A Guide to the Best of Southern California : FOOD : Pure Pleasure

“I don’t start eating the bread till it’s a week old,” says Great Harvest Bread Company owner Charlie Higginbotham. “That’s how I know we’ve done our job right.” That job is grinding the flour in the on-premises stone mill, hand-kneading the dough and baking every 100% whole-wheat loaf served that day at Great Harvest. Besides molasses- and honey-based breads with such goodies as oat bran, raisins, nuts, herbs--dill and sesame--or sunflower seeds thrown in, you’ll find such leavened treats as chocolate cherry, cherry pecan and Cheddar garlic breads, as well as a variety of muffins, cinnamon rolls and cookies. Because no eggs, oils or dairy products are used, except in some specialty items, perishability is kept to a minimum without sullying the all-natural goodness with chemicals. Even the water is filtered, so nothing comes between your taste buds and nature’s bounty.

Great Harvest Bread Company, 5621 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla; (619) 454-2798.