Lexington’s food and dining scene has seen quite a bit of growth over the past few years, including a handful of places to get baked goods and pastries. The influx of new spots continues as we start to work our way through 2024, with the town’s latest option, Nouvé Bakery, which opened on Tuesday.
Photos by Marc Hurwitz
Nouvé offers creative takes on flaky, buttery, and decadent treats that are rooted in France, but which also have some Asian influences. The bakery resides in a tiny space in the heart of Lexington Center, moving into the storefront that had previously been home to La Dolda, a pasta shop that debuted around the start of the pandemic in the spring of 2020 and said farewell in 2022.
Last summer there were some initial hints as to what was to come, with Nouvé posting on Instagram about its plans to take over the space and showing blueprints of what might be the design of the interior while also hinting at what kinds of items could be offered at the bakery. The shop finally debuted early this week, and while it does not have a website as of this writing, the Instagram page gives a view of the new place and is probably the best way to get the latest information on the store.
For those who remember La Dolda, you probably recall that the space is quite small, though renovations have created a bit of a different feel to the space. The shop is basically a long and narrow room with a counter on the left where customers can look through glass cases to see what is available and what has been sold out for the day (some of the treats are also displayed in the front window to entice people strolling by). Further back is a kitchen area where you can see people hard at work, making the various pastries and baked goods from scratch each day.
Nouvé’s offerings lean toward the type of French pastries that can be found in countless bakeries and pastry shops, including those café and coffee shop chains that seem to be on every other street corner these days. The ones made here, however, look quite different from the mass-produced chain versions — almost more like works of art than food items in some cases. The pain Suisse pastries, for instance, are absolutely beautiful, almost making you feel guilty about cutting into them, with laminated dough on the outside and pastry cream with chocolate chips on the inside. The decadent almond croissants are similarly exquisite and are so rich and dense that it’s best to cut them into halves or even thirds, as a full croissant may simply be too much at one sitting. Chocolate croissants are also available, of course, as are plain croissants.
Other items that you may see at Nouvé include savory croissants (there were cheese croissants with chicken and pork sausage on display on a recent visit); brioche feuilleteé, which is a delicate, layered, flaky dough with a dusting of powdered sugar added on top; and honey toast — thick squares of sweet pastry made with milk, eggs, and honey. The shop says that they meld “age-old French methodologies with Asian ingredients.” One pastry on offer this week was made with miso and scallions; coming soon, fluffy loaves of shokupan, a soft milk bread commonly found in Japan and other parts of Asia. Coffee drinks will be available as soon as they work out some kinks with the gleaming new espresso machine.
Based on first impressions, it seems that Nouvé Bakery may have found a unique enough niche to become a popular option for people in Lexington, and its location within a few feet of where Mass. Ave. and Waltham Street meet means that it will likely be noticed by drivers and pedestrians alike. Because it is so new, it can probably be assumed that more offerings are on the way, including classic French items along with options with Asian influences. It will be interesting to see what could be on its menu as it continues to settle into its space.
Nouvé Bakery, 1736 Massachusetts Avenue Lexington, MA, 02421.
Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/nouvebakery/
Current business hours: Wed-Sun 8am-4pm (closed Mon-Tue)
Marc Hurwitz is a local food and travel writer who runs the popular @hiddenboston. His writing appears regularly on NECN and Boston Globe Magazine, he can be heard on WBZ’s New England Weekend and Connoisseur’s Corner, and he’s a DJ for MSR, an online radio station that’s an offshoot of the old WBCN. Marc is also a longtime hike leader for the Appalachian Mountain Club. Marc will be writing about food spots in and around Lexington as well as hikes you can take in (or very near) town.
Leave a comment