Week 67: Con Pane Rustic Breads & Cafe

Week 67: April 7th-13th, 2024

When I find myself scrambling to stick to this resolution and need something new to do, I've found lots of luck at Liberty Station. It is one of my favorite places in San Diego, after all. I had some time to kill before my blood donation appointment at San Diego Blood Bank, (side note: this was my 5th attempt since the beginning of the year, and I finally have an acceptable hematocrit level so I can donate again! Go me!) so I figured I'd get out of the house early and get myself a little treat. Who knows what I would decide to get? The world, after all, is our oyster!

My most recent Liberty Station find, and definitely a stand-out, was Con Pane Rustic Breads & Cafe. It sits on a busy corner on Dewey Road, right in the middle of Liberty Station, and this week, I finally ventured inside.

Technically, I knew about this place already since I drive past it whenever I'm at Liberty Station, but I'd never actually been inside. The building was one of the re-purposed military buildings so it felt very industrial and warehouse-y. It smelled heavenly the minute I walked in, and felt surprisingly very spacious inside despite being very busy. There were tons of people waiting in line, both at the to-go counter and the "Breads and Pastry Only" counter, and every restaurant table was taken. Some people had full breakfast dishes and coffee on their tables, and some just had massive slices of fresh bread. A server brushed passed me while balancing a massive stack of different slices of bread, and I felt like the cartoons when my eyes followed the delicious-looking bread all the way across the bakery. Con Pane was a well-oiled machine. The line was long, but it was constantly moving, and workers were buzzing around fulfilling pastry orders and making coffee. The small glimpse of the bakery I could get from the line was very cool. I always think about how most bakeries require their staff to get up so early to begin baking every single morning, and I felt thankful for their service. The bread looked incredible.

The magic happens back there!

The treat I decided on ended up being a chocolate hazelnut twist and a house-made cold brew with oat milk and vanilla from Con Pane. The twist was delicious, and the coffee would've been better without my last minute addition of vanilla flavoring.

I had my little treat outside in the sun :)

I got to enjoy the sun and chill for a bit before what I assumed would be another disappointing screening at the blood bank. Thankfully, I passed the screening and was able to donate, so the high I was riding from getting myself a little treat got even higher! I definitely want to go back to Con Pane and try more of their stuff, because they have a massive menu and their breads looked so good. I wish I ordered more stuff, cause I waited in line for so long, but at least I got some photos.

I will 100000% be getting these foccacias next time I go

The selection was huge - this was only like 20% of it.

While I was waiting in line, I noticed a worker come out from behind the counter and was surprised when she sat down at a table with a well-dressed woman. I realized they were having an interview, and was bummed when the line moved me away from earshot. I wanted to know what kind of interview questions bakeries ask their potential employees. I wouldn't wish the job market on anyone nowadays, so I hope the interview went well.

Bonus: my friends and I had our annual Spring Picnic (indoors this time, because of bad weather) and it was adorable!

Our indoor-picnic spread!

Sorry this week's report was a bit rushed and short (and sweet!), I'm exhausted from doing laundry and trying to plan 5 days worth of business-casual outfits for my upcoming trip to LA for work. I'll report back on that later.

See you next week.