A Winning Combo
Trillium Blueberry Super Soak + Fornax apricot crossover = A winning combo
This week's pastry adventures took me down the road to Roslindale (one of Boston proper's outermost neighborhoods). Boston, like a lot of cities these days, is lucky to be home to a whole host of great breweries. My favorite by far, however, is Trillium Brewing Company. I vividly remember my first Trillium beer at a restaurant in the Seaport neighborhood during a dinner with my little brother (nearly five years ago now!). It was the most delicious, sophisticated hoppy beer I'd ever tasted—it was like I was drinking a glass of flowers and I was hooked from the first taste.
Over the past five years, Trillium has grown quickly and has recently undertaken an initiative to create beautiful temporary spaces for patrons to enjoy their beers, no matter the season. It began with an airy outdoor beergarden on Boston's Greenway this summer and has continued with the Trillium Garden at at the Substation in the hearts of Roslindale Village.
The Roslinedale Substation was built in 1911 by the Boston Elevated Railway Company (the predecessor of today's not-so-beloved MBTA) to convert AC power from the new South Boston Power Station into DC power, which was used by the company's trolley cars. At the time this novel new method was a big deal. The substation continued to operate until the early 1970's, but had been vacant until the Craft Beer Cellar and Trillium took up residence in the building in 2017 (the former has a permanent home in the building's basement).
The view from the inside at Trillium Garden at the Substation.
I wouldn't have expected an old power station to be such a lovely hang out, but it really is. The interior has these massive iron doors framed by a large arched window that contrast starkly with the shiny white tiles lining the walls from the floor to the very high ceilings. Trillium has taken a minimalist approach to decorating the space, hanging white Christmas lights across the space and adding a few plants to give it an organic feel. One of my favorite aspects is that the furniture is the same as what was used for the outdoor garden. Big barrels serve as high top tables and picnic tables fill most of the space. The room is large and light and very pleasant.
Since I was headed to Roslindale with a couple of friends to take advantage of the beergarden, I decided it was also a good opportunity to stop by one of the best bakeries in this neck of the woods—Fornax Bread Company. The bakery's name comes from the Roman goddess of the ovens and artisan bread bakers, and it does not disappoint when it comes to bread and baked goods. They have one of the most beautiful bread selections you'll find. They bake 20 different European-style breads, most of which are available every day. They have some of the most delicious sour dough you'll find. I love just looking at their large shelf full of bread. Sights like that make my heart happy.
On this trip, I decided to go with an apricot crossover pastry. This flaky pastry filled with apricot jam proved to be a perfect compliment to the Blueberry Super Soak sour I chose at Trillium. The tart beer and the sweet pastry were truly a winning combo.
If you find yourself in Roslindale, I can't highlight recommend both Fornax and Trillium's indoor winter space. No better way to chase away the winter blues than a bright space, good company, and tasty treats.