The sweet and savory creations at Cinn City are turning heads (and taste buds.)
By Rachel Dalton | Photos By Ashlee Glen
Lemony Snicket may have said it best in A Series of Unfortunate Events: “Anyone who gives you a cinnamon roll fresh out of the oven is a friend for life.”
If that’s truly the case, then we all have lifelong friends at cinnamon roll and beignet shop Cinn City, one of Downtown Lynchburg’s newest additions.
Co-owner Alex Richardson, who has a long-standing history on the Lynchburg restaurant scene, describes Cinn City as “a happy little place” where he is laser-focused on the quality of ingredients as well as the customer service provided to all who enter.
Richardson has a passion for all things local, organic and sustainable. He loves working with area farmers and producers within the community and, with that in mind, the concept at Cinn City is simple. “A soft, sweet yeast dough bread whether baked or fried is a great starting point that you can do so much with,” he explains.
Inspired by his travels to cafés and bakeries all over, he wanted to take the concept a step further here on his home turf. “The best way to describe Cinn City is as a Quick Serve Bakery cafe set up for you to get a hand rolled bun, sweet or savory, right out of the oven and build your own custom masterpiece from a wide array of frostings, spreads, sauces, toppings, fresh fruit compotes and veggie blends,” he says.
The combinations are endless, even more so this holiday season. But don’t feel as though you have to pick something wild to get the full experience. On a recent visit, I kept it simple and had a made-to-order, steaming hot cinnamon roll covered with traditional cream cheese frosting—it was the best cinnamon roll I have ever had.
Don’t miss the opportunity to try the rolled out, hand-cut, flash fried, powder sugar dusted beignets while you’re there. Add a dipping sauce of your choice. I added two (chocolate and raspberry) and had no regrets.
If you’re craving something for lunch or don’t have much of sweet tooth, order a savory bun that’s made with the same scratch-made dough as the cinnamon rolls but is filled with fresh garlic, olive oil and herbs. These serve as the perfect vehicle for Boursin cream cheese, gourmet sauces, sautéed veggies or a variety of meats.
Enjoy your delights with fresh ground fair trade coffee, espresso drinks, sodas, juice, or even Virginia craft beer and wine. There are gluten-free and vegan options available, weekly and holiday specials, ice cream and specialty desserts. They also offer large to-go orders so you can be the office hero with your delivery of rolls and beignets.
