With two locations in Cambridge, Hi-Rise Bakery is on a mission to fill your heart and your belly with wholesome and delicious good things. From homemade pastries and specialty roasted coffees to fresh and frozen dinners-to-go and a curated wine selection, Hi-Rise combines the best aspects of coffee-shop, bakery, sandwich joint, and local market, bringing you fresh ingredients and family-owned hospitality seven days a week.

Hi-Rise’s founding principle was to make food better than homemade, and that starts with the stuff inside. They use only organic whole wheat, corn, and rye from independent mills, and their pastry slogan is, simply “more butter.” The fruit in their tarts is from local farms, and the eggs in their bread and pastries come from cage-free hens in New Hampshire. Hi-Rise features a panoply of daily-made products, including cookies, cakes, granola, pies, and a variety of homemade breads. And while there’s some variety between each location’s menu, both feature brunch all day, creative salads, soups, and a long list of chefy sandwiches to keep your lunch break interesting.

Whether you’re visiting the original Observatory Hill location on Concord Avenue or its slightly younger sister on Mass. Ave., expect to feel like you’re in a working bakery. The roasty, toasty aromas of fresh-baked bread dominate the high-ceilinged spaces, which are simply adorned with big hardwood tables and cozy two-tops for all your coffee-drinking, pastry-munching, and book-worming needs. You’ll see fresh loaves jutting from baskets and racks on racks of homemade pastries behind the counter, as well as coolers full of food to-go and a full selection of beer and wine at the Concord Ave. Location.

Once you’ve selected your pastry or sammie, it’s time to pick your beverage, and each location offers something slightly different. Both spots have full coffee bars, but the Mass. Ave. location is all about that caffeine life, with a specialty program featuring Counter Culture Coffee as well as rotating roasters from around the country. Concord Ave., meanwhile, will keep the party going with a fully-operational liquor department. The wine selection is hand-picked by owner Rene Becker, and is comprised of worldly and unpretentious offerings meant to be enjoyed now. In addition to wine you’ll find local beer, crafty spirits, and a well-stocked section of amaro.