Crumb on Parchment Bakery Café

Linda Bladholm8/16/2011

If Anthropologie boutique opened a café, it would look like Crumb on Parchment, the latest endeavor of Miami chef Michelle Bernstein. Located in the atrium of a Design District mall, the 5-month-old bakery-cafe charms with an overhead skylight and mismatched couches, chairs, tables and rugs surrounded by potted plants. Order at the counter and get tea from a central station with ice and water. Utensils and napkins are in tin buckets on tables.

Bernstein started using the kitchen here to prep food when she and her husband, David Martinez, opened Sra. Martinez across the street. Her mom, Martha, supplies the luscious layer cakes including German chocolate, carrot, and coconut as well as bundt cakes and cobblers with seasonal fruits.

Homey breakfasts are served all day with waffles, house-made granola with Greek yogurt and a sandwich on toast stuffed with scrambled eggs and kale, Cheddar and chicken-apple sausage. Soup of the day could be minted pea, tortilla or white gazpacho made from a puree of Marcona almonds, cucumber, olive oil and broth garnished with grapes and fresh dill.

Messy hot sandwiches include pulled chicken with caramelized onions, goat cheese and peaches and seared tuna with spicy pickles and kimchi aioli. The chef may have made a name for herself with haute cuisine, but here it’s all about simple pleasures like a grilled cheese sandwich on buttered bread or chocolate chip cookie served on the signature parchment paper. The crumbs are yours.