The readers of New Jersey Monthly are polled every year about the “best” of New Jersey in a bunch of categories.  Inevitably, due to the readership profile, the results are skewed to include more winners from the northern part of the state.  The comments section on the Best Of piece are sometimes more useful than the actual article, because apparently there is no better motivation for people south of Rte. 78 to sound off their opinions than to have their favorite pizza joint slighted. It’s expressing it roughly, but you get the drift.

Anyhow, in the Bread category for 2011, Calandra’s Bakery of Newark took the top honors.  The comments poured in online.  How could you overlook DeMarco’s in Aberdeen?  Well, we’d never heard of, nor been to DeMarco’s, but were intrigued and it was close by.  Stopping in on a chilly Saturday, we perused the soso selection of Italian specialties, and plunked down the cash for a few samples of the yeasty goodness:  a fruit and nut round, two onion rolls and an Italian loaf.  We were not disappointed.  The rolls and half of the fruit/nut round were gone before we left the parking lot, and we gobbled the rest by the next day. Balanced flavors, perfect texture and crust.  Very recommended.