FARINER BAKERY
Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★⭑
District: Ashland
Breads, baked goods, and pastries
Perfect For: Breakfast/Brunch; Casual Dining; Lunch; Takeout
Standout Dishes: Cinnamon Roll; Honey Scone w/ Marmalade Butter; Morning Bun; Chocolate Au Pain
If ever a building could give you a hug, it would be Fariner Bakery.
Everything about this bakery is welcoming, from the giant plate windows that allow swaths of sunshine to flood the space to the cozy, communal picnic table running down the space’s center to the exposed kitchen that beckons visitors to peek back and watch their pastries be crafted before selecting which of the day’s specials to delight their palates with.
Think that description is too flowery? Make the drive to Ashland to visit Fariner and tell me you don’t feel the magnetic pull of this inviting gem.
Owner Ashley Welch and her staff worked hard to revitalize the space before opening Fariner (pronounced far-ee-nay) in December 2021. The wood-heavy decor and painted brick walls evoke a rustic farmhouse feel, and the small market housed on the shelves along one wall adds a small-town general store aesthetic. Whether you want to meet friends for coffee or post up solo for a few hours and work remotely, this place is for you.
Beautiful as the space is, guests would still flock here even if it were a total dump. That’s how good the pastries and baked goods are.
The skill showcased in Fariner’s buns, rolls, scones, and breads is truly astounding. Every item has a flaky, crumbly freshness, and the flavors are balanced perfectly. The bakers here have the deft skill to balance both sweet and savory baking at once, and their handiwork will have you wanting to try everything inside the display case.
The sweet portion of the menu, which changes weekly (sometimes even daily), has enough hits to make even your dentist cave and fully embrace sugar. Among the highlights:
- Morning Bun: The croissant-style dough is light, flaky, and extremely buttery. You can literally feel each layer as your teeth pass through them. This bun is sweetened with cinnamon and sugar, but orange zest also gives it a citrusy tang.
- Honey Scone w/ Marmalade Butter: A slightly more dense version of a biscuit, the scone is flaky and buttery throughout. The honey is sweet but not cloying, and marmalade butter adds a rich, fruity essence.
- Pain Au Chocolat: Constructed with yeasted dough wrapped around a stick of chocolate, this is the perfect blend of dessert and breakfast. The pastry is buttery and layered like a croissant, yet every bite has the pleasant bitterness of chocolate.
- Blueberry Lemon Turnover: There are too many layers of crispy, flaky dough to even count in this masterpiece. I’m in awe at the amount of work that went into each one, and the tartness of the lemon and blueberries perfectly accents the sweetness of the glaze.
And it would be a sin not to mention the brilliant Cinnamon Roll (shown in the header photo). The rich dough has some heft, but there’s bright relief from the sugar in the cinnamon (which is perfectly distributed throughout) and the sweet glaze drizzled on top. The dough is soft and fluffy in the middle, but possesses good texture on the exterior. If there’s a better cinnamon roll in Nebraska, I haven’t found it yet.
Craving savory baking? Though that side of the menu isn’t as extensive, Fariner has you covered there, too. You might find a special like the Blue Plate Turnover, a chewy pastry dough stuffed with smoked bacon, roasted potatoes, and cheddar cheese. Or maybe you’ll be lucky enough to order the Sweet Potato Caramelized Onion Cheese Danish, which balances the sweetness of the onion and potato with buttery dough and gooey cheese.
Fariner’s baking prowess extends beyond breakfast goods, as the desserts are top notch as well. The Vegan Chocolate Cake is rich and moist as can be, and each bite explodes with chocolate. Macarons are deceptively tricky to make, as great ones have a smooth, domed top and an egg-shell like crust along with ruffled interior edges that add texture. Fariner has mastered this difficult technique and offers an excellent version of this French cookie sandwich in all kinds of flavors (don’t sleep on the cookie butter version).
As mentioned above, the menu is constantly evolving, so you can have a different experience each time you come in. While there’s no guarantee that your favorite pastry from your last visit will be in the case, you can rest assured there’ll be something new and special to enjoy.
This bakery also excels in bread baking and usually offers several different loaves each week. These hearty loaves are enormous, large enough to satisfy a family for several days (though you’ll be tempted to plow through the whole thing in a day or two). Feel free to make sandwiches with it or slather it in butter, but the flavor is so fresh and pronounced that you can thoroughly enjoy several slices of this yeasty bread as is.
When you’re finished with your coffee or brunch at Fariner, be sure to peruse the market. There are all kinds of unique products available, from coffee beans to hot sauces, pastas, crackers, oils, and more. This wall possesses offerings you won’t likely find anywhere else in the state.
There is no way to accurately describe Fariner with words. I could write the most elegant soliloquy and not sum up how special this place is. It’s something that simply must be experienced.
Don’t be afraid to make the drive to Ashland. Between the welcoming vibe, smiling staff, and incredible baking, Fariner will more than make the trip worth your while.