A Wonderland of Baked Goods Opens in Bird Rock

Wayfarer Bread & Pastry, which started as a weekly pop-up at local coffee bars, is settling into its permanent home on La Jolla Boulevard. Launching her own bakery and cafe has been an enduring dream for founder Crystal White, whose more than 15 years of professional baking experience includes five year at San Francisco’s legendary Tartine Bakery.

The 1,600-square-foot eatery includes an outdoor patio and small dining area, with the bread oven front and center. Batches of White’s skillfully crafted bread and pastries will be baked up throughout the day, pulled from a tasty playlist that includes cinnamon morning buns, ham and cheese croissants, sweet galettes made with Chino Farm strawberries, and blueberry scones, as well as baguettes and a range of artisan breads made with organic flour. Select Wayfarer bread and pastries are also available at The Pearl, Chino Farm, and Grit Coffee in San Marcos.

Beginning early next month, the menu will expand to include breakfast tartines, including ricotta and jam on toast, as well as meat or vegetarian-based baguette sandwiches and salads featuring grains or roasted vegetables. Craft beer and wine are also served, as well as a full range of coffee drinks from Encinitas’ Ironsmith Coffee Roasters.

For now, the shop is open from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; after June 3 it will settle into its regular operating hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. White says she hopes to employ the oven for occasional pizza nights and may make the eatery available in the evenings as a test kitchen and pop-up space for other local chefs.