Tag: Bristol

Blackbird Bakery – Bristol, VA

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

Black Bird Bakery – Bristol, VA

Bristol is a really unique twin city that lies in both Virginia and Tennessee. The state lines runs right down State Street. There is a really cool light up sign that tells you which state you are in. This sign has been there since 1915, though the slogan did change to the current one in 1921.

A little-known fact about Bristol that I learned when I visited is that it is recognized as the “Birthplace of Country Music”.

There is a 1930s theater on State Street called Paramount. It still has shows and events there through the year.

After walking around, I came to Black Bird Bakery. This is an old-fashioned bakery and ice cream shop. This place was packed with the line was almost out the door. It was cozy and inviting inside with table and couches everywhere.

They had a large offering of pastries, ice cream, cupcakes, and donuts to choose from. It was kind of hard to decide.

I got a couple of desserts while I was there. Some of them I got to go so I could enjoy then later. What I ate there was a big scoop of homemade Butter Pecan ice cream. The ice cream was so creamy. It was full of pecans. I got it on a sweet waffle cone which held more ice cream.

The Double Chocolate cupcake was chocolate overload. If you love chocolate, then this is the dessert for you. The cake was mist and held its own with all the chocolate icing.

The Carrot Cake cupcake was also extremely moist. It had great spice flavor to it along with shreds of fresh carrots. The cream cheese icing was to die for. It was extremely creamy.

The last dessert I got was the Peanut Butter Cheesecake. This was a very decadent dessert. The cheesecake was smooth and creamy. The flavor of peanut butter shined through. It was a very rich dessert. It was better to share this one. It went perfect with a nice glass of red wine.

There is a reason why the lines were so long at Black Bird Bakery. It seemed like the hot spot for people of all ages. I would recommend them to everyone. Plus, they are open late.

Check them out at www.blackbirdbakerybristol.com

Enjoy!

T