Don't know about you, but when a new bakery opens in my town, it's a really exciting moment. So when Curio Confections finally opened in Seattle last week, naturally I was on the case. Having done some research on the joint for a DailyCandy feature, I had the pleasure of tasting some of proprietress Maria Friedman's delicious coconut marshmallows, so I was super excited to try more. Considering her baking pedigree--having worked at Trophy Cupcakes and having studied chocolate-making in New Zealand--I knew it was probably going to be good.
They opened for the first time on 10 a.m. last Saturday; I arrived at oh, about 10:08 a.m. They were clearly still in the flurry of opening-day activities; the shelves weren't quite stocked yet, and the register wasn't yet filled with change, and they couldn't yet accept credit cards. Not wanting to disrupt things too much, I picked up a couple of the freshly prepared mini-pies and went on my merry way.
Now, in the raging war between pie and cake, I have no qualms in letting people know that I am firmly on the side of cake. But when I tried these little pies, I may or may not have swooned. They were tiny--about 2 inches in diameter--but boy, were they mighty. The crust was slightly sweet and nearly shortbready, crumbling just enough to add a nice texture but not so much that you were left with a handful of crumbs. The fillings were delicate yet flavorful: the strawberry-rhubarb tasted fresh, like sun-ripened berries rendered awesomer by the addition of thick custardy cream; the blackberry-peach combination was unexpected, but completely awesome, chased with a delicate spicy aftertaste that made dear Mr. Spy wonder how fast he could cram the thing in his mouth.
Curio Confections has a cool and unexpected menu, ranging from house-made confections like nougat, marshmallows and even intriguing goat's milk caramels to sweets like scones and pies to even some savory baked goods; they cap it off by serving wine and beer, which is sure to establish it as a cool University District hangout (cos, you know, that's what college kids are into). While it might take a few weeks to get the service and technical stuff up to speed, they're clearly already bringing some serious sweetness to the table.
Curio Confections, 5509 University Ave. NE, (206)420-8493; online at curioconfections.com.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Reader Comments (7)
Looks like a fabulous bakery!
That nougat just knocked me over - I'm getting on a plane!
OMG, that nougat looks sooo yummy! I am going to have to drag my husband and drive up to Seattle to try that! Btw, love your artwork!
Lucky! We don't have places like this in Montreal... if we do I haven't found them yet!
This is all the way up the Ave? I need to walk up there! I have been waiting for a new bakery in the university area. Their website says they moonlight as a wine bar...ooooooh!!! Thanks for the heads up, I'm definitely going to try this one.
Amazing brunch! I took my whole family and we had amazing waffles, french toast stuffed with peaches and cream cheese, sweet potato quiche, apple crisp...oh my god it was so good! Nice joh Maria...I am so proud of you!
simply amazing!!!