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| At &Grain, John Ropelski bakes more than ten different breads each morning. Alexa Wybraniec for New Jersey Food Journal |
By Judith Alfano
The olive batard lingers in the mind and on the palate long after a visit to &Grain, a corner bakery on North Avenue in Garwood. The meaty, olive-studded loaf is versatile – thick slices are equally at home slathered in butter, torn into pieces and dipped in olive oil or sandwiched together with slices of robust, garlicky sopressata and provolone.
Showcasing Spanish Queen and Greek Kalamata olives, the $6.95 olive batard is the result of more than two years of recipe development by &Grain’s owner and head baker, John Ropelski, though he confesses that some days he doesn’t sell even one loaf as customers favor baguettes, ciabatta rolls and five-grain bread.
As an artist trying to keep artisan bread traditions alive, Ropelski struggles to educate his customers on the nuances of hand-crafted bread, which are a far cry from the loaves of bread found at the supermarket. Just shy of 18 months in business and not yet profitable, Ropelski is asking whether a business focused on artisan bread is worth it.
“Bread isn’t glamorous,” said Ropelski, who left the mortgage industry following the 2008 economic crisis. “The hours are long and the pay isn’t that great. You put in so much work, does anyone even appreciate it? Do people even understand what I’m doing?”
While his vision includes out-of-the-box breads like croissants with squid ink, seaweed and sesame, Ropelski’s frustration is tempered by his humility and by what he describes as a slow way of doing business – he is committed to &Grain’s customers, employees and the craft of bread baking, which requires time and experience.
“I feel like I’m growing with the community and I’m a part of it. I want to be known for this place, one of the best places in New Jersey.”
“The problem with bread is that yeast is a living thing,” said Ropelski, speaking above the din of the lunch crowd, many of whom sat tapping away on keyboards. “So when you add yeast to any kind of dough, whether it be brioche, baguette or croissant, you now are a slave to the dough. You have to do what it needs.”&Grain’s menu features breakfast and lunch sandwiches, soups, salads, quiche and cold-brewed Stumptown coffee. Sandwiches range from Nutella and banana with chocolate ganache on pain de mie ($6.50) to chipotle chicken sandwich on ciabatta ($8.50), and an indulgent peppered prime rib with truffled caramelized onions, brie and arugula on five-grain bread ($10.95).
Customers are slowly responding to what Ropelski and his team are creating. Part getaway, part destination, &Grain is the type of place where you’ll find friends catching up over bacon, leek and Swiss quiche ($6.50) and colleagues hashing out a presentation in-between bites of roasted beet and carrot salad ($9.95). New Jersey Monthly recently featured &Grain in its best breakfast round-up, Yelp reviews are encouraging and some customers visit multiple times each day. Weekend customers, responding to &Grain’s Facebook updates, often order the daily special – last weekend’s was a baguette strata with prosciutto, broccoli rabe and Parmesan – before it’s up on the menu board.
“Those are the kind of things that make me feel proud,” said Ropelski, who chooses not to advertise, instead relying on organic growth. “Without actually telling me, people are telling me I’m doing a good job. I can look out into the dining room and tell you seven people’s names because I feel like I’m growing with the community and I’m a part of it. I want to be known for this place, one of the best places in New Jersey.”
Judith Alfano is a student at Rutgers University majoring in journalism and media studies.
