Hard to Find and Worth It: Three Birds Bakeshop and Cafe

By Neil G. Schloesser
Contributing Writer

Here’s the thing about a ham and cheese sandwich. It has ham. It has bread. It has Swiss cheese. Simple yet difficult. Three Birds Bakeshop and Cafe made the impossible happen and made a hot ham and cheese that melted in my mouth. It was the a combination of buttered bread, good cheese, and REAL ham. Let me say this again. REAL ham, not pressed, processed, or fake. I could see the knife marks. This ham arrived at the restaurant that way God intended, with a bone in the middle.

The cafe prides itself on healthy cooking and homemade foods, so while this means there is no fryer, there are burgers, sandwiches, and a daily selection of homemade soups. The cafe’s specialty is surprisingly not their sandwiches but their baked goods and jaw-dropping breakfast special of one homemade muffin and a cup of coffee for a DOLLAR (including tax, refills 25 cents).

They grind their own flour on site and make their own bread. They make traditional breads, but owner Suzanne Hamel said “As we grow we’ll offer artisan breads, but right now we’re keeping it simple.” The day I visited they had homemade angel food cake, lemon pound cake, chewy brownies, pecan pie, and strawberry rhubarb pie. I had the strawberry rhubarb pie and it was a good blend of sweet berries and tart rhubarb. It leaned towards sweet but did so without sacrificing the flavor of the berries or drowning out the tartness of the rhubarb.

The restaurant is hard to find. There are no external signs on the cafe itself, a weakness that Hamel concedes. They are in Trollwood Plaza, a strip mall connected to a retirement community, and the street sign actually says “Trollwood Cafe” and not “Three Birds Bakeshop and Cafe.”

The design and color scheme of the cafe leaves a little to be desired but the food is what counts and the food is amazing, especially when served by Hamel, whose smile is only matched by her laughter. Since she is the owner it is unclear how much serving she’ll be doing, but like all good cafes its charm is partly thanks to the food and partly to the owner.

I also had chicken dumpling soup. It was large and light yet of the right consistency. There was hardly any salt, a sign that they have nothing to hide: a dish heavy on salt is usually light on flavor. The soup had good herbs and balanced flavors. It was so good that I actually drank my broth.
A good cafe has to have good quick food that is flavorful but also simple. Hamel is going the extra mile to make homemade items using quality ingredients, and it shows.

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If You Go

What: Three Birds Bakeshop and Cafe
Where: 3105 Broadway Suite 10
When: Lunch M-F 11am-5pm; Bakeshop 8:30am-5pm
Info: 701.364.0777