Fervere's name means passion in Latin -- and the word pretty much sums up how customers feel about this neighborhood bakery, which is open only three days a week. The bread sells out fast; anyone who has stood in line as the last loaves disappear from the shelves has probably wondered whether carb-craving customers would fight over the last one. That's because Fervere bakers allow the bread dough to ferment (fervere also means ferment), then fold and shape it by hand before baking it in an old-fashioned, European-style brick oven. The process results in rustic-looking gourmet loaves that are crusty on the outside and deliciously soft on the inside. If you get there early, you can choose from a variety of breads -- orchard (stuffed with dried apricots and apples and walnuts), polenta, olive-rosemary (hearty and amazingly good with soup), whole-grain, pain de campagne (light and airy), ciabatta and the "cheese slipper." Fervere is open Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. until the bread is gone (usually by 3 p.m.) and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until sellout. So set your alarm or call ahead -- unless you want to watch the guy in front of you leave with the last loaf.
