There are a lot of really good bakeries in Rutherford County, but each one has its own, very unique taste and atmosphere. The new BitterSweet Bakery in Smyrna is no different. It has the look and feel of a German bakery that my family used to go to when I was a kid. But this one offers many Keto-friendly and vegan options that are very tasty.
BitterSweet Bakery and Bistro is the brain-child of Ashley and John Manning. These two are high school sweethearts who have long had a vision of owning their own bakery, so when the opportunity presented itself recently, they went for it.
Ashley is the baker. She has always loved baking and trying new recipes. While she enjoys baking everything, her favorites are chocolate chip cookies and pies. Playing with Keto recipes is pretty fun for her, too.
âWe have three kids and they love pop tarts and hot pockets,â said Ashley, âbut I hate the store- bought kind so I had to do something. I created alternatives.â
Creating healthy foods for her kids helped Ashley develop the core of her menu. Her best sellers include vegan brownies with and without nuts that are served in muffin wrappings, and sweet and savory stuffed croissants. Her customerâs favorite savory flavors include Buffalo Chicken and Turkey Pesto.
Every day BitterSweet offers a soup to pair with the savory stuffed croissant of the day, like jalapeno bacon cheddar puffs with chicken tortilla soup.
For those not wanting to have one of their stuffed puffs, the Mannings also offer chicken or tuna sandwiches made on croissants. Ashely and John collaborated on the tuna salad recipe, but the chicken salad is a formulation developed by Ashley. On the weekend, they offer warm Turkey Pot Pie. All of these recipes are based on food they enjoyed as children.
Other options are pies like buttermilk chess, fudge, Southern pecan, and a cold Butterfinger Cream Pie; cookies including sugar, oatmeal and snickerdoodle; muffins; homemade cherry cordials; as well as something dipped in chocolate. Currently they have snowmen that are marshmallows dipped in white chocolate.
âWe also carry Keto-friendly flourless dark chocolate espresso cake,â added Ashley, âand our version of Tennessee Tea Cakes.â
I had an orange-cranberry muffin and a cup of chai hot tea. The muffin was moist and had a texture very reminiscent of German cake. Ashley describes it as a cross between cake and bread, which means it is a bit coarser than traditional American cake. The flavor was excellent and it went well with the Chai.
The bakery is located in a strip mall at the intersection of Old Nashville Highway and Hazelwood Drive. Once you step inside BitterSweet Bakery, it feels very homey with simple decor and a few tables and chairs. It is a place where you can sit back, and take a load off while munching one of the items from the display cases filled with yummy treats with a cup of coffee or tea.
BitterSweet Bakery & Bistro
11473 Old Nashville Hwy
Smyrna, TN 37167
[email protected]
https://www.bittersweetbakeryandbistro.com
Hours: Mon – Thurs 10am – 8pm & Fri-Sat 10am – 12am, closed Sunday.
