The Creswell Bakery south of Eugene is a delicious destination that draws in locals as well as travelers taking a break from Interstate 5.
Classically trained chef Heidi Tunnell and her crew offer from-scratch artisan breads, savory single-serving meat or veggie pies and house-cured beef and ham sandwiches along with cookies, brownies and pastries made with an Oregon twist.
I have been stopping here since the bakery opened in 2008 for a gooey pick-me-up (like a hazelnut sticky bun) or a hearty sandwich to power me all the way to Portland. Yet, each time I peer into the pastry case, there’s something new to taste.
During my recent fall visit, I was tempted by plump pumpkin cookies, moist marble rye sourdough bread and, always on the menu, the famous sandwich featured on the bakery’s long-gone billboard: a crunchy ciabatta roll overfilled with roast beef and topped with chipotle mayonnaise, lettuce, onion and Tillamook cheddar cheese ($16)…