Last week, this friend says to us, “Hey have you heard anything about this bakery in Wrightsville?”

“No. Tell me.”

“Someone told me about a bakery across the river that is supposed to be just sensational.”

On Saturday morning we went across the bridge to find this bakery. Upon arriving and finding a place to park, we encountered a young woman walking away from the door to the bakery.

“They’re closed.” she said.

“What?” we responded.

The hours are posted on the door, and sure enough, it’s closed on Saturday.

Walking back to the car, we asked the woman whether she’d been here before. She said she had. We inquired about the baked goods. She said the soft pretzels are “to-die-for” delicious. “And try the cinnamon buns, too.”

So we returned on Sunday morning. The snug shop was bustling as locals were snapping up fresh-baked treats for their breakfast snacks. Headed to a family breakfast, we were very taken with the array of beautifully prepared, exquisite baked goods and pastries. We decided to call them “exquisitries.”

We selected a sampling of scones – blueberry, cranberry-orange and lemon poppy – (the cheddar-chive would have to wait for another time); a huge cinnamon bun and several of the cinnamon soft pretzels. The soft pretzels are big selling items … and they are sizable … and really quite delicious.

Thanks, friend, for tipping us off to this cute little bake shop across the river. The Near the River Bakery is open tomorrow (Wednesday) and it’s worth the trip across the bridge to check it out. The place is tiny and a little hard to find and the operating hours are compressed, but once you find this little gem, we think you’ll agree that it’s worth the trip to the other side.