• Courtesy
• Morningside Bakery

On January 9, Gourmet Provence relaunched as Morningside Bakery, adding Neapolitan-style pizza to the offerings at 37 Center Street in Brandon.

Carrie and Matt Lewis purchased the bakery from longtime owners Line and Robert Barral on June 5. The Barrals, who listed their collection of businesses along Route 7 for sale in 2021, continue to operate Café Provence while they look for a buyer for that restaurant.

The Lewises, who live in Brandon, recently renovated the bakery and added a wood-fired oven. Five varieties of pizza — cheese, Margherita, pepperoni, and two weekly specials topped with ingredients such as bacon, goat cheese and dates, many locally sourced — are now available Thursday through Sunday. The couple have also increased the bakery's gluten-free and vegan options, added soups and provisions, and expanded the selection of wine and local beer.

The 12-inch pies "satisfy my need to make more pizza in the world — and consume it," Matt told Seven Days. He has made pizza as a hobby for 20 years, but before owning the bakery, he worked in carpentry, while Carrie was a veterinary nurse.

When the couple began to "look at new options for life," Matt continued, they couldn't resist the old brick bakery by the river — a one-minute walk from their house.

"There wasn't anyplace around us where wood-fired pizza was offered," Carrie added.

Morningside still sells the pastries, desserts, cakes and sandwiches for which Gourmet Provence was known. This summer, the Lewises hope to expand their hours and add on-site wine and beer service.

"Envisioning people eating pizza and drinking wine out by the waterfall in the summertime brings me chills," Matt said.