As most people can see by reading this site, I tend to eat out often. This is not to say I can’t cook, no, far from it. I cook quite well which is why often times I have such a critical eye when I’m paying for a meal. When I do cook at home I always try to get the freshest ingredients and whenever possible, organic or free-range. I’m not here to extol the virtues of organic produce and free-range meat. Some people say that they can taste the difference and while, at times, I may agree, it seems to me that the higher price doesn’t really get you better quality. The reason I try to go with organic and free-range is for what’s not on or in my food. I don’t want to nibble on a salad or take a bite of steak and be thinking about what chemicals have been sprayed on or fed to my food. I get enough chemicals in the air I breathe and water I drink. So it makes me happy to see places that are focused on serving food that is based on organic ingredients and such a place is Essential Baking Company in Fremont.

The cafe front on the Fremont baking facility would remind you of a coffee house of old. A smattering of tables and chairs, the odd sofa in one corner and along a wall of windows, a counter area lined with stools is how the interior was dressed. It was here I perched with my Braised Herb Turkey Sandwich ($4.75/half - $6.75/whole) and Creamy Potato Soup ($3.50/cup - $5.50/bowl).

The Turkey Sandwich came on freshly baked rosemary bread. A very soft, tender crumb bread, the slices were dotted with bits of rosemary throughout. Under each slice of bread was tucked a slice of Swiss cheese. This may not seem like a big detail but when it comes to the world of commercially made sandwiches often you get one slice of cheese on just one said of the sandwich. Wedged between the two sides of bread and cheese were hearty, tangy mesculine greens and vine ripe tomatoes. But the star was the turkey. No pressed turkey loaf was this but a slow roasted turkey breast that had been rubbed with herbs and cooked so that the meat was still juicy. Sliced slightly thick and redolent of sage and pepper it was piled thickly onto the sandwich. Overall a simple presentation but the combination of flavors melded perfectly.

After devouring half my sandwich I turned my attention to the soup. A large bowl filled with what I can only describe as pureed red potatoes simmered in cream and garlic. While not chunky like many potato soups this was not silky smooth either. I could taste the graininess of the potato and remnants of the red skins. The addition of cream tempered this rustic feel and brought a little civility to it. While the potato flavor was tame for a Creamy Potato Soup one flavor that did jump out, to almost the detriment of the dish, was garlic. It almost tasted as if someone tried to add roasted garlic but didn’t let it roast quite long enough. So in the end the result was a subtle garlic flavor in one bite and then a bite of slightly raw garlic in another. It may have been an off batch but still tasty none-the-less.

Despite a blemish or two that is easily over-looked Essential Baking Company proves that you can have great taste without all the chemicals. But be prepared to pay a little more for it.