Sellwoodâs about to get a brand new bakeryâCommunion Bakehouseâthanks to life and business partners Ryan Ostler and Katherine Zachler, who are setting up shop in the old Satellite Dream Pizza just a block from their home.
Zachler comes to the cutting board with some serious kitchen cred, having worked in Bay Area kitchens like Bar Tartine, Firefly, and Boulevard. She also ran the pastry department at Lewis and Clark College for three years, and, before moving to Portland, ran Googleâs cafe in San Francisco with Ostler.
If youâre thinking the name Ostler sounds familiar, thatâs because heâs the chef who ran the now-shuttered and once-gagaâd over food cart Jook Joint.
Because the bakeshop is a decade-in-the-making project, Ostler says he and Zachler will put a very personal and intentional spin on the design, which will look âclean, mod, but not fussy,â with a living wall of plants, lots of wood accents, tables they built themselves, and lighting based on sacred geometry.
The 850-square-foot space will seat 22 (with seating for 14 on the patio in the warmer months) and will initially serve breakfast and lunch, daily, from 7 am to 3 pm.
Breakfast will kick off with savory scones, yeasted waffles, egg sandwiches, smoked fish plates with Finnish rye bread, sweet and savory breakfast porridges, and Extracto coffee drinks, while lunch will comprise seasonal salads and rotating sandwiches served on house-baked breads made with roasted meats and vegetables, whichâll be served alongside tap kombucha and aguas fresca, as well as beer and cider.
And because they donât want Satellite Dreamâs old pizza ovens to gather any dust, the couple plans to fire them up later in the year, when theyâll gradually roll out a dinner pizza menu.
If you have a gluten allergy and are asking, âWhy are we getting another bakery?!â Ostler says not to worry: Communion Bakehouse will have you covered with plenty of gluten-free options. That goes for you, too, herbivores; youâll also be able to eat cruelty-free.
Stay tuned for further opening and menu details.
Communion Bakehouse: 6116 SE Milwaukie