Bread & Water Company
1201 S. Joyce St., Arlington
Mornings at the new Pentagon City spinoff of this Alexandria bakery, it’s all about the super-waffle. Pressed-to-order batter can be bolstered with anything from spinach, egg, and kielbasa to a handful of berries. Grab a loaf of the excellent cinnamon/pecan/currant bread for later.
Donut Island
9792 Center St., Manassas
If you like your doughnuts dolled up with loads of sprinkles and glazes, check out this Manassas shop. Here, long johns, bear claws, and jelly-filled rounds—along with Texas-style kolaches—line the cases. Not enough sugar? You’ll also find bubble teas and that pineapple-flavored Disneyland staple, the Dole Whip.
Elle
3221 Mt. Pleasant St., NW.
This penny-tiled Mount Pleasant bakery/cafe/restaurant sits in what was once Heller’s Bakery. We could linger all day over London Fogs or on-tap kombucha, but really, we’re here to make some crumbs. The can’t-miss breakfast offering is the guava turnover wrapped in a perfectly flaky dough. But if there’s tomato focaccia on hand, grab some of that too.
Milk Bar
1525 15th St., NW.
DC’s biggest outpost of Christina Tosi’s kiddie-inspired bakery has arrived in Logan Circle. Pro tip: Some of the best offerings aren’t sweets at all. We love the savory breakfast bombs, especially the everything-bagel rounds stuffed with smoky bacon cream cheese.
Pluma by Bluebird Bakery
391 Morse St., NE.
If you haven’t yet become acquainted with kouign-amann—a Breton pastry that rose in trendiness a few years ago but is still pretty hard to find—get yourself to this beautifully appointed bakery near Union Market. There, Tom Wellings and Camila Arango make magic with puff pastry—turning it into that buttery, sugar-crunchy French treat, as well as fabulous croissants stuffed with pistachio-and-chocolate.
Seylou Bakery & Mill
926 N St., NW.
Walk into Jonathan Bethony and Jessica Azeez’s minimalist Shaw bread bakery and you may be struck by how quiet it is. It’s not because the customers are all grinding away on their laptops. Instead, Seylou feels almost temple-like, a place to reflect and savor what’s in front of you, whether a lovely apple tart or chocolate-almond croissant, or a painstakingly made cup of chai tea.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
