Pastries a good reason to visit Lake Elsinore

Brand recognition is important for even the smallest of businesses.

That is how I found Flour Fusion in Lake Elsinore.

Driving on Main Street right before Christmas, I found myself lost and spotted their sign. Instantly I remembered seeing an advertisement about their pastries with their name and logo.

Since it was 10:30 a.m. and I was on my way to adopt a dog, I decided to pull over and grab a bite. I knew I couldn’t stop after.

I was immediately impressed with the light and airy interior. The design invites patrons to come in and enjoy; there is no hurry. The array of pastries in the case called my name but I resisted until I looked over the sandwich selection.

That’s when I saw the pear and brie sandwich with pancetta on a baguette.

So I ordered the sandwich, thinking that I could take it home to eat after my mission to the shelter to adopt a dog.

While waiting for my sandwich to be freshly made I pondered over a couple of other selections to take home: a scone and a dinner-plate-sized apricot pastry.

Then, while paying at the register, I snagged a couple of other danish-type delights that were advertised as half-off from the day before.

It became clear that the local gentry have made this place their own. There was a steady stream of customers as I continued to eye the cakes, breads, pastries and cookies. Some were enjoying a cup of coffee while reading our Temecula Valley News.

I continued on toward the shelter but not before a sojourn at the lake to eat my lunch. Not only was there a good-sized sandwich but there was also a lovely green salad and a nice array of fruit.

The baguette was fresh and the buttery brie, ripe pear and salty pancetta combined to make the perfect picnic lunch. The fresh greens were lightly dressed and the fruit was nice and ripe.

Flour Fusion, I discovered with a follow-up phone call, is a family labor of love. Kristen and Bob Hertz and their grown daughters Carla Willmore and Angela Phalen have been planning the bakery for some time.

Using Willmore’s executive pastry chef skills (San Diego Culinary Institute) and Phalen’s executive chef bread-making skills (Le Cordon Bleu) the Hertzes have managed to bring just a little something different to Elsinore’s downtown merchant area.

The family has lived in the area since 1994 and Kristen says they love the charm of downtown. They opened the bakery in October of last year.

“We wanted an old-fashioned bakery,” Kristen said.

Bob, his wife said, had owned a restaurant years ago in South Dakota and the plan has been to ease into the business and add slowly to the menu.

There are more traditional sandwiches to be found at Flour Fusion, such as turkey and roast beef with a choice of Flour Fusion breads. The sandwiches range in price from $6.50 to $7.50.

The soups run the gamut, including cream of roasted garlic and squash, creamy porcini mushroom, burgundy beef stew, curried creamed carrot, clam chowder and homemade chicken noodle. Soups come with homemade crostini and are $2.50 for a cup or $3.50 for a bowl.

The pastries we enjoyed that evening for dessert. I have no idea what the apricot pastry tasted like because my usually sharing husband didn’t offer a bite. The chocolate croissant was flaky and crisp; I did not offer him a bite in return.

The next morning, with my morning coffee, I had the scone.

It should come with a warning sign – “Caution: scone may prove to be addictive.” It was the best scone I think I’ve ever had, big, flavorful and filling.

Flour Fusion is located at 133 N. Main St. in Lake Elsinore. Telephone: (951) 245-1166. They are open seven days a week.