Finally, Abby Jane Bakeshop Opens in Dripping Springs
When I was a kid growing up outside of New Haven, Connecticut, my dad would always wake me early on Saturday mornings and and say “Come on kiddo, we’re going to LA.” No one in my immediate family had ever been within 3,000 miles of Los Angeles then, so my fathers’ early morning verbiage was kind of a running joke.
Actually, he was referring to Legion Avenue, a narrow thoroughfare on the south side of the city home to a number of outstanding Jewish bakeries, many owned and operated by Holocaust survivors.
I developed a love of that fare from our weekly trips to LA, from poppyseed bagels to rugelach and challah, to all manners of sweet cookies. This led to an appreciation for all types of bakeries which has lasted a lifetime. Cakes, pies, muffins, Danish pastries, cookies, apple fritters, glazed raisin cinnamon rolls, and more not to mention the wonderful wheat sourdough and rye and ciabatta breads that come fresh from the ovens each morning.
Lately, though, we’ve found ourselves defaulting to the very good but also very large bakery at Central Market because we missed the halcyon days of Sweetish Hill and Upper Crust: both had excellent fare (I would go nuts for a dozen rugelach from the old Sweetish Hill) but each also had a distinct and welcoming personality that could not be replicated in supermarket bakeries.
So I was most interested when I heard that esteemed local pastry chef Abby Jane Love was going to open a bakery in the Dripping Springs area. Love is a seasoned pro whose stellar confections have graced the menus of Qui, Vespaio, and Dai Due (where I first became familiar with her work) to name just a few.
The COVID pandemic slowed the opening down a bit (what else is new?) but the eponymous Abby Jane Bakeshop has now opened at 16604 Fitzhugh Road in Dripping Springs.
I can attest to Abby’s deft touch in wedding flour and sugar, so I am heading there shortly. Customer safety will be a priority with regulated capacity and social distancing.
In what’s been a pretty sour year on the Austin restaurant scene, a little sweetness will go a long way. So please join me in welcoming Abby Jane Bakehouse to southwest Austin!
Abby Jane Bakeshop
16604 Fitzhugh Rd (in Barton Springs Mill)
Dripping Springs, TX 78620
(512) 383-5923
