Dining Out Boston

Because I very much enjoyed my blueberry muffin from City Feed & Supply, I decided to investigate its origins further by visiting Haley House Bakery & Cafe in Roxbury. My friend Genevieve, who does pro bono consulting for Haley House when she's not cooking up a storm herself, was nice enough to set up an informal interview with the chef, Didi Emmons. Her admitted ulterior motive was to have me try one of their chocolate chip cookies in hopes that it might win The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie Contest.

Haley House is a network of programs that began with a South End soup kitchen, and now includes a grass-roots magazine, cooperative farm, and job training program. The Bakery & Cafe is Haley's House's newest (and sweetest) venture, offering Roxbury and Boston residents alike a pleasant community space in which to gather, chat, and enjoy reasonably priced meals, baked goods, and coffee. The Cafe is also the site of the job training program, which offers six months of part-time employment and bakery training to individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who might otherwise have difficulty finding and sustaining employment.

Chef Didi strives to incorporate healthful and/or organic ingredients in her cooking, which makes eating at Haley House a guiltless experience for the body and soul. In addition to the regular menu favorites, inspired by local ethnic influences and patrons' preferences, there are always specials scrawled on the ceiling-high chalkboards. Notable breakfast dishes include baked French toast, cheese grits ($1.50), fruit pancakes ($3.50), and the savory Christian's Sandwich (2 eggs, homefries, cheddar on organic toast; $3.75).

Lunch specials are spruced up but remain inexpensive. Genevieve recommends the hot jerk chicken wrap (with tomatoes, chutney, and browned onions; $5.75) or any of the home-made soups served with sweet, textured cornbread ($3). Those with heartier appetites should indulge in the whole-wheat crust pizzas, topped with a generous helping of the day’s fresh herbs, cheeses, and grilled or caramelized vegetables.

And then there's the sweet stuff. Every day Didi and her dedicated staff lay out trays of moist cookies, rich brownies, simply humungous muffins, and fluffy cakes…. Even with only $5 on me I was able to buy a half-dozen chocolate chip cookies and a strawberry corn muffin (first time I've ever seen that combination). In case you're wondering, Haley House's chocolate chip cookies receive at rating of 7.7 in The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie Contest. The chunky round cookies are remarkably sweet and chewy, considering they're made with only wheat flour, and have that distinctive brown-sugary, buttery glow characteristic of finely crafted baked goods.

Perhaps the most appealing thing about Haley House is that purchasing and consuming their delicious food is not just a drop in the charity bucket. Sitting in the brightly lit cafe and hearing the pleasant laughter of customers as they stream in and out on their way to and from home and work provides ample proof of the very immediate positive effect Haley House has on its community. To have in a small part in this process, even if it’s as the hungry girl devouring a strawberry corn muffin, is very satisfying, indeed.

The Info
Haley House Bakery & Cafe
2139 Washington St., Dudley Square
Roxbury, MA
www.haleyhouse.org