Friends who visited Roseburg said this to us: "We had lunch at a vegetarian bakery that was your kind of place. "
We said to them: "Great! What's the name?"
They replied to us: "We can't remember. But it's run by a commune."
Obviously these friends are not Yeeps! ;-)
Try as I might, I could not come up with a match when I searched Roseburg in advance of a visit there last week. But through serendipity, when we were eating a mediocre dinner except for remarkable bread at a Roseburg area restaurant and asked where the bread was made, that answer provided the first piece of the puzzle. The bread, we were told, came from Lighthouse Bakery.
Following that lead, we found Lighthouse Center Bakery is not in Roseburg but in the countryside in Umpqua, with the added bonus of a beautiful back roads drive to arrive there. It is run by a collective, hence our friends' reference to a commune, that follows the teachings of Sant Baljit Singh.
I took photos of the exterior and the beautiful country view you see from the window of the spacious if spartan, sparkling Lighthouse Center Bakery. But when I tried to take photos inside, starting with a tray of gorgeous nasturtiums grown by the Center's greenhouse and used to garnish the food plates served in the cafe, I was firmly but politely told it is the Center's policy that no photos are allowed inside.
So you'll just have to trust me on this; the bakery case and counter were full of wonderful breads of all kinds, we chose a hazelnut herb to take home, as well as sweet treats, our choices were almond crescent cookies and almond anise biscotti. They also had yummy hummus and pasta salad and other to go deli items.
The space includes a cafe with table seating that serves a variety of fresh green salads as well as vegetarian and vegan burgers and sandwiches and soups. We hear their pizza is top notch, but it is only available on certain days. No alcohol served.
Consistent with their beliefs, Lighthouse Center uses no animal proteins, including eggs, in their food production but they do use dairy and honey in some. For people who can't eat gluten, and that includes some of my family members so I notice, there are several gluten free options. There is also a small store space worked into the bakery and cafe that sells bulk items, like grains and honey and maple syrup, as well as come packaged foods. And in a perfect model of all people being welcome, the entire space is equally accessible to people of all physical abilities.
Next time we visit the North Umpqua Valley wine region or Roseburg proper, we'll make it a priority to enjoy a meal at Lighthouse Center Bakery as well as stopping in for take away. It is among the best, if not the best, of food available in the Roseburg area. We think it would be five star worthy anywhere. If it wasn't a three and a half hour drive from our front door, we'd be regular customers. read more