By K.P. Sander

Great Harvest Bread Co. is located in the Marketplace at the Enclave, at 14244 Schleisman Road, Suite 130 (behind Starbucks). They can be reached at (951) 427-5737. Expect their Grand Opening on Dec. 5.

Eastvale – Close your eyes and imagine being in a bakery, early in the morning. Smell that? That amazing sensory delight is a perfect wheat kernel that has been magically transformed into warm, nutritious, whole-grain goodness – cleverly disguised as a beautiful loaf of bread – just waiting to dazzle you with superior taste and satisfaction.            To say that Eastvale is lucky to become the newest home for the Great Harvest Bread Company is – in my humble opinion – an understatement. For more than 30 years, Great Harvest has been pursuing perfection in the baking of their breads, and very soon citizens in and around Eastvale will be able to enjoy their full range of incredibly tasty treats, including a wide variety of artisan breads, sandwiches, cookies, muffins, and much more.

Most important, perhaps, are the benefits of whole grains that you will easily be able to provide for your family by making breakfast and school lunches with the Honey Whole Wheat or Farmhouse White choices; but there is something so comforting and soul-feeding about freshly baked bread. Grilled cheese takes on a whole new meaning when you pair it with the Cheddar Garlic Bread. Ever tried a roast beef sandwich with fresh Chimichurri sauce? If you aren’t already salivating, know this…your family will throw a ticker-tape parade in your honor when you make them French toast using the Cinnamon Chip bread. I could go on and on.

Meredith Sumenek, the owner of Eastvale’s Great Harvest Bread Company, is very excited to be opening the doors to her all natural bread and sandwich shop in the city she calls home.

“We grind our whole wheat flour on site for the freshest bread around – without preservatives,” says Sumenek. “As owner, I strive to find the freshest ingredients and support other local businesses by purchasing as much as I can locally.”

Sumenek has been baking since she was a toddler, and because her mother never bought bread from the store, but baked every roll, cookie, cake, pie and loaf of bread from scratch, she has very discernible tastes and standards. After 20 years in the financial services industry, becoming a professional baker was a very logical choice for her.

“Our [Great Harvest] breads and sweets taste like no other. Every loaf of bread is hand-crafted from start to finish in the store daily. We knead every single loaf and roll it by hand until it is the way your mother or grandmother would have made it,” Sumenek says (and I believe her). “We do not take shortcuts…it takes five hours to make a single loaf of bread, and it shows in the taste and texture as well as the healthy ingredients,” Sumenek goes on to say.

“Our sandwiches are fresh and amazing with all of our sauces made from fresh ingredients in the store,” she continues. How about smoky ham and slightly melted brie cheese, with tart green apples and a homemade mustard-apricot spread on – if I might be so bold – Cranberry Orange bread? Just sayin’…

When asked why she got into the Great Harvest business, Sumenek says, “I do this because I have a tremendous love of fantastic tasting, healthy bread, and the desire to be a part of the local community. Great Harvest Bread Company is a way to help build the marvelous community we are all making here in the Inland Empire, and I want to have something to pass on to my family, friends and team.”

If you’ve had the pleasure of visiting a Great Harvest Bread Company location, you know what you’re in for. I’m not saying that the drive to Temecula is in vain just for a loaf of their bread (okay, lots of reasons to visit our local vineyards), but now I no longer have to buy in bulk. I can just run ‘round the corner to my favorite bakery any time I like. Trips to Temecula can now focus on the perfect grape to accompany my local bread purchases.

So don’t take my word for it, visit our new Great Harvest Bread Company, with an opening date scheduled for Dec. 5 in the grand city of Eastvale. Meredith Sumenek will be waiting for you, saying, “I look forward to meeting all of you, sharing old memories, and making new friendships.”

She had me at cheddar garlic bread.