Crooked Tree Breadworks

In the northwest corner of Michigan, Crooked Tree Breadworks is synonymous with chewy artisan bread; cafes boast when they use it in sandwiches. So it comes as a surprise to find that Crooked Tree is actually hidden in an unassuming strip mall north of town. (Why a surprise? With a name like that, one envisions a darling old-fashioned bakery with baguettes in the window, no?) Inside, though, Crooked Tree lives up to expectations, with a cheerful checkerboard linoleum floor and open kitchen where you can see bakers kneading massive balls of dough. Glass cases hold scones, cookies and rack upon rack of hand-formed, rustic loaves. They're not cheap ($6.95 for cherry pecan, $7.95 for rosemary olive, $5.75 for a sourdough boule), but try one of the day's samples with to-die-for French butter, and you'll surely agree it's worth the splurge. Most customers buy something to take back to their kitchen, but if you'd like to linger, a pair of tables and urns of hot coffee beckon.