Raab’s the Baker

Date of Last Visit: Saturday May 16th, 2009

The Victim: Me

The Damage: Not much

The Background: I've lived in Islington for more than four years now. And every so often, I still discover something new. Like the other day, when I got on the bus that just happened to go up the Essex Road. And I saw a few people queued up outside a shop. And I looked closely (or as closely as one can from the upper deck) and saw that it was a bakery. In Islington. That I had never seen before.

The Entrance: So I stopped there on my way back home from Dalston. And it was crowded. I had to queue. What I liked about it was that it seemed like everyone knew each other, and all the neighborhood kids must have worked there. To be honest, the donuts all looked a little sad. They could maybe work on their presentation. But in bakeries, as in all things, there is willingness and there is ability. And Raab's has a lot of willingness.

My Order: I honestly had no idea what to order. But I felt like I had to be quick about it. So an apricot and walnut loaf it was. Covered in sesame seeds. Did I want that sliced? Why yes, of course I did. And a few quid later, it was all mine. And I will admit to eating more than one slice on my way home.

What I really wanted, however, was pumpernickel. This country does not do pumpernickel, does it?

The Bread: Well, I certainly went for a novelty loaf. But I'm a sucker for that stuff and I liked it. I liked it a lot. I was sad when the loaf was gone. Very sad. Not sad enough to get on the next bus to get me another, but sad enough.

The Verdict: Why do we buy mysterious bread in bags from Tesco? Why not go to Raab's?