WELL BREAD, WELL SAID
Bob’s Well Bread
Bread is perhaps the most universal food on the planet, yet Bob Oswaks has transformed this fundamental human staple into so much more than mere sustenance. Today, Bob’s Well Bread has established itself as a premier destination for artisanal bread and delectable pastries. But this quaint bakery is so much more than the sum of its outstanding creations. Its success is a testament to the vision and dedication of its owner, whose business is also a pillar of its community. A culinary virtuoso and passionate entrepreneur, Bob has built a haven for food enthusiasts seeking exceptional quality and taste.
A former Hollywood film executive, Bob left the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry to pursue his true passion: baking. After some three decades in television, Bob was at a transition point. “I started making bread while I was waiting for the headhunters to keep my mind and my hands busy.” His bread was met with overwhelmingly positive feedback. “I went up to the San Francisco Baking Institute in South San Francisco, and, over the course of two years, took every course they had on bread and pastry.” Bob hired a guy to help him write a business plan, talked his wife into leaving Hancock Park in Los Angeles to move north, and the rest is history.
The bakery and restaurant underwent a bit of an evolution with its clever name. Trying to do a play on words, “Thoroughbread” came to the forefront. “This was a little too horsey and was taken already,” admits Bob. “Then my wife said, ‘What about ‘Well Bread’?’ And then we liked that—we started calling it Well Bread in LA because we were thinking of opening in Los Alamos, where we had a little weekend house, and that was being called LA, and we were living in LA, so I thought, ‘Well, wherever I’m making bread, it’s LA!’ But then it just got shortened to Bob’s Well Bread. It sort of stuck.”
The rise of Bob’s Well Bread began with a deep appreciation for not just bread, but the unity between food and community. Bob sought to create a haven where locals and visitors alike could savor the simple pleasure of artisanal bread. In 2014, Bob’s Well Bread was born, and its doors opened to a grateful community. Bob’s Well Bread now serves this corner of California through two locations: Los Alamos and Ballard. It’s unusual for the Los Alamos eatery to not have a line out the door. “So I opened this one up three years ago for locals,” Bob shares of the Ballard restaurant. “We’re fast and casual, so we serve breakfast and lunch.”
Both shops have an identical menu. “Whether you’re coming to Bob’s in Los Alamos or here, the sandwiches are gonna taste the same,” as will the salads, specials, etcetera. Bob’s specializes in bread and pastry. “And then there are the foods that we make with those breads. We curated a menu that utilizes our bread in different ways. There’s the breakfast sandwich on an English muffin, or the baguette prosciutto, or all these European-style grab-and-go sandwiches, which you can eat here or take away.”
At Bob’s Well Bread, every loaf of is a labor of love. Each product reflects Bob’s unwavering commitment to craftsmanship and quality. Beyond bread, Bob’s Well Bread tantalizes customers with an array of mouthwatering pastries and savory delights. From buttery croissants and iconic ficelle (little baguette) sandwiches to delicate tarts and flavorful quiches, every item showcases the expertise of Bob and his team. The restaurant’s cozy atmosphere and charming outdoor patio make it a beloved gathering spot for locals and tourists alike, where they can enjoy their treats alongside a perfectly-brewed cup of coffee.
It can be a challenge to make a menu selection, but it’s easy to love anything you order at Bob’s Well Bread. For all day breakfast, you can’t go wrong with the Breakfast Sandwich (featuring a house-made turkey sausage patty), Egg-in-a-Jar (a uniquely presented poached egg atop purple potato puree with toast soldiers), or Gravlax Platter (house-cured salmon with cream cheese and fixings for self-assembly). And for lunch, try the Croque-Monsieur or Madame (a baked ham and cheese sandwich with an optional fried egg) or The Well Bread BLT Tartine (a deconstructed sandwich that will change your life, with bacon baked into a thick slice of bread).
Every inch of Bob’s Well Bread is photo worthy. Rustic black and white checkerboard tile adorns the floors, huge windows usher in the outside, and French bistro chairs straddle café tables. Inspired by the wall of bread paintings in Paris’s famous Poilâne bakery, the southern wall of the Ballard restaurant is lined with bread still lifes. In the corner are pieces made by a local art class that feature Bob’s bread and pastries. This collaboration came about when he asked an art teacher friend to have her students paint his product for an in-house art opening with champagne, and he wound up buying many of the pieces for the display. Now, other artists paint his bread and said art is hanging for sale. Such exemplifies the nature of Bob’s integration with the community on a deeply personal level.
As the visionary behind Bob’s Well Bread, Bob Oswaks has transformed a humble bakery into a culinary destination renowned for its exceptional bread and pastries. Through his unwavering dedication to craftsmanship, commitment to quality, and genuine connection with the community, Bob has created a haven where food lovers can indulge their senses and experience the magic of artisanal baking. By sourcing ingredients from nearby farms and participating in local events, Bob’s Well Bread has become an integral part of Los Alamos and Ballard for both locals and tourists alike—it is a testament to the power of passion and the pursuit of culinary excellence.
Photographer Ellie Koleen
Ellie Koleen
Photographer
Ellie is a lifestyle, wedding, and brand photographer based in Fresno, California. An artist behind the lens, her trademark airy, light-filled style and masterful camera angles make her work easily recognizable. She uses her love for all things design related as inspiration for her work. The Fresno Bee named Ellie Best Photographer for the People’s Choice Awards in 2018 and 2019.
