A couple of years ago I visited Blackbird Bakery in Bristol, Virginia. Bristol is a about 45 minute drive from Johnson City, Tennessee. We were recently back in town for a college graduation and decided to take a road trip to Bristol to get some dessert. Half of the family had never been to the bakery before, so we were excited to share this wonderful place with them.
Blackbird offers a variety of sweet treats. They have homemade ice cream, donuts, muffins, cupcakes, and assorted pastries. Since there always is a line, you have plenty of time to decide what to order.
We ordered an assortment of things so we could try them all. The donuts seemed to be the most popular items during the visit. We grabbed a chocolate frosted and a chocolate sprinkle. They were nice size donuts. The donut itself was fluffy. It was not overly sweet because they did not put any glaze over the donut. The dough had its own subtle sweetness and the chocolate icing provided additional sweetness.
A cannoli was also ordered. The shell was crispy. They used a generous amount of the filling, which was extra creamy. The chocolate chips mixed throughout the filling added a nice crunch and texture.
We ordered a cheesecake as well. They had a few to choose from and we got the raspberry cheesecake. There was a raspberry puree drizzled on top. Mixed throughout the cheesecake was raspberry filling. It was creamy and very rich. It was the perfect dessert for sharing. The graham cracker crust added texture to each bite. The fresh strawberry on top was a good treat.
The final dessert was the brownie bar. This was the richest and most decadent dessert. Not only was there a brownie, but there was a layer of chocolate ganache and a chocolate icing shell on top. Each bite was so rich. It was a good thing I had some coffee, it helped with the richness. If you love chocolate, this is the dessert to order.
The line stayed consistently long while we were sitting there. The tables outside were also packed. Clearly this bakery is one popular place.
Bristol is a town where half of the town is in Tennessee and the other half is in Virginia. There is an awesome sign down State Street that you have to check out before leaving.
If you are anywhere in the Tri-City area (Bristol, Kingsport, Johnson City) you need to make a stop to Blackbird Bakery. You will not be disappointed.
Check out their website at www.blackbridbakerybristol.com
Enjoy!
T
