New bakery uses wood-fired brick oven

Published 1:57 pm Sunday, January 11, 2015

JOSEPH – Business owners Chad and Nicole Wilcox opened their bakery, Local Loaf, shortly before the start of the new year at 19 S. Main St. in Joseph.

The couple and their four children relocated to the Wallowa Valley from the Portland area where Chad worked in construction as a heavy equipment operator and Nicole worked in both the American and European culinary arts and also dealt in antiquities.

Nicole Wilcox voiced their reasons for relocating to the Wallowa Valley. “We wanted a simpler life with less people. We also wanted better weather with more quietness and peacefulness. We wanted certain things in our life and Joseph and the Wallowa Valley were a perfect fit.”

Wilcox said she started Local Loaf as a bread bakery because she’s baked bread since childhood. “Why buy it when you can bake it? Bread is expensive, and when you buy it off the shelf it has conditioners and who-knows-what-else in it.” Local Loaf uses organic flour sold by Bob’s Red Mill.

The Wilcox family started refurbishing their building in early July of 2014, including building and upholstering the chairs, booths and tables. They also undertook extensive remodeling of the building.

Nicole uses family recipes and those of her own creation for the baked goods. She said she frequently experiments in the kitchen for the creation of new recipes.

The bakery features a very home-style atmosphere with the smell of baked goods permeating the air while both Chad and Nicole work the kitchen, which is in plain view from the dining area. “Our restaurant is warm and inviting. We serve wonderful organic food. I have an opportunity to work at an art I love, and I want this to be a place that wraps its arms around you and makes you feel welcome,” Nicole said.

Stuffed chairs and padded seating and booths make for a homey dining experience. Most remarkably, everything is baked in a wood-fired brick oven the Wilcoxes constructed that also warms the restaurant.

In addition to offering a number of baked goods including bread, pastry and cake, Local Loaf also has soups and plans to eventually add pizza. The bakery does not have a fixed menu, relying instead on variety to attract and keep customers.

At the present, the bakery operates Thursday through Monday. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Sunday, when the business closes at 4 p.m. Customers can expect pizza offerings on both Thursday and Saturday.

The bakery employs family members and one apprentice, Kelsey Juve.

Customers can contact Local Loaf by calling 541-903-1127, emailing to localloaf@yahoo.com. The bakery’s Facebook page (facebook.com/localoaf) has the current menu.

The Wilcoxes say they are especially conscious of the need for local community support. “The tourists come and go, but our foundation is the community and what’s important to me is fulfilling their needs,” Nicole Wilcox said.