads of care as each load is handcrafted into a work of art. Our breads are created through a process that takes 18 hours or more from beginning to end. With a combination of artistry and craftsmanship, Niedlov’s breads are made without taking shortcuts, so they will be the most flavorful, most healthy, and most beautiful loaves possible.

I went back to pay my tab from breakfast and also bought a loaf of their Chattanooga Sourdough, which I love with artichoke spread. I was going to give the loaf to my sister, who I will be visiting tomorrow, but I couldn’t keep the bag closed when I got home. I hope she won’t mind half a loaf.

If you check out the Neidlov’s website, you can get a good idea of how much John and Angela Sweet love what they do. The history of Niedlov’s is romantic as well as the story of an excellent business. You can learn more about their breads and keep an eye out for their upcoming mail order business.

I recommend Niedlov’s for their breads, their muffins, scones, and atmosphere. It will probably become quite the hot spot on Main Street as that area of Chattanooga revitalizes itself.

Niedlov’s Bakery
215 Main Street
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402

[tags]Chattanooga artisan bakery, Neidlov’s Bakery, artisan bread, Chattanooga Sourdough[/tags]