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    Review: The Angry Baker on King Avenue

    Angry Baker, the whole kit-and-caboodle, is now operating in full swing on King Avenue. The stop first opened its doors with its storied baked goods this summer, and has since followed up with kitchen operations that offer expanded breakfast and lunch options. The Angry Baker project is the perfect match for the space that once held King Avenue Coffeehouse, Dragonfly and TIL. It’s got something to please all the fans of the former operations: on its west end, there’s an area to showcase the baked goods, on its east side is a sit down cafe with a ton of vegetable-based options in the menu mix that pleases omnivores too.

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    The space is bright, with lots of natural lighting even on a cloudy day. Diners can choose breakfast-based options, as well as things more traditionally served at lunch. Fans of the original house French Toast Sandwich ($9.75) will be pleased to find it at King Avenue too. Slices of the painfully perfect bread gets a crispy egg finish; they’re held together with an aromatic melted swiss and briny ham. Then you drizzle syrup over the top. Sweet and savory, crisp and hearty: it’s got lots of the same appeal as the popular chicken and waffle trend, but the Angry Baker’s sandwich is way easier to eat.

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    There are lots of veggie-centric options on the menu too. The Oyster Mushroom PoBoy ($10.50) sounded irresistible. Having mixed feelings about fried oysters (often delicious, but close inspection can be disturbing), the use of mushrooms means that all the weird bits of the bivalves don’t make it into the mix. The sandwich is built on the undeniably premium house roll. The bread is at once light and toothsome at the same time; that’s a combo that’s hard to achieve, and is worth extensive appreciation. There’s some pickled red cabbage in the mix, that’s a good foil, as is the roasted garlic remolaude. But the breaded mushrooms themselves don’t hold enough flavor to carry the rest of generous sandwich. They want more salt.

    More flavor can be found in the soup served with the sandwich: it’s a dreamy, heat-spiked puree with bits of red pepper and squash. It’s oddly and fantastically filling for a vegetable-based concoction.

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    There are tacos on the menu: Butternut Squash Tacos (vegan and gluten free for $10). The green, briny salsa verde is the magic that makes the combo of squash cubes, black beans, and avocado come together successfully. It’s a big dish by itself, but those who need more can add smoked salmon, chicken or turkey for an upcharge.

    The beverage selection lets you pair a Bloody Mary (or, in this case, Angry Mary), Mimosa, or a selection of draft beers and wines with your edibles.

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    Back in the bakery (actually, up front in the bakery, it’s closer to the entrance), there’s a world of quick-grab options: consider the Chocolate Croissant ($3.75): with a crisp-not-soggy exterior, and soft velvety layers that hold intense jolts of dark chocolate. Or, there’s an uber-affordable chocolate chip cookie option: For only $1.50 You get a satisfyingly large round that’s well-populated with more divine charges of chocolate.

    You can find the new Angry Baker at 247 King Avenue. It’s open daily from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m.

    For more information, visit www.theangrybakerote.com.

    All photos by Lillian Dent.

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    Miriam Bowers Abbott
    Miriam Bowers Abbotthttps://columbusunderground.com
    Miriam Bowers Abbott is a freelancer contributor to Columbus Underground who reviews restaurants, writes food-centric featurettes and occasionally pens other community journalism pieces.
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