Columnist Muriel Stevens: A scrumptious visit to Taste of Bread Bakery & Cafe

Teri and Michael Pollak, the owners of the new Taste of Bread Bakery & Cafe at Spring Mountain and Durango, were inspired to open their Las Vegas bakery after working for Daniel Leader, one of America's leading authorities on artisan breads.

Some of the same recipes created at Leader's Bread Alone, in New York's Catskill Mountains, are being produced at Taste of Bread, and they're wonderful.

All of the breads are handcrafted. The Pollaks pride themselves on keeping the same high standards set by their mentor, Leader.

When I joined the Pollaks this week for a tasting of their breads I arrived early, and at first glance was disappointed. The display of breads was limited to one small counter-high showcase. An adjoining case displays the cookies, muffins and pastries.

The cafe itself is new, clean and Spartan. Tables are bare, except for a set of salt and pepper shakers.

My first reaction was overcome when I looked into the bread case. In not very much space was a selection of the beautiful handcrafted breads Michael had talked about. I couldn't wait to taste them.

Taste of Bread offers 10 artisan breads: a traditional French baguette with a crisp crust and a fine texture; a hearty mixed grain; a simple peasant white bread similar to the country breads of France and northern Italy; a light Italian semolina bread with a sesame crust; a German sour rye that is the bakery's lighter version of the classic Jewish rye bread; a life-sustaining whole grain health loaf that's studded with oats; a San Francisco sourdough (the store's best seller); and two focaccia breads of exceptional texture and taste -- one with onions and calamata olives, the other an herbed focaccia.

Taste of Bread uses all natural starters and has the ability to give the sourdough and rye breads any degree of sourness, but has wisely chosen a middle ground. Breads range in price from $1.75-$4. All of the breads are baked in a multitiered, open-hearth French oven.

Among the breakfast specials in the cafe is a Taste of Toast plate that includes four unadorned slices of your choice for $1.25. Cream cheese (50 cents) or preserves (35 cents) are extra.

The cafe menu includes: a homemade soup of the day that is $2.99; salads that are $3.19-$4.79; side salads of fruit, pasta or potato salad that are $1.19-$1.49; and sandwiches made with Boars Head meats. Pastries and croissants are available all day.

At the end of the day, an hour or so before closing, buy one loaf of bread and a second loaf is free.

None of the breads have more than one gram of fat per slice. Ask for a nutritional chart for more information.

Taste of Bread is a terrific addition to our city. Michael tells me that he is already selling his breads to some of our best restaurants. As soon as time permits he will expand the product list. The breads he is already baking are excellent.

Taste of Bread hours are Monday through Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

NBT luncheonNevada Ballet Theatre joined forces with Escada in the Forum Shops at Caesars for a splendid fund-raiser that included a show of Escada fashions, a dance performance and luncheon at Caesars Palace.

Gone are the days when good deeds were rewarded with a rubber chicken lunch. In this new Las Vegas the chefs are turning out delicious meals that tempt the willpower of all the fashionable females who support these worthy causes.

Danielle Strong, Caesars' catering director, along with the Escada luncheon committee, chose a wonderful menu: frisee and arugula salad with sliced granny Smith apples; Roquefort cheese and walnuts and a champagne vinaigrette; a wild mushroom risotto topped with stir-fried jumbo prawns; and a Roman dessert sampler that included a chocolate cup filled with raspberry mousse, a tiny wedge of delectable marble cheesecake and a layered chocolate cake that was too good to resist.

Lovely way to spend an afternoon.

Short orders* Boulder Station specials: Boulder Station has added new specials to The Broiler and Guadalajara restaurants. From 5-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, diners can enjoy one pound of Alaskan king crab legs for $19.99. From 3-5 p.m. every day, the Guadalajara Bar & Grille is featuring two beef or chicken tacos for $1.99; a cheese quesadilla or an order of cheese nachos for $2.99; and 16 chicken wings with roasted red sauce for $3.99. For more about the specials or for reservations, call 432-7777.

* More Boulder Station: Boulder Station Executive Chef Dan Pfeiffer won one of the two top award winners at the recent second annual Las Vegas Taste of Elegance, a live competition designed to show the versatility of pork. The awards were presented for culinary excellence. The competition was held at the Alexis Park hotel.

Pfieffer's winning entry was double-cut, bone-in chops from a suckling pig placed in a potato basket and served with foie gras, poached pears and a port wine sauce. Pfieffer said when accepting his award that his dish addresses America's love affair with comfort food. Other participants in the 1999 competition were: Chef Kirby T. Burbank (Monte Carlo), Executive Chef Dale A. Jager (Boardwalk), Antonio's Chef William Chinnock (Rio), Chef Ernie Johnston (Mirage), Chef Julien Lancerot (Portabella) and Bacchanal Chef Daniel Sturm (Caesars).

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