Country Bread

aka Storybrooke Bakery
Did you see the documentary on Netflix, Cooking, by Michael Pollan? Are you suddenly getting a profound respect for bread and carbs? Are you wondering where you can get traditional rye sourdough bread like you saw in the film? FIND IT HERE.
This is as good as it gets in Metro Vancouver. Nowhere else will you find a bakery that makes it traditionally in a firey oven like that. If you can catch it when it’s fresh, you’ll devour the entire loaf.
Some complain that it’s expensive because 1 HUGE loaf is $ 10, (that’s worth 2 regular sized loaves), but… I buy 2 and get the third for free… so basically 3 HUGE loaves for $ 20 (worth 6 regular sized). I bought my rye bread from Strawberry Bakery and Breka, where it was also $ 5 a loaf, so I think the deal is more than reasonable!
My only complaint is he has no slicing machine, so you have to ask him to slice it (fat slices) or you have to do it yourself, which can be complicated if you need to freeze your big loaves.
He’s so nice if YOU ARE nice and respectful… don’t walk in there and whine that it’s expensive because it’s not processed food! On some days he’s a bit a bit down because people walk in and say to him it’s a rip off. He’ll get annoyed and not want to do business with you, that’s why some of the reviews on Unilocal say he’s rude.
Here are some tips also: if you find the bread gets a bit stale after one day you can rub the loaf with some water and microwave /​put it in the toaster oven and it’s amazing, like a fresh loaf!

The experience is surreal.
He’s like a friendly Soup Nazi.
There are no signs about what they sell. You walk up to the Dutch door and he says there will be bread in 20 minutes.
You come back and he says «You want bread?»
Then he bags one up and says «Ten dollars.»
As he’s getting your change, he grabs a second loaf and starts busting off sample chunks.
We drove 90 minutes and the loaf we bought was still radiating heat when we got home.
Amazing and totally worth it.
We’ll be back.

Excellent bread, he is being there over 10 years, he only does one thing and he do it great!
Very friendly a bit expensive but all in all worth it!

Finest authentic bread making in the world! Fresh baked bread daily using ancient methods and baked in classic Romanian brick oven! It doesn’t get any better then this! We always buy our bread from here because we know it’s all great ingredients and fresh! Come watch the process, it’s an experience on its own! And Nicu, the store owner and head baker, is super friendly!

Very nice and friendly Romanian owner, innovative store style. Totally unexpected, but warmly surprised by a nice loaf of bread. Would like to go back again, worth to visit!

best bread in BC, Nicola also entertain you meanwhile you wait, such an interesting place!

Bread is good but no way am I paying $ 10 per loaf. Terra Breads at 5^th & Manitoba in Vancouver is better bread at $ 5.00 per and the selection is unbelievable especially when compared with Romania Country Bread. I personally like entering the Transylvania cave that serves as the bakery and going 1:1 with the owner who has some unique views on life. Counter with an offer of $ 5 per loaf and see what happens… it worked for me.

Yes $ 10 is steep for a loaf of bread, but this loaf is worth it. Here’s some notes about the place:
Good — fabulous fresh bread, authentic wood-​burning oven, crusty old guy selling you the bread (I wonder if this is just to add to the atmosphere)
So-​so — priced at $ 10 a loaf, it’s expensive, but you won’t find this type or quality of bread in Safeway, location (unless you live in Steveston, hard to justify a drive out for this one item)

BEST BREAD IN THE WHOLE WORLD — delicious and easily digested! We look forward to these large loaves every chance we get. Fabulous to bring on a picnic! You cannot do better than fresh bread made the old-​fashioned way in a wood-​fired oven!

What makes this place stand out is the store and the old country feeling with an actual wooden oven. The owners also dress in costume which adds to the appeal. They only serve 1 kind of basic bread, that is it. No unique flavors or different flour blends, just many loaves of the same basic kind. The baker is a «character» when it comes to conversation and he was really friendly. The bread is really good.

The bread is delicious and you get what you pay for at $ 10 a loaf. The owner/​baker is part of the charm as he is very friendly and talkative. We were just in town to try some fish and chips but ended up with some bread as well. Can’t wait to visit again.

It’s great bread!
I’ve walked past the place many times, somewhat fearing the sparse interior. Last weekend, I ventured into the shop. It’s a large space with a brick oven in the back and a long table in front. The table was lined with about 20 big loaves of bread, all the same size and shape.
I didn’t really know the etiquette … do I just grab a loaf or ask for a loaf. The baker looked at me gruffly and helped me along by saying, «You want bread?» I answered that I did and he pointed me to a cutting board with samples and said, «Try it and make sure you like it first.» So I did, but I have to admit … I had the Seinfeld soup nazi episode running through my head. In reality, he must get lots of annoying tourists as his shop does look like something out of Disneyland.
The baker selected a loaf for me and said it was warm and fresh from the oven (he wasn’t kidding — that bread kept me warm all the way to the car). I’ve since discovered that he only makes one type of bread, Romanian country bread, which is a wholegrain bread. We bought the 1 kilo loaf for $ 10.
I must say that it’s a darn good loaf of bread — worth every penny. Excellent texture that holds up to slicing and sandwiches, but is in its fully glory when toasted.
I find it odd that so many people commented on Unilocal that the baker is a conversationalist … will try to explore this aspect next time (after I’ve bought my bread, just in case).

Walked by and it looked like a cute little bakery and expecting a loaf of bread to be 3 bucks or maybe $ 4.50 at the most. I was speechless when he asked for $ 10! Insane! I thought to myself, «wow this must be some pretty awesome bread»! Nope! I shd have gone to Cobbs! It was dry, hard and def not worth that much. I totally got ripped off! I love my bread! I don’t reccommend this place AT ALL. TOTAL RIP OFF

Rudest Man Alive! DO NOT SHOP HERE! WORST EXPERIENCE EVER IN A STORE!
I didn’t even buy the bread. The man that came to the door — because evidently you’re not actually allowed IN the store was exceptionally RUDE. They only have one type of bread and it’s $ 10 per loaf. He’s the «soup nazi» from Seinfeld, but not funny and at least that character had more than one type of soup — he has only one type of bread. My friend and I were in Steveston walking around, chatting and having a lovely time. We passed by the bread store and I grabbed the door handle to go in and it was locked. I wasn’t paying attention because I was talking to my friend and every other business we had been to actually allowed the customer to open the door and walk in. All of a sudden ½ the top half of the door opens up and a man is standing there and grabs a small bell on a string and rudely says to me, «That’s what this is for!» I had barely jangled the door handle — It’s not as if I was standing there throwing my weight against it trying to get in. I was shocked, I asked him politely how much a loaf of bread was and he said, «Ten Dollars, but that’s probably too much for you, I’ll let you have a taste of it though.» And abruptly he left the «door window» and walked away — I assume to gather a sample for myself and my friend. I was stunned and so was my friend — our jaws were still on the sidewalk.
My friend and I live downtown, we dress well, and are very well mannered. So, in response to his rude and derogatory comment — we walked away.
I suggest you purchase the bread only if you want to support a completely rude, obnoxious individual who should not be in business if that is the way he speaks to potential customers. Go ahead, throw your money at this guy — but I’m going to support my local baker instead.
Luckily, the rest of the stores were welcoming and lovely in Steveston and we spent a heck of a lot more than $ 10 — and not a penny went to the a-​h at «Storybrooke/​Romania Country Bread» store.

I bought their famous loaf of bread one sunny day and chatted with the owner. He was telling me the history of the bakery, how he came to bake here in Steveston, and the passion he puts into baking each batch. We chatted for about 15mins and during that time, a few people walked by, asked how much a loaf cost. He charges $ 10 per piece. Many walked away muttering «expensive». Go to Urban Fare, or Whole Foods and a similar bread will cost 3 times as much. Regulars just come, buy the bread and go on with their day.
I took my loaf home and it was a hit with the family. I don’t have a fancy bread box so I kept it in the paper bag, and then put that in a ziploc bag. I went away for work for 6 days, came back there was about a quarter left. I was afraid it would be moldy but it was still moist and perfectly delicious toasted with some quality butter and preserves.
⁵⁄₃₀ of 30 Days of Unilocal

I’ll admit, $ 10 a loaf felt a bit steep at first, but when after absorbing the atmosphere of the bakery with the big oven featured in the center of the room and tasting the country bread fresh from the oven, I had to admit it won me over. The loaf stayed warm for a long time and in the end I had to nip a crusty bit before putting it away for later. The loaves are well flavoured, dense and chewy inside. The owner is a fun guy to chat with as well. Next time, I’m going to buy a loaf and get some clam chowder from one of the pier-​side restaurants to go with it!

Uh, how did i NOT write a review for this place yet!?! I probably only get there a handful of times a year but each time I am more than happy to shell out my $ 10 for a loaf of crusty, dense, fresh delicious, yeasty goodness that is the romanian country bread!
There is certainly something I appreciate and respect about any place that does one thing and does it well. Today, the door was closed but the window was open… we were brought 2 loaves of bread immediately (without even being asked) that literally were hot out of the oven. I mean, i cradled this loaf like it was a child… partially because I was cold, but mostly because I cherish the experience and no one, i say NO ONE will take it away from me!!!
He also threw in 2 super cute kinda weird demi loaves for free that we could nosh on in the car. Oh ya, and the smell in the car is dreamy. I was in yeasty baked good heaven.
So go grab some fish at the wharf, followed by some romanian country bread and enjoy a nice sunday feasting your little arse off.

The bread is expensive but ridiculously good. Crusty exterior, soft flavorful spongy inside. You get a hint of the wood fired oven in the smokiness of the taste. Its unique even within all of Metro Vancouver with all the specialty artisan bread shops. I wouldn’t say its more expensive than those artisan breads, say Terra Bread or other places. Its competitive.
Its so good when you get it warm from the oven still.

It’s a unique shop compared to the surroundings. A large wooden shop with name written in wood letters. The inside has minimalistic decoration and again lot of wood to give it a vintage look. There is a large fire oven, and they only make one kind of bread, but in different size. It’s Romanian bread, which has a heavy crust on the outside. The place is for people who appreciate food and are willing to pay. It’s not your everyday bakery, so don’t go there expecting that. The owner is nice guy, and likes to chat with the customers. We got a large loaf for $ 10 and he gave a small one for free.

* The benefits of specializing! *
You can’t miss this place that has large wooden lettering outside. Inside he has built a bakery that really feels almost like an artisan bakery exhibit at a historic theme park.
The owner built a massive wood fired brick oven, and has decorated the inside of the bakery with straw and a few knick knacks to give it almost a farmhouse feel.
There are 3 items available:
1) .25 kilo loaf — $ 5
2) 1 kilo loaf — $ 10
3) A larger loaf of unknown quantity!
Only a single recipe — a hearty European whole wheat bread.
The owner stands behind the counter slicing a loaf to give you a sample. The crust was deliciously charred slightly by the wood burning oven, with a tender inside that has a hint of sourness.
He clearly knows his stuff. This bread tastes quite similar to some of the ones you find in Eastern Europe in small town bakeries. Good stuff.
Add to that he is an entertaining conversationalist who will tell you all about the trials and tribulations of baking bread.
We need more artisan spots like this!