Buttery cinnamon roll stands out

Why: For those whose idea of comfort food includes fresh baked goods, the Village Pearl Bake Shop offers a wide variety of tasty treats, from pizza bread to coconut macaroons. In the three months since the shop opened, the cinnamon rolls have emerged as a specialty. Owner Judy Schumacher has used the same recipe for her cinnamon rolls for 30-plus years. What distinguishes them, she said, is that she uses only real butter, no shortening or lard. She also doesn’t include any preservatives in them or any of her baked goods, which she makes daily. Schumacher also provides a selection of wheat-free items, and she accommodates special requests with advance notice.

Atmosphere: The overall feel is a purchase-to-go type of bakery with baked goods on display and self-serve coffee, tea and bottled beverages. It isn’t a coffee shop with upholstered chairs, but the brown and sunflower-yellow paint does create some warmth. There are barstools at a window counter facing Mill Plain Boulevard and a few two-seater bistro tables. It’s a cozy setting for sitting down to enjoy a hot cinnamon roll with melted butter on top. Free Wi-Fi may entice customers to stay for a while.

What I tried: My dining companion and I sampled a cinnamon roll, a slice of lemon pie and a pizza square, made using the pizza bread. I also selected an assortment of baked treats to take home: a lemon bar, a Rocky Road Brownie, a Coconut Cupcake, a maple doughnut, an applesauce doughnut, a Pineapple and Cream Cheese Danish and a piece of Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge. I also purchased a Cupcake with a Kick, which is chocolate with a touch of chipotle flavor.

The cinnamon roll was about the size of a saucer and was made with a light amount of icing drizzled over it. I asked for mine to be heated with a pat of butter melted on top. The roll was soft inside, with just enough cinnamon to distinguish it as a cinnamon roll without any over-the-top gooeyness. It didn’t have a readily detectable yeast flavor, like my grandmother’s always did, but I will definitely return to Village Pearl for another one.

The meringue-topped slice of lemon pie stood in a fair amount of lemon juice, which at first wasn’t appetizing. But after a few bites my dining companion and I agreed it was as unique to the pie as the intensity of the real lemon flavor.

The pizza square reminded me of focaccia-bread pizza, which is often eaten at room temperature. It had a small amount of tangy sauce, which was topped with cheese, pepperoni and black olives. Although pizza is an unusual item for a bake shop to sell, some may find Schumacher manages to pull this off fairly well.

Of the baked goods that I took home to sample, the Coconut Cupcake and the Danish stood out. The cupcake had an authentic coconut flavor, and the Danish was buttery and flaky with just the right amount of scrumptious filling. The least impressive was the nominally flavored peanut butter part of the fudge, and the chocolate-and-chipotle cupcake, which reminded me of marzipan and chocolate. Even so, both of these items were attractive to look at and had a nice texture.

Menu highlights beyond what I tried: The cinnamon rolls also come in a pecan version. Cookies, scones, and several flavors of fudge are available as well.

Other observations: Schumacher’s use of butter in place of shortening makes a big difference in the flavors and textures of the baked items. While I was at the bake shop, I tried a bite-size sample of the shop’s Chocolate Raspberry Fudge, which was delightful. The texture was so smooth and the flavor so rich that it reminded me of a truffle.

Cost: Cinnamon rolls are $2.75 for either plain or pecan. Breads are $5 a loaf. Decorated cookies are $1.25, plain are $1. Most other items are around $2.

Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Telephone: 360-750-7449.

Where: 316 E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver.

Health score: The Village Pearl Bake Shop received a score of 0 on Nov. 30. Zero is a perfect score, and Clark County Public Health closes restaurants that score 100 or higher. For information call 360-397-8428.