Wentworth & Fenn
Review! Charlotte, North Carolina // American bakery // gourmet, craft, artisan, you get the drift :)
(updated: December 2024)
the ELEVATOR PITCH
In the midst of all of the overgrown beauty that is Camp North End, there is a brick-n-mortar that feels like one of those well-worn cottages the Main Character of a fantasy story would run into while they make their way through the Misty Magical Forest on their quest to Save The World.
plot twist: you’re that Main Character
…and when you walk in, you’re not met by a witch stirring a cauldron, but the friendliest staff ready to help answer all of your menu questions (shout out to Jose for doing that for me exactly!), a pastry case that you want to spend all of your money on, a sitting room that you could possibly spend all day in, and a pastry team operating from a place of no-corner-cutting intentionality. There’s no way you can’t not Save The World now, amiright? (although, one could argue that the feat of winning over a lone witch is easier than trying to decide what pastry to choose when you’re met with such a plethora of great options)
Be prepared to make some noise when you taste something from the Wentworth & Fenn (W&F) kitchen. Whether the audible be somewhere between a “mmm” (in the sense of “oh this is familiar and fulfills exactly what I’m craving”) to a “WHOA” (in the sense of “I’ve never had anything like this and I am LOVING it”), a bite of a goodie here won’t be like any ol’ average bite you take out of a baked good you’ve picked up from any ol’ neighborhood bakery. Items from Wentworth & Fenn are anything but “standard”—they stand apart from all of their peers in more ways than one!
Wentworth & Fenn’s menu offerings break the mold of people’s traditional expectations of what bakery goods are “supposed to be.” At W&F, you’ll see cookies adorned with crowns of edible flowers and gold while also rocking a full face of makeup that looks like drizzled ganache, a swash of honey, or whatever else the cookie is feeling that week. You’ll find single treats that are portioned as big as your dreams (cookie sandwiches, biscuits, etc., the size of your face!) and that the early bird gets the worm because the pastry team values quality over quantity.
You’ll feel your “baked good paradigm” shifting from “a baked good must be extra sweet” to realizing there’s a culinary magic that happens when savory elements are given room to shine and take center stage. Wentworth & Fenn’s sweet pastries are sweet enough (iykyk, biggest compliment from an Asian, and the fact that this isn’t Asian-owned makes the fact even more impressive), and their savory creations have an unmatched flavor composition that you can’t get anywhere else or recreate at home.
Samantha Ward, the executive pastry chef and owner of Wentworth & Fenn, has worked tirelessly to create this brand. The journey to transitioning out of working in fine dining (at The Fig Tree Restaurant) to wanting to have the opportunity to “do pastries her way” eventually led her to the reality of opening her own bakery where “everything’s from scratch, 100% intentional, with chef curated flavors.” Now, when people think of Wentworth & Fenn, people think of an elevated bakery experience.
menu items
honest reviews below 👇
Iced Vietnamese Coffee: met expectations, it delivered on the Vietnamese Coffee promise: a strong coffee taste like it’s got 2 shots of espresso (thx, Cafe Du Monde coffee!) when there’s no espresso used at all. I may prefer mine just a smidge bit sweeter. (rating: 6.5/10)
Iced Strawberry Earl Grey: a Spring/Summer seasonal, Jose told us they soak the the Earl Grey Tea overnight and then blend it up with strawberries in the morning. Talk about a drink made with all the love! Flavor profile is 99% strawberry, the 1% is the placebo effect of knowing you should be tasting Earl Grey tea, but do you really… order this for a refreshing drink when the sun feels too much ✨ (rating: 2/10 as an Earl Grey tea drink; rating: 9/10 as a fun refreshing summer drink)
Chocolate Caramel Fudge Round: the cookie part of this sandwich had the perfect level of dark cocoa personality: almost, very close, perhaps the same (?!) flavor as Oreo’s chocolate cookies, which is EXACTLY how I like my chocolate cookies ZOMG. 😍 The icing was also a great texture, whipped & smooth versus cold & rock-solid, and the caramel layered within wasn’t too sweet. Great balance all around, I didn’t feel over-sugared at all. No notes, except… can this get a permanent spot on the menu? (rating: 10/10)
Earl Grey Cookie: apparently seasonal but with an extended place in the in pastry case due to popularity. The frosting is cream cheese with a bountiful garnishing of edible gold, flower petals, flaky salt, etc. etc. I love a good tea-flavored dessert, but sadly this was more of a “refreshing Lemon Sugar Cookie with Earl Grey drawn-on freckles” versus “pure-bred Earl Grey tea originating from UK served with a side of cream (cheese frosting)”. (rating: 1/10 as an Earl Grey Cookie; rating: 8/10 as a Lemon Sugar Cookie)
Gouda, Garlic, Roasted Onion Danish: I see a lot of “everything bagel seasoning danishes with a dollop of cream cheese in the middle” at bakeries/coffee shops, but this one was different. It had a depth of flavor whose origin confuzzles me (because isn’t it just everything bagel seasoning and gouda? I guess there’s some secret sauce between all that shizz). This danish is well-seasoned, the laminated dough layers are very prominent, flaky, and crispy, if you’re an everything-bagel-with-plain-cream-cheese lover, you’ll find yourself a convert to this danish! (rating: 9/10)
Tomato, Onion, Mozzarella Turnover: WHOA. This savory concoction also was so unexpected. Every bite seemed to bring more nuance to the turnover, whose resume technically states only 3 ingredients? Truly didn’t want this one to end. (rating: 9/10)
honest reviews below 👇
Mozzarella, Pickled Shallot Danish: flavor packed to the MAX. This danish is so much more than its name! When you bite into it, there’s a surprise cream cheese-y filling that you can’t see from the outside that is herbaceous and makes you wonder, what’s all in here — because I want it on everything?! Then of course there’s the puff pastry dough itself, that seems to have a million trillion layers. GOSH SO FLAKY. (rating: 10/10)
Blueberry Compote Turnover: Same flaky puff pastry encases a mildly sweet blueberry compote that still wears its fruity tang! The compote has the gelatinized texture of an open-faced cherry danish, would’ve preferred a little more oomph in flavor, especially since the savory pastries knock it out of the park. (rating: 6.5/10)
Jalapeño, White Cheddar Bialy: My first Bialy, which is a cross between an English muffin and a bagel, with an indent versus a hole in the center. The white cheddar cheese on top was deliciously broiled, and took me by surprise by also exhibiting a subtle jalapeño spice? Loved the caramelized jalapeño in the middle, and how it comes with a compound honey butter. But I personally don’t need to order this again because it felt a little too “just bread” (I prefer my carbs in flaky layers or dancing with flavor!). (rating: 7/10)
Breakfast Sammie: this was smaller than I expected… but the simplicity of the sandwich’s flavor profile was surprisingly satisfying! The Wentworth & Fenn team has shown me that soft bacon can be good (I typically like crispy) and cheese doesn’t have to be overloaded (at first I thought, “where’s the cheese?”, but it was indeed present in the perfect quantity). Overall, wouldn’t order again at the price point, because there are too many other savory items that capture my heart more! (rating: 7.5/10)
honest reviews below 👇
Bourbon Butter Oatmeal Creme Pie: Wentworth & Fenn is always changing their menu up, but this is one of the W&F CLASSICS that you can always count on to be ever present in the pastry case! Love that the pastry chefs amp it up by throwing a special bourbon butter in the center, whose texture melds seamlessly into the vanilla buttercream around it (although, I can’t exactly taste the bourbon in the butter). The oatmeal cookies themselves were on the crisper and sweeter side, which isn’t my preference. (rating: 6.5/10)
Strawberry Cardamom Biscuit: another as-big-as-your-face creation. Visually, it is so beautiful with its head-to-toe scraggy flour crevices and pockets of pink macerated strawberry chunks. Flavor wise, the strawberry and cardamom are subtle (I would’ve 100% preferred the flavor to be more potent), SO when you eat it with the cream cheese frosting that comes on the side, the cream cheese frosting becomes the main event, which made me a little sad. Texture wise, it was moister than other biscuits I’ve had, but still dry. All in all, still love their savory pastries more (I keep giving biscuits and scones chances to redeem themselves, but I think they’re just not my thing). (rating: 4.5/10)
Old Bay Cheddar Mornay Danish: the combination of sharp cheddar and Old Bay in this mornay sauce gives major pimento-cheese-on-a-cracker, Southern hors d'oeuvres energy. Rich and cheesy and savory, it’s a filling I’ve never had before in a danish but am instantly a fan of, especially in contrast to the classic awesome crispiness of W&F puff pastry! (rating: 10/10)
Cinnamon Almond Panna Cotta: had the flavor profile of horchata—cinnamon sweet with a milky homebase to come back to. The cold temp of the panna cotta was refreshing, and the texture was smooth and consistent. More structured than flan, but less dense than cheesecake. This did not disappoint! (rating: 9/10)
Key Lime Pie: this punchy personality earned itself a semi-permanent spot on the Wentworth & Fenn menu for its impact on the writer of Unpretentious Palate. And I can see why! The key lime filling has the texture of a cheesecake and a very very tangy flavor that is offset by sweet notes right before it gets too much. The pecan crust has a joyful crunchy texture and is slightly caramelized, the ginger whipped cream is delightful with the key lime pie in the way it mellows out the strong citrus features (I honestly would’ve loved an extra dollop or two). Overall, 110% the best Key Lime Pie I’ve had, but if you don’t like very citrus-y desserts, this won’t be the Key Lime Pie for you. (rating: 9.5/10)
Macaron: 1.5x bigger than your average macaron size (isn’t it always this way with things from Wentworth? 😆). This one’s shell cracked and crumbled and seemed to separate from the inside cookie really easily, making for a messy eating experience (and also a mark of not a good quality macaron). Both the ganache and whipped cream fillings were light and creamy and had good flavor though! This was part of a GoodieBag haul, so maybe the quality wasn’t great because it wasn’t fresh, so I’ll have have to try more of their macarons to form a formal conclusion. (but for now… the rating is: 3.5/10)
Black Garlic & Basil Quiche: thought the flavor of the basil and black garlic didn’t come through at all (I had to look back at the Instagram posting to see which quiche this was). Along those lines, I think this would’ve gotten a higher rating from me if there was more “stuff” in the egg filling, and if the crust was a little thinner (since it was so thick and crumbly, it left your mouth sandy and dry). Overall, I enjoy my father-in-law’s quiches a lot more, so would probably not buy these again. (rating: 4/10)
Blueberry Muffin: not too sweet, loved the crunch from the granulated sugar topping, and the muffin itself felt like a moist cake that was denser in crumb, but still light (not like a pound cake). To be honest, felt like a cupcake without frosting, in the best way? Really wouldn’t liked blueberries throughout the whole muffin, but it seems like that was only sprinkled on top. (rating: 5.5/10)
**please note: there are a couple of always-there classic items, but most menu items change flavors week-to-week, so expect generally the same forms with different content!
From the artful presentation of each baked good (even a simple baked good like a cookie is worthy to be dressed up too, not just an entremet or some other French patisserie item), to the menu that changes flavors weekly (change, when served in bite-sized, intentionally crafted tasty packages, can be rewarding and not disheartening), to displaying such a clear value for the craft of baking while not forgetting the passion (keeping the main thing the main thing always pays off), a visit to Wentworth & Fenn will undoubtably raise the bar on your bakery standards.
the RÉSUMÉ
address // 270 Camp Rd Suite 103, Charlotte, NC 28206
operations // Wednesday - Thursday, 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Friday - Saturday, 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM; Sunday, 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Monday - Tuesday, CLOSED.
💔 Sunday, December 29, 2024 was their last day of operations
logistics // free parking is available in Camp Road Parking Lot (2045 N Graham St, Charlotte, NC 28206); or along the street in front of the bakery if you’re not planning to stay too long
amenities //
no public bathroom
public WiFi available, outlets available
various seating options:
indoors: 2 small tables
outdoors: 2-3 small tables
vibes // “deep-in-the-woods cozy cottage” through and through on the inside (with whimsical decor elements). You don’t find this just anywhere!
⭐ all orders served with disposable silverware and containers
menu // there are a couple of always-there classic items, but most menu items change flavors week-to-week
beverages ($4.00 - $6.00): bottled sodas & sparkling waters, seasonal menu for coffee, and tea-based drinks
⭐ dairy-free milk options available (almond, oat)
baked goods ($7.00 - $10.00): cookies, bars/brownies, scones & biscuits, muffins, loaf cakes/quick breads, puff pastry yums! (i.e., danishes, turnovers, etc.), macarons, pies, eclairs, etc.
⭐ bread loaves (sourdough, etc.)
⭐ custom cakes & premade cakes available for purchase
light bites ($9.00): breakfast sammie, quiche slices
recs // the savory pastries ALL. THE. WAY. You’ll never be disappointed. Their refrigerated goodies have also are stellar!
site // Wentworth & Fenn
Again I say, I need all of these!