I met lots of fantastic apron designers via the deathmatch – and the one who took over the role of “official apron designer for Bake and Destroy” was Cynthia from Cupcake Provocateur. Not only are her designs sweet and sexy, but Cynthia herself is an inspiration. Influenced by her mother, she built a successful cupcake and apron business that continues to thrive and grow despite all the competition out there. I’m thrilled to share her story with my readers – because if there’s one thing I’ve learned from all the emails you guys send me, it’s that I attract an entrepreneurial crowd. I hope Cynthia’s story inspires those of you who are considering going into business for yourselves and I hope I’ve helped you find your new favorite apron shop! Check out the end of the Q&A for details on how you can win a sampler of Cynthia’s products!

So how did you get into the cupcake and fancy apron business? What was your inspiration?

It all happened by chance. I always had a creative flair for food and design since I was a wee cupcake, but started to turn into something more in college. I would bake cookies and cupcakes and bring them to class/work, then the orders started coming in so I decided to make a cute apron to wear while I baked and delivered them…. and then to my surprise the orders started coming in for the aprons as well and that is how the website was born.

Did you launch Cupcake Provocateur as a cupcakes and aprons business – or did one product come before the other?

The cupcakes came first and have always been a constant, and the heart of Cupcake Provocateur.  The aprons evolved out of a personal necessity for cuteness both in and out of the kitchen.

Your patterns are unlike any other aprons out there – do you design them yourself, or have a secret stash?

Good question! They are all designed and sketched by hand but of course are inspired after the classic vintage styles of the 1940’s & 1950’s with a modern twist, the modern twist being the prints used for the aprons which I think helps set us apart in the apron world.

Where did you learn to bake and sew?

My mama! She was definitely my idol. She really taught me everything and encouraged all creativity in all aspects of life. When I was a kid I would watch her in the kitchen and just study what she did. However Sundays I always woke up to Jiffy muffins, which is still my guilty pleasure today! When it came to sewing she taught me how to sew by hand and little by little my interest just grew.

Where did the name Cupcake Provocateur come from?

Right before I started professionally, I was in my kitchen at my apartment making red velvet cupcakes, thinking about what name would I wanted to represent both the cupcakes and aprons. I really liked Cupcake Couture but it has been used quite a bit and wasn’t very original anymore, and then I started thinking about word association and the word “provocative” came into my head and I was trying to figure out how to make if flow. That’s when I had the “light bulb” moment and I blurted Cupcake Provocateur and tah-dah!

Starting a business is no joke – tell us about some of the challenges you faced early on. Creating a budget? Coming up with the funds to launch?

It is definitely a challenging decision to make and not an easy one to implement. I think if you have the passion and drive it can take you a long way. But there is a certain amount of investing involved. In the beginning I had an idea and a product I wanted to produce and market which I choose to do on my own. I cut costs in my personal life (i.e. lots of ramen noodles for dinner) to help attain my goal.

The key is to start small and slowly progress to keep up with costs and always put a percent away for supplies as well as savings for personal and business. Test the waters first and see if there is a need/interest for your product and then market the business accordingly, there are so many networking resources out there now that makes it easier for start up business to gain exposure while keeping costs down. My words of wisdom in all things is “look before you leap” and once you know what you want – jump in!

Tell us a bit about production – do you have people helping you bake, sew, pack and ship?

Up until fairly recently I was doing everything as a one-woman show but, to keep up with production and my sanity, I now have in-house help with production/shipping of both the cupcakes and aprons. It is important to me to maintain a close-knit business without out-sourcing to other locations.

What’s it like to own a small business in a scary economy? Have you noticed a dip in sales, or are you still picking up new customers pretty regularly?

I think everyone has been effected in one way or another with the recent downfall in the economy but I have seen a rise in sales from woman that email me, a lot more families are choosing to stay home for dinner rather than going out to dinner all the time, so instead of the little black dress they wear their stylish little aprons instead. And yes, it is scary – but the key is to try and adjust as best you can and just ride the tide and know at some point it will get better.

How do you find your models? You have some hot stuff pin ups on your site (and no I am NOT talking about me.)

Ha ha….don’t lie!!! I am really proud of our models and have become close friends with a lot of them. Models usually contact me with their portfolio and I also sometimes find them through networking sites such as Model Mayhem.

Do you find that sexy girls in sexy aprons sell themselves, or do you advertise as well?

Definitely! What hot-blooded man wouldn’t want his significant other cooking (or not cooking) in a sexy little apron? I think they fall in the same category as the Naughty School Girl or the Sexy Secretary but for foodies. But I do occasionally advertise as well, it can never hurt to advertise.

About the cupcakes – before you started cupcakes in a jar you were selling locally, right? Where? And do you still sell there?

Yes, I used to wholesale my cupcakes in NYC for the Sugar Cafe in the fashion district when I first started. I now work from a bakery kitchen on Long Island and specialize in custom and special occasion orders as well as local deliveries for the NYC and Long Island areas. I hope to one day soon have a brick and mortar storefront in the near future as well. You can also find my cupcakes (and me) in the fall and winter starting this year as a vendor at the historic Williamsburg Federal Savings Bank for the famous Brooklyn Flea, which we are super ,excited about!

How do you make flavor decisions – do you get special requests, or do you mainly make things you’d want to eat?

Secrets, secrets he he! I try to think of different combinations of flavors that mimic my favorite foods – like our s’mores cupcakes or the Italian rainbow cookie cupcakes and such. I am also working on an arsenal of new flavors coming out in the summer. I have gotten a request to make a couple of interesting custom flavors. One that I really loved and will be adding to the menu as per one of our customers is a chai tea cupcake but one of the most interesting flavors I have been asked to make was liver pate mini cupcakes for a puppy party in NYC not to long ago.

Ok time to get personal – is there a Mr. Provocateur? Any pets?

I was wondering when I would get asked this question, lol. Yes there is a Mr. Provocateur my hubby Charlie. Ok, and this is where I get cheesy…. he is not only my best friend he is one of my biggest inspirations. He was the one that really encouraged me to make the first step to start my own business, and he is always my voice of reason in al ot of the personal and business decisions I make even though he knows most of the time I will end up doing my own thing anyway. No pets at the moment because there is no time but I do have a fondness for beagles and iguanas… weird combo, I know. And my husband and I look forward to having a little Cupcake of our own within the not-too-distant future.

What’s on your “in the kitchen” play list?

I like listening to my old school stuff while in the kitchen – really anything from Depeche Mode, The Cure, The Clash and also more recent bands like The Bravery (which are pretty awesome live) and the Muse.

What are some of your favorite small businesses to shop from? Any Etsy shops or other sites we should know about?

OHHHHHHH yes!!! I absolutely love the little hats made by Blu Zombie and Vintage Lucy’s I also love local Long Island shops such as Rockville Centre’s The Cook’s Fancy and Farmingdale’s The Chocolate Duck – and if you want a really artsy and yummy coffee shop to lounge at W. Hempstead’s Witches Brew is the place to go!

Other than Cupcake Provocateur creations, what’s the best cupcake you’ve ever had?

Hmmmmmmm I would have to say The Buttercup Bake Shop in NYC makes a really yummy Lady Baltimore cupcake!

How do you decide where to go next with your designs – do you get inspired by certain fabrics, or does your mood take you places?

My mind is always going a mile a minute with ideas, I usually have phases or moods I get in when thinking of designs and they influence allot of the design process. Right now I am really into the vaudeville musicals of the 1930’s which makes me think of bright colors and fancy fabrics that flow really well which has been inspiring a lot of more couture designs for a current line I am working on. I hope to have out by summertime or early fall.

What can we expect next from Cupcake Provocateur?

Aside from the couture line, I am working on finishing up a men’s line and expanding the children’s line. I am also working on a line of tea towels to match the aprons as well. The cupcakes are expanding as well with the addition of the Traveling Cupcake, which is our fresh baked cupcakes with frosting – all in a cute pint sized mason jar that we now offer to all our customers outside of NYC.

What an inspiration – I am completely floored by everything Cynthia has accomplished and I’m so grateful to her for taking the time to share her story with me (and you guys!) And now it’s your turn to be floored because Cynthia wants to send one of my readers a package of Cupcake Provocateur goodies (including a Traveling Cupcake sampler!) Because the prize package includes edibles, we have to limit it to those with a US shipping address only. To enter, visit Cupcake Provocateur and check out Cynthia’s sassy styles. Then leave a comment on this post about your favorite – or describe your dream vintage-inspired apron! I’ll choose a random winner on May 2nd.

I’ve just emailed our winner – thanks to everyone who commented!

Photo by Malissa Winkowski

Nate Meads is some kind of a pastry wizard. Before he and his partners Elaine Heaney (also his lovely wife) and Jared Nance opened Fritz Pastry I was a die-hard American bakery fan. Brioche? Gateau Breton? Stick it in your ear, Frenchy. I’ll have a big slice of chocolate cake with plenty of buttercream.

My problem wasn’t so much with the buttery breads and subtle flavors I’d come to associate with European pastry – it was the snoozefests I’d suffered at the hands of these foods. Mmm, tastes like… plain.

Yes, Nate is well known to be a technician, executing even the lowly  muffin with the precision of a surgeon. But he’s no croissant-producing robot. He’s a young guy, a dare I say it… cool guy. And he’s managed, at least in my opinion, to breathe some new life into what I used to believe were stodgy old pastries.

I am not alone in this opinion. In fact, Nate was recently named one of the “Twelve Most Important Chefs Right Now” (alongside a couple of zeros named Rick Bayless and Rick Tramonto). He is also responsible for a vegan blueberry muffin that brought tears to The Urban Housewife‘s eyes, and he once made me a salad so scrumptious I completely forgot I was eating salad.

It doesn’t hurt Nate’s case in my book that his wife and business partner Elaine happens to be my peeps (a Joliet native) who may or may not have had a high school job in the Louis Joliet Mall with me. She also has a charming way of working Descendants lyrics into casual conversation. But don’t let the fact that she and I have shared Auntie Annie’s pretzels while wearing Mexican wrestling masks cloud your judgement, just take a gander at the press they’ve received in their single year in business and you’ll see that this charming little sweets shop is no joke.

In order to properly introduce you to a shop that I find cool on so many different levels, I asked Elaine (and Jared and Nate) few questions – ok, a shitload of questions – so hang onto your macarons because things are about to get freakin’ sweet. (Read all the way through and you’ll be rewarded with a chance to win something I know you’re going to want!)

Elaine, where and when did you meet Nate?

Nate and I met back in 1996 through a mutual friend, Bob Lanham, when we were attending junior college and Nate was in the culinary arts program.

I have a very vague memory of being told that Elaine had a boyfriend who worked at a doughnut shop. Is that true, and was it Nate?

Vegan treats shot by The Urban Housewife

It IS true.  He baked at this doughnut shop in Bourbonnais and he smelled like doughnuts and sugar ALL of the time.  My friends knew how much I liked eating and also that I did not know how to cook, so when they found out that he was a baker, they all told me that we were going to get married.

So when you guys first started spending a lot of time together, what were you both up to?

I was really focused on school for teaching children with disabilities.  Nate was taking culinary classes for a little while, baking at the doughnut shop, cooking at this Mediterranean restaurant and, of course, playing in a band…skateboarding.

You guys just celebrated your 10 year anniversary – I’m dying to know if you ate anything/anywhere particularly fancy or exciting for that.

That’s super funny because we always make such a big deal about our marriage anniversary.  We either host a nice party or go out to a really fantastic dinner with a ton of friends, but this year we’ve just been so devoted to the shop and we really spend so much time here.  Well, when the big 10 year anniversary came around we worked open til close…so we just decided to grab Chinese from this hole-in-the-wall joint on Ashland, made our own little table in the back of the shop and the two of us had an awesome celebratory dinner.

Can we get a Wikipedia version of Nate’s culinary career so far?

Sitting on the counter watching his mom bake, fast forward–>>> baker at Donut Time in Bourbonnais–>>>  pastries at Brasserie Jo–>>> pastries at The Everest Room –>>> pastries at TRU –>>> executive pastry chef at Blue Water Grill Chicago –>>> Fritz Pastry!

I really love the balance you guys have struck at Fritz of high-quality, impeccably crafted food, in a casual-but-elegant environment and then like – bam, the prices are totally reasonable. What kind of decisions did you have to make about the menu, the ambiance and the pricing before you opened? What was your philosophy while making those decisions?

Thank you for noticing that balance.  The three of us (myself, Nate, and Jared) all wanted to create a space that we would want to patron ourselves.  We envisioned serving the high-quality, made from-scratch food that you might get at Tartine in San Francisco, along with the small, but very important touches of service that you would get at the Payard that used to be on Lexington in New York.  However, we would obviously prefer that our guests not have to pay inflated prices.  Ultimately, we wanted to build a concept using quality and seasonal ingredients, and also an approachable, comfortable atmosphere that is affordable.

Before you were an owner, Elaine, you were a food blogger yourself. I remember reading your posts about traveling and eating. Do you keep up with your blogging anymore, or is Fritz a 24/7 operation?

True, I did blog about our destination eating!  Sadly, we have not traveled for well over a year.  Since the early planning stages of the pastry shop, we’ve been pretty devoted to staying close to Chicago and staying focused on the shop.  However, we can look forward to reading Nate’s blog that he’s starting.

Of all the places you’ve traveled and eaten what’s your favorite food city? If you could instantly transport to any restaurant or pastry shop you’ve been to before, where would you go and what would you eat?

For Jared, its San Francisco.  He really enjoys the northern California farmer’s market influence that is at every establishment.  For Nate and myself, we absolutely are beyond stoked about New York and all of its food.  Our favorite New York spots are ChikaLicious, John’s pizza by IFC on 6th, and Adour.

The chef and a wee fan snapped by Fritz Pastry

Where do Mr. and Mrs. Fritz Pastry dine most often in Chicago?

Nate could no doubt eat Coalfire pizza everyday and I could probably eat Ben Pao everyday….Ben Pao just has THE most flavorful vegetarian dishes.

From an outsider’s perspective, you guys have had a great first year. You’ve got a loyal clientele, lots of great press, you’ve got a great staff – looking back now how would you sum up your first year in business?

Well, 2009 was pretty awesome to say the least.  The efforts and support from all of our friends and family really made this all happen.  There was always a group of us here laboring away, staining tables and chairs, building shelving, knocking down tile…  The warm response from the neighborhood and the media in Chicago is just overwhelmingly touching.  Our staff is made up of all of our close friends, so that makes coming to “work” everyday more than enjoyable.

Nate – I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy both your sweet and savory creations; of the two, do you prefer to make one over the other? What is your general approach to your food?

I definitely enjoy making pastries much more than savory food.  I think it has to do with the smell.  The scent of a great savory sauce or dish can bring a certain amount of joy, but for me that moment when you can smell that a tart or a cake or a cookie is finished just by catching the aroma on the other side of the kitchen is magical.  As for approach… I’d like to think that I aim for classic technique and time tested flavor combinations.

Tell me about FritzCakes – is that a traditional recipe or something you guys developed?

FritzCakes are Elaine’s recipes that have been adjusted here and there over the years.  They’re just basically our style of cupcake that happen to be vegan…a little less sweet than other cupcakes with a touch of sweet/salty frosting.

Which of your items are you particularly proud of or a fan of? Is there something you could eat every day?

Jared’s favorite for sure is the blueberry muffin, in fact, he does have one every day.  Nate is a big fan our croissants and springerle cookies.  I would say my number one is the gateau breton, but because it is so intensely buttery I can only eat it once in awhile.  The blueberry muffin is something I can definitely devour everyday.

Chicago has a lot of bakeries (thankfully) but not so many pastry shops – I think you guys filled a need for danish and croissants in Lakeview… have those been particularly popular?

Yes, its interesting because in so many cities there really are pastry shops EVERYWHERE and that is something we were really excited to contribute to Chicago.  We

Lemon macaron by Fritz Pastry

definitely hope that our croissants and danish and brioche are quickly becoming neighborhood favorites.  There is so much time and care that goes into each of those doughs.  Nate and Sara spend hours and hours each day making sure that the doughs are perfect…and if they ever are not perfect, they get tossed.

Although you are not a “punk” pastry shop persay, I know you both from the 90′s Joliet/Chicago punk rock scene. In fact, I remember Elaine’s My Space profile picture from a few years back was a Black Flag cupcake you’d made. Other than always having a song I love playing in the shop, how do you think you’ve incorporated what you picked up from your punk rock roots into your business?

To all of us, music is totally special and inspiring.  We play everything from Joey Cape to Cat Stevens to Smoking Popes…or pieces by Yann Tiersen to Joey Ramone to Miles Davis, yet all of the songs are so fitting to sipping on a cup of tea and eating a croissant in a European-inspired pastry shop.  The punk subculture is essentially concerned with individual freedom and a non-conformist viewpoint…so here in the shop that could translate into creating what we want to create and serving what we want to serve.  Trend and business-wise, it could seem wiser for us to open up a bakery filled with cupcakes and cookies, but we were more than comfortable with taking the risk of bringing lesser known pastries like pithivier to our Lakeview neighborhood because we really believe in what we do.

You carry loads of vegan pastries, most of which are “secretly vegan,” meaning that you don’t market them as such, and non-vegans buy them often. What are some of the vegan options in rotation and what made you decide to offer so many options? I know you blew Melisser’s mind when we stopped in, and she’s a tough one to impress! Has the tightly-knit Chicago vegan community picked up on your “secret” and started making regular purchases?

Well, Elaine was vegan for several years, and during that time we baked a lot and found that vegan sweets can be tasty if made well.  We think it is a breath of fresh air for our neighborhood moms to be able to stop in and get a variety of affordable treats for their children who have egg or dairy allergies.  The Chicago vegan community has been beyond supportive and do call and stop by regularly.  Its great to be able to offer all of our vegan friends birthday cakes and doughnuts and muffins that they can really get excited about.

Before there was Fritz, I bought vegan cookies at a craft fair from you and our friend Malissa. How long were you two baking together?

Yes, Malissa, our good friend Missy and I started a company called the Invisible Wives several years ago.  We ran it for about two years, mostly special order sales & selling our baked goods at hardcore shows.  It was super fun, but because it wasn’t our main focus, we eventually became too busy with our “real-life” jobs to keep up with it.

You guys recently announced your mission to make 100 macaron flavors in one year. Where did this self-imposed challenge come from? I have to tell you, the editor-in-chief at Baking & Pastry North America told me that cupcakes are out, macarons are in. Do you think 2010 will be the year of the macaron? What flavors have you done so far and what are some interesting ones we can look forward to?

Every year should be the year of the macaron!!  We were just looking at Twitter one evening and one of the feeds was from StarChefs.com asking what everyone’s New Year’s food resolution was …. and Nate just blurted out “to make 100 new flavors of macaron in the shop”.  We decided that most of the flavors we do should come from our loyal guests’ requests.  Immediately a long list of flavors collected: chocolate w/orange, rootbeer, and lemon poppyseed have been big hits.  Pretty soon we’ll be seeing ginger and one made with Intelligentsia’s organic loose leaf masala chai.

You have a great tea menu, a rarity in Chicago pastry shops. I know you carry Intelligencia’s King Crimson tea – could you talk them into a custom King Diamond tea? Because that would be awesome. You could serve it with a danish because he’s the “great Dane.”

That’s a fantastic idea!  We’ll pass that along with all of our fingers and toes crossed.

Photo by Martha Sarno

Elaine does a great job running your Twitter account – I love checking each morning to see what’s fresh out of the oven. Have you found it to be a valuable tool for gaining new customers as well as serving current customers?

Thumbs up to Twitter!  So many people come over when they read the feed of what kind of danish is being served or what new soup we have for lunch.  We really get excited about making things as convenient as possible for our guests…which is why we also added online ordering to our website.  Event planners for offices can easily order breakfast pastries by the dozen for meetings…you can order birthday cakes online…someone in New York or California can order macarons to be shipped to their door!  It is unbelievably convenient.  Beyond that, soon we’ll be featuring some videos that illustrate from beginning to end on how to make croissants or macarons or whatever.  At the end of the day, we want our guests to be as excited as we are to come back in the next morning.

And so you guys know, you can find out what’s hot out of the oven, and what the macaron flavor of the moment is by following Fritz on Twitter @fritzpastry.

Last question – this one is for all the aspiring pastry chefs reading – which cook books should every pastry chef have on his or her shelf?

There are a lot of really great books out there, but I would say Jacques Torres: Dessert Circus, Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make at Home.  There are great basic recipes that always work.  Plus, it shows how to make a super creepy clown face dessert (p.156, the mask)

Thanks so much to the folks at Fritz for letting me peek inside their kitchen! And now it’s your turn to be a fancy-shmancy pastry chef! Leave your suggestion for one of Nate’s 100 macaron flavors by 2/8/2010 and you’ll be entered to win a $50 gift certificate from Confectionery House! Choose from chocolate molds, top-quality baking ingredients, or even cute cupcake papers – $50 worth just for dreaming up a killer macaron. And as if that were not enough, Lucky Cupcakes Hairclips is also working on a Fritz-inspired hair bow for the special cowboy or cowgirl who wins the drawing! I’ll choose a winner at random next Monday.

(For some reason I blurted out that Fritz Pastry is in my neighborhood, Ravenswood when, in fact, they are in Lakeview. Wishful thinking.)

Thanks for playing everyone, the giveaway is closed! The (random) winner was Desiree with her suggestions: horchata, matcha and Hawaiian Punch! Enjoy your adorable Lucky Cupcake Hairclips bows and your $50 spending spree at Confectionery House!

Amanda puts the "pretty" in Bake It Pretty

A few years ago, trolling around Etsy with my first bit of Bake and Destroy shirt sale money burning in hole in my PayPal account, I discovered a shop called A. Bell Emporium and was instantly smitten. Plastic ballerinas, kitchy mushrooms and wee little deer all ideal for topping the weirdo cupcakes I’d been baking and destroying. It was one of – if not THE – first Etsy purchased I ever made. A few days later, a box arrived and inside, a sweetly-wrapped package of vintage cake decorations and special surprises awaited me.

Through the magic of the Interwebs, I got to know Amanda, the lady behind the emporium. I often referenced her colorful cupcake papers and fun cupcake toppers on my blog and I like to think that as she watched my little hobby turn into a big-time website I watched her Etsy shop transform into a full-blown e-commerce site.

A co-worker recently bought my a gift certificate to Bake It Pretty, which I instantly cashed in for gnome candy molds and other treasures and it got Amanda and I talking. I post a lot of Q&As with chefs, but what about the people who make life more fun for us home bakers?  Amanda agreed to subject herself to my pestering and here you have it – a super official interview with Amanda of Bake It Pretty, complete with an amazing prize for one lucky reader! And if you can’t get enough Amanda, you can get even more on her blog!

What were you doing before you started a. bell emporium?

Like most young-ish couples with a toddler, I worked different part time jobs so I could mostly stay home with my kiddo.  I was a nanny to two other kids in my home, and I picked up server shifts at an old restaurant gig, The Wild Monkey.  (No, it wasn’t a strip club – just sounds like one.)    I started blogging because it just looked fun, and I had always been crafty, and into baking, gardening, etc.  Aside from making new friends, and having an interesting hobby, I didn’t really expect anything to come from it.

How did you find/decide on the items you offered for sale?

I never imaged I’d been in the baking supply business!  I did a few blog posts for fun about some interesting cupcake toppers I bought from a local, old school cake and candy hobby shop.  The emails inquiries were almost overwhelming; everyone wanted to know where I found my retro-style cake toppers and miniatures.  I quickly realized that these old-fashioned hobby shops were few and far between, and that the Internet was severely lacking in unique, retro baking supplies.  I had the quintessential light bulb moment:  there was a need – and I could fill it.  The rest is history.

Soda Pop Toppers

What were your best sellers back then?

Sadly, several of my best sellers from back in the day are now discontinued.  I never give up hope that I’ll find them again someday, but it’s so depressing when something that people love is unavailable to me.  Some of those toppers include:  Boom Boxes, Retro Fawns, and Turntables (I actually may have been able to resurrect these, but I’m not sure yet so stay tuned!)  Lots of the charm-like miniatures were actually purchased by jewelry makers and collage artists more than bakers.  I always thought that was cool, seeing all of the crazy things that crafty folks were creating with these items.

How did having an Etsy shop prepare you for launching BakeItPretty.com?

I wouldn’t have known where to start if it wasn’t for Etsy.  I had already been selling a few handmade things (tote bags, stuffies, and such) on the side and since crafting supplies were – and are – a part of the Etsy marketplace, I naturally felt comfortable opening a new shop just for the baking supplies.  I learned so much.  So. Much.  From profit margin, to shipping policies, photography and marketing – I did it all myself, and all from scratch.  Lots of mistakes were made too, believe me.  The best part about using an online marketplace like Etsy is that you can give your ideas/products an audience with very little time or risk.  It gave me the confidence boost I needed to realize that this wasn’t just a little idea – it was actually viable.  It could really make money, and not just on a hobby-type scale.

What made you decide to close your successful Etsy store and open up an e-shop of your own?

After the launch and relative of the new website, it started to become difficult to keep both shops running smoothly and control the inventory.  Etsy is not the perfect venue for selling large amounts of inexpensive items, I was always aware of that, but as my sales grew it became very clear that the per-transaction fees and structure of Etsy in general just didn’t jive with how my shop had evolved.  Also, certain features I had come to need, like being able to establish a minimum order amount, are not available through Etsy.  I actually do plan to keep the Etsy shop alive, and in the future I want to keep a much smaller and select inventory of special kits and samplers available on Etsy.  It’s hard for me to give up my “post” over there, and I look forward to being able to keep the Etsy shop going, (but I probably won’t get to that project until after the holidays!)

How did you decide on the name?

Naming things is not my specialty.  When we had our son, the registry nurse came back five times to our hospital room and finally had to demand that we, “Name this baby, already!”  For my business, I never really liked the “A. Bel Emporium” thing I had going originally.  It was an odd mish-mash of my name (Amanda Isabel,) and I just liked the word “emporium.”  Nice logic, eh?   I knew that I wanted to change up the shop name when I was planning the new website and I really agonized over it.  I had no ideas.  All I knew was that I wanted it to be short, snappy, easy to spell, relatively unique and hopefully a bit retro in nature.  I came up with ”Bake It Pretty” ….and I didn’t really love it, but it was the best I had and it was available legally, so we went with it!  It took me while to warm up to it, and I actually like it a lot more now that I first did.  It’s growing on me.  I like that it’s a name and a statement.  You can add a period to the end and it’s a sentence:  Bake It Pretty. The end.

I like the way you think. Bake and Destroy. The end.

What were some challenges you faced when you were designing/launching the store?

Since we started small and grew so organically, there were not many problems.  There was a lot to learn, but everything ran pretty smoothly.  The biggest thing we struggle with now is growing too quickly.  That may sound obnoxious, but trust me: growing too much too fast is really hard.  Being successful is great… if you are prepared and can keep up with the demand.  We received some amazing press a few months ago that really rocketed our business to a whole new level, a level that we had hoped to work up to much more gradually, and it was an extremely stressful and crazy time for us.  Of course, we are immensely grateful for the surge in business, but it’s been a real wake up call for us:  hiring employees, training them, setting up a payroll, reconfiguring our taxes (!) … this is all scary stuff.  As Biggie would say, “Mo Money, Mo Problems.”  I think many people (myself included) wish for success without actually thinking about the logistics that go along with it.

Stick 'em up.

Oh my god. Let’s do another Q&A where you just quote Biggie.

Your site is one of the cutest out there, tell us about your vision when you were working with the designer.

Aw, thanks!  I was probably really annoying to work with from a designer’s point of view, because I didn’t have a super clear vision of what I wanted.  I knew I wanted something” retro-vintage” in nature, and no cupcake images in the logo.  Other than that, I was really open, and I’m still changing and evolving the site design as I go.  I think most people think that’s bad for business branding, etc.  But, the shop has already changed so much from where it as last year, or even last month!  I’ve allowed myself, for at least the first year or so, to let the shop evolve until it feels just right.  (And I think we are almost there…)

Who designed the site, by the way?

Hope Wallace did our original site design and logo, and I loved working with her.  I also did many, many alterations on my own to the side design.  Our site host, Pappashop, is great because even a novice like me can control and edit much of the side design and layout fairly easily.  The downside is the lack of features and usability.  One of the reasons we are doing a big site redesign soon…. I can’t wait!

I read you recently hired your first employee, what part of the business do you handle as opposed to your new employee(s)?

We love our new Team Bake It Pretty!  Seriously, our first experience with employees has been great so far.  We have one full-timer, and two part-timers.  We are training them in every aspect of packing orders, shipping packages, restocking products, organizing inventory, assembling kits, and portioning products. Some things that I am still in complete charge of and are NOT being done by our employees include: sourcing and ordering new products, answering emails & phone calls, photographing new goods and adding them to the site, blogging & social networking, making tutorials, etc.  I have a certain, special person in mind to help me on that end of the biz…more on that later!

Since you launched I’ve seen a few other quirky baking supply sites, what sets your store apart?

Since the beginning, I’ve felt it was important to not make the shop “all about cupcakes.”  Gasp!  Shocking, I know.  Don’t get me wrong, I love cupcakes and I do not think they are just a passing fad.  But, I knew from the beginning that I wanted to be so much more than just cupcakes, so much more than even just a supply shop, and I think that mentality is what sets me apart.  I sort of went out on a limb with some of the party supplies, gifts, and vintage candy that I stock in the shop, but I figured, “Hey, if I love this stuff, there has to be other people who will like it too, right?”  So far, it’s been working out pretty well, and customers are responding favorable to the wide variety of items we carry.  Yes, cupcakes and cute baking decorations are hip right now and everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon, but trends fade out, and good ideas are always going to be replaced by the-next-big-thing.  You have to be so ahead of the game, it’s not even funny.  I’ll never be able to rest, I will always be scouting for new, and hard-to-find products, ideas, tutorials, etc.  It’s exciting, and also kind of draining, but I know that keeping my shop fresh will be the only way it will survive.

Cute cupcake papers - they're like crack.

What is your best seller right now?

Cupcake liners!  Wow, people really, really love cupcake liners.  Actually, a lot of that has to do with Better Homes & Gardens doing a feature on our baking cups this summer.  But really, you folks just can’t get enough baking cups, can you?  Not that I blame you…they are pretty awesome.

Do you have any personal favorite items you carry?

I’ve been geeking out over the party supplies these days; it’s one of my favorite categories to expand.  I think normal “party supply stores” are usually a disappointment.  I really have fun searching for retro-style decorating supplies, and it so fun putting together orders and imagining all of the amazing parties that people are throwing with this stuff!

Is there anything you’re always on the look out for?

Well, since baking cups are in hot demand these days, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get a thrill every time I sourced a new style…especially one that I really had to dig deep for.  You would not believe how hard it is to find these suckers!   Aside from that, I’m really into scouting for unique packaging supplies, especially for the holidays when I know everyone likes to gift their baked goods to friends and family.

The photography for your store is adorable – do you have any tips for shooting small things with such detail?

Thank you!  You know, I bought a fancy, new camera a year ago and I’m still learning how to use it.  Photography doesn’t come easily to me, but I do enjoy it.   I guess I have the same tips that everyone uses:  turn off the flash, natural light only, and use a tripod (though I hate wrestling with my tripod and rarely use it, so there you go.)

What do you use for the background detail in the photos?

In the very beginning, I used vintage fabric from my personal stash.  I loved the patterns, but I hated ironing…so I compromised with colorful scrapbook paper from the craft store.  I’ve always liked having bold colors and patterns in my photos.  These products are so fun, and picturing them floating in a plain white background just doesn’t do them justice.

Do you have any advice for someone reading this who is considering making a big decision about his/her career?

Don’t make the jump unless you are 100% confident.  You don’t have to necessarily know how everything is going to work out, but you have to truly believe, not just hope, that you can do it.  You can’t fake confidence.  Your gut will tell you what to do – listen to it.

Tell us about your home life – who do you share your home with?

My husband Mike and I have been married for 8 years now, and we both run the business together.  Mike quit his 9-5 when we sold our house last year, moved to North Carolina, and launched the new business.  We have a son, Max, who is almost seven years old.  We are currently home/unschooling – and we also run the business from home, too.  It’s pretty nuts.  But we love the flexibility of working for ourselves, and being able to spend our days together.  We figure that Max will either grow up and be inspired by our family entrepreneurship, or totally annoyed by it and run screaming to a 9-5 job.

Cocky cupcakes

How do you balance a growing business and your responsibilities to your family? I’d imagine you have some supportive people behind you.

Oh yes, the family support has been huge.  But I have to give a major shout out to my dad, our head accountant.  We knew from the get go that we would hire an accountant for the business, and we were so grateful when my father offered to keep our books free of charge!  Not only is he totally trustworthy, but it’s also good for him to have a hand in our business and see that we are actually making money and able to support ourselves, and that we are paying our taxes properly - it makes him feel a lot more confident about our future.

What is your favorite thing to bake?

I really, really, love to make pies.  My homemade piecrust is pretty insane (if I do say so myself.)  Since Mike and Max don’t have much of a sweet tooth for pie, I usually eat them all myself.  And gain 5 pounds.   Hence, I don’t make pie very often.  It’s so sad.

What’s your favorite baked treat?

It’s a tie between my Grandma’s homemade cinnamon rolls and rice pudding.  I’m all about the carbs.

Do you have a favorite local bakery? What about one you love to visit away from home?

We are still exploring Asheville, but Short Street Cakes has some of the BEST cupcakes you’ll find around here. And whenever I can find an excuse, I’ll drive down to Charlotte and go to Amelie’s French Bakery – that place is a dream come true.  They have the most unbelievable pastry selection, including the illusive French macaroon!  And the best part?  They are open 24-7.  You can go buy a pain au chocolat at 2 am…. and there will probably be a jazz band playing.  I think the last time we were there Max spent 20 minutes talking to the lead singer of the Black Crows, (but that’s just what the lady at the counter told me, because I have no idea who that dude was.)

What are some of your favorite places to shop online?

I just bought a ton of candy from Have It Sweet Confections and it’s all amazing!  I highly recommend the salted caramels.  I do love shopping on Etsy for gifts and treats.  I don’t really buy clothes online, I’m a strange, tall body type.  I buy lot of books and such on Amazon. I spend so much time online working on the shop, and ordering things for the shop…I always think that I want to get out in the real world when I shop for myself. Which sounds good in theory, but then just leads to me wandering around the mall bored.  Yep, online shopping is the way to go.

What’s one album you could listen to over and over?

Any Tom Petty album.  I’m a big fan, in a borderline creepy kind of way.

Oh my gosh! Me too! I mean, not creepy – but I loooove Tom Petty!

Whose magic is more powerful, a gnome or a unicorn?

I think unicorns are more powerful, they just don’t know it.

Magical magic from Bake It Pretty

But which one makes a better cupcake?

I’m gonna go with the gnomes on this one, since they have opposable thumbs. You can’t make a decent cupcake when you’re all hooves and horn.  Sorry, Unicorns.

What’s next for BakeItPretty.com? Any new items or ideas we should get excited about?

Oh man, lot’s of new stuff coming up.  Most importantly, a big site redesign and a new ecommerce provider.  Lots of great bells and whistles like customer accounts, wish lists and registries, easier checkout, automatic email shipping updates, and lots more…. I am so stoked!  Basically, these are all things that “real” websites have, that we have had to do without.  I feel like Pinocchio did when he became a real boy – “We’re going to be a real, live website now!  Yippee!”

Thanks so much to Amanda for taking the time to let us in on what it’s like to say, “fuck it, I’m doing what I want!” I’m psyched that your shop is doing well and I hope I’ve turned a few new people on to the cuteness that is Bake It Pretty. And now for the prize – check out Amanda’s shop and leave a comment on this post about your favorite thing she carries. I’ll choose one random commenter (on Oct. 3, 2009) to receive a $50 gift certificate to Bake It Pretty! (Also thanks to Amanda for that!) Now get to browsing!

Wow – this was a record-breaking post! I actually had to upgrade my server due to all the traffic! Thanks a lot to everyone who commented and congrats to Lindsay, comment #40. Looks like we’ll need to team up with Bake It Pretty again soon!

Head angel Stephanie Samuels

Way back before there was a Teno – or a Bake and Destroy – Tony and I were watching Sugar Rush, a short-lived Food Network show that I’m guessing would do much better these days than it did then. They covered an adorable place called Angel Food Bakery that did quirky wedding cakes, cute cupcakes and – the item that really caught my attention – homemade Twinkies (or, Airstreams as they are called round these parts.) Dang, I wish we had something cool like that in Chicago! I headed for the computer, Googled, and nearly fell off my chair. Not only was this cute-as-a-button shop in Chicago but it was in my own neighborhood! (Keep in mind this was long before the pushing-the-stroller-everywhere-days.)

Back in the mid 80′s I was a pastry chef at the now gone (but not forgotten) Metropolis Cafe in Old Town. Leaving  after 6 years, after traveling a bit and playing hippie in New Mexico for a while, I came back and got myself into the world of food styling, staying with that for about 12 years.  That was a great way to combine my sculpture background with my love of food.  I also had a custom cake business on the side – I worked and lived in a funky storefront apartment .

Nope.  I have a BA in Studio Art, and a minor in Museum Studies from a  small liberal arts college in Wisconsin.  After graduating, I found a job as a bread apprentice, and pretty much learned pastry by the seat of my pants after Erwin Dreschler  had enough faith in me to hire me at Metropolis.

Airstreams photo from monkeydish.com

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Always an artist.  For a while there, it was also archeology.  I liked the “treasure hunt” aspect of that, and touching things that no one had handled in hundreds of years before I unearthed them.

I’m a child of the 60′s and 70′s, and remember getting to have those special treats once in a while.  They were doled out rather sparingly, and it was always a exciting event when we got one.  Working on the menu, I looked at other bakeries in town, and really wanted to do something a bit different.  I know that it’s important to have a “schtick” to be set apart a bit.  I wanted to focus on individual, cool looking desserts that reminded people of past “mouth memories.”

I like to make things that people normally don’t think about as being “homemade”.  Taking a well known product and recreating it with good quality ingredients – and tweaking it a bit.  I find that it’s a challenge, and it’s a fun thing for customers to experience.

Photo by Flickr user PopElegantiarum

When did you start collecting Easy Bake Ovens and how many do you think you have now?

I started to collect a few here and there over the years, but when I was designing this space I thought about putting a display shelf around the whole perimeter and putting toy ovens on it.  It was in line with the feel that I wanted for the place – fun, funky, homey.

I DIDN”T!!!  I had to go to my friend Valerie Lapin’s house to play with one.  Between that tragedy, and a touch of OCD, I now have all the Easy Bakes I want.

I have played around a bit (when I had more time!)  and found that it can actually be good for drying things out, like fruit leathers.

It did.  I was lucky enough to be on three different shows.  The first was Recipe for Success, a 1/2 hour show about business start ups.  The second and third, Unwrapped, and Sugar Rush, focused mostly on the retro items.  I have to say that I did get quite a bit of business after those shows, and also get a bit of a bump when they re-run them, which is always nice.  Probably the most surprising thing that came out of them was the outpouring of support from viewers.  I received a lot of emails, and hand written notes telling me to hang in there.  It really touched me.

Choco-wrap cake by AFB

I read a Facebook status update from you that cracked me up – about how FN’s Cake Challenges are sort of influencing people’s idea of what they want in a custom cake. Have you noticed an increase in outlandish cake requests?

UGH!  I have a lot of mixed feelings about those shows.  The competitions I love to watch, because I know how difficult that work is, I usually learn something in the process, and I’ve known a few of the folks on them, which is fun. The shows that bother me most are the “reality bakery” shows.  I think what it’s done is give people the impression that these kinds of cakes are made in a 1/2 hour, because that is how long the show is, and that they’re not going to cost that much.  I do get a lot of crazy requests, and I try to fill them, but I do give folks the option of a 3D design with it’s price tag, and another option that can be equally as creative, but easier on the wallet.  I am also the only one here that makes the cakes, and does the decorating, so in addition to running the shop and all that comes with it, I have to factor in the time it takes to give all the detailed attention deserved to a big cake project.

I know!  I can’t believe it.  I’m  lucky that I didn’t have much of a business background, because if I did, I probably should have closed down by now because of the amount of overhead vs. what comes in the door.  But I’m hanging in there.  Magically I manage to get the bills paid on time.  I really owe it to the community.  The neighbors have been so supportive, and many have become friends.  To me, the true success is that a real community has grown up  around here.  I’ve seen families change and grow.  Some have moved, and new ones have come in.  I’ve become involved in their lives as well as they in mine.

The crazy cakes are always fun, but right now with all the fresh fruit available, I love to make pies and tarts.  Now, it is getting into holiday season, and that means I start my CANDY production.  I’m a bit of a candy freak, and I always have some staples that I make – sponge candy, marshmallows, nougat, gum drops – and I try to fit a few new items in.  I like to take well known candy bars, and make them in house.  Last year’s was York Peppermint Patties.  This year I’m thinking about Milky Ways.

My cook Oliver has been with me since day one.  My old boss Erwin sent him over to help me as a dishwasher/prep guy, and after a couple weeks, I started to teach him basic cooking and bread baking, and now he’s in complete control of the savory menu.  I bring up items I’d like to try, we work on them together, and he takes off with it.  I really count on him, and he’s been terrific.

I started mostly with the bakery items, with a few savories thrown in like the “bacon and egg” deviled eggs, and savory foccacias.  Very quickly though, we started our lunch menu to get folks in here mid-day.  Soon after, Sunday brunch followed, as did the weekday breakfast.

Again, I find something that I like and try to figure out how to make it.  I usually research a bit to get the basics down, and then just dive in.  I’m really into the pickles. Some of the savory items that we feature harken back to my childhood as well.  The pot pie, which was always a big treat in our house (frozen Stouffers, of course), the “Friday Night Brisket”, the tomato soup with grilled cheese, which my mom cut up in the soup and called a “soup sandwich”, and the “egg in a hole.”  Almost everything here is made in house, breads, soup stocks, dressings and of course the baked goods.  The only exception would be some unique ingredients that I can’t make myself.  We also try to use as much local products as possible, which is much easier during farmer’s market season.  My partner’s family has a farm in NW Illinois, and we are starting to grow some items for the shop out there, as well as keeping bees. This July we harvested out first batch of honey, which we are selling in the shop.

Everyone loves cupcakes!

When I’m describing your bakery to people I always mention the Easy Bake Ovens, the malted milk cupcake and how cute you are. Where do you like to shop for clothes and accessories?

Gee Thanks!  When I had a “real” job, and actually made a living wage, I liked to frequent friends of mine that were  Chicago designers, like Amy Rigg (R.I.P.), Robin Richman, Suzen and Lucy Domino. I still have a lot of their clothes – luckily the designs are pretty timeless and I can mix them up with today’s items, as well as vintage stuff, which I also love to wear.  These days, if I want to treat myself, a friend of mine owns two shops in Evanston that I go to – Asinimali and Cou Cou.  I have to say, I find a lot of cool stuff at The Brown Elephant too.  People give away the best things!  Since I’ve started the bakery and I wear chef pants and t-shirts all the time I’ve splurged on cool eyeglasses just to give myself a bit of a boost.  For accessories I can always count on my friend David Vale’s store Hazel, down the street, and of course Etsy.  I always say that I’ll know I’m successful when I don’t have to by underwear in a 3 pack anymore.

I have to say that the cupcake phenomena has gotten so big since I’ve opened, that I find myself constantly working on traditional and new items.  It seems like it is an endless void, and they keep me pretty busy.   Because they re-run the food network shows every so often I’m known for the “snack cake” recreations, and a lot of folks come in for those.  There are still several old school desserts to recreate.  I was making pop tarts for a while, which I was calling “Flatbeds”  I’d also like to work on a cool mini jello mold.

I wish I had gotten my act together when I was ten years younger.  It is exhausting, but I knew that.  I think that the hardest thing, besides wondering where all the customers are on slow days or “why is that place so packed, and we aren’t?” The fact that I can’t pay my employees what I’d like to pay them.  I’m sure that any small business suffers from this.  Everyone works so hard, but there is only so much coming in, and I can’t always spread it around the way I’d like.  The city and the government don’t make it easy for us little guys.  I also have learned that I can’t please everyone.  Some customers just aren’t going to get what I’m doing, or have different tastes.  I can’t take all of that personally.  I can only try to put out the best product I can, every single day, and hope for the best.

Just seeing all that I’ve done here, putting the product out, watching people enjoy it and having them come back for more!  That is so so great.  The creativity is one thing, but running the business gets in the way sometimes, and I don’t always have time or energy to make all the things I want to, but as I do, and they get bought up and enjoyed, it’s really quite satisfying.  Also, the fact that the shop has become a neighborhood place, and kids know me, and stop in to say hi, or show me a report card, or bring me a dandelion makes it all worth it.

It really depends on who is manning the iPod.  I’ve got a very eclectic mix on there, and whoever is in front controls it.  Although Oliver does sneak out there sometimes, and puts on Senor Coconut, Celia Cruz, James Brown or Abba.  When we get control, it could be anything from funk, to Hank 3. Lots of old school rock and blues.  You can find pretty much anything here except for metal and rap.  When I’m by myself, it could be Macy Gray, Lenny Kravitz, Lily Allen or Joe Cocker!  A lady has the right to change it up.

I don’t have as much time as I’d like to go and check places out, but I do have my favorite restaurants for when I want to just hang and have a good meal.  Sunshine on Clark street is my all time favorite.  It’s a mellow, country Japanese-style place.  I’ve been going for years.  I also like riding down to the Skylark, a funky bar in Pilsen with cheap beer and a good menu.  I still go to Erwin for 1/2 price martini night, and if I want a special time, my good friend owns the Publican and I try to treat myself over there once in a while.  I have to say for bakeries or desserts, I keep it simple, and I’m truly happy with a soft serve cone or a bag of gummies.

Easy does it

What about outside of Chicago?

There is a great Italian bakery in Boston’s North End called Modern Pastry.  The staff is of course very rude (it’s Boston!), but they have several kinds of chocolate covered nougat that is to die for.  In downtown Milwaukee, there is the “Doughnut Man”  who has a little cart that he cranks out fresh doughnuts on – amazing.  I am ashamed to say that I haven’t been to New York in quite a while and I am long overdue for a food trip.  There are a thousand places I want to try.

I certainly try to.  They are so many out there, most a pretty good, some aren’t.  Once you weed them out , there is a lot of information and feedback that I can get from them.  It’s pretty incredible how connected the world is now.  Anything and everything is out there.  If I’m trying to find out about something food-wise, chances are somebody has already tried it, and I can check it out.  As for the “review” blogs, they are also good to read to keep up on how others may see you, and what might need correcting, but a grain of salt is always needed, as is a thick skin at times.

Probably something to do with kids, art and food.  Dan and I really want to start an “agri-cultural” center out near the farm, where we could be connected with non-profit organizations and work with kids, agriculture, art and healthy food production.  I’m already talking to Common Threads, Angelic Organics Learning Center, Hull House, Gallery 37 and the Inspiration Cafe to try and make connections and garner interest.  Dan was at the Field Museum for years, and the thought of doing specimen collecting workshops, or scientific illustration programs is exciting as well.

After 5 years, I do feel like there needs to be a little re-inventing.  With all the interest in local food, slow food, etc., I have been considering making the bakery a bit of a co-op, where customers can pick up items that are produced locally.  We do carry some organic eggs that the son of a friend of ours raises as a home school project, and they have been a big hit.  I was carrying Trader’s Point yogurt and milk for people, and as I said, we are selling our own honey.  I think that to bring in more products like that would be exciting.  I’d also like to do more workshops here.  Not just baking, but pickling, preserving, and cheese making.

Stephanie – I love you, I love your cupcakes and I love your bakery. Congrats on 5 years and we’re all wishing you the bet of luck on all the amazing things you have planned!

Then, out of nowhere, a friend of mine called to see if I might be interested in quitting the cafe and taking care of a little girl named Lila so her mom could start working in the office again. I’d been recommended by another friend, and Lila’s parents wanted to meet me. I tried to contain my excitement at the thought of telling my bosses to eat it and watching Sesame Street all day instead of spilling coffee on my shoes. But wait – who the eff would hire a nanny with tattooed knuckles? Dang it! I tattooed myself out of another opportunity! Well, I’ll just go to the interview and see what happens…

I ring the door bell and…whaaaa? Lila’s dad (Kent) carries her down stairs to meet me and he’s got a whole bunch of tattoos! We go upstairs and Lila seems to be pretty comfortable around me – oh, and did I mention that her mom, Carrie, is wearing a Zeke shirt? Because she is. In the matter of minutes I started what ended up being a two-year gig as Lila’s tattooed nanny. I loved Lila – I still do, and I love her parents. I learned so much taking care of a toddler while I was pregnant (and for the first year after Teno was born) and Kent and Carrie were so unbelievably awesome to me the entire time. I don’t know if I’ll ever have a job I love as much as that one. 

Fast forward a few years and I’m blogging about baking (something I could not have started had Carrie not found me and allowed me to stay at home with Teno for that year) and Carrie launches her line of unspeakably cute, mostly snack-themed artwork on Etsy. Kent is blogging (Carrie is too) we’re all on Twitter (@cagedtomato, @bakeanddestroy, @KentGowran) and everyone seems to be in a pretty good place all thanks to a couple of people having babies and helping each other out. And I guess, in the end, I just wanted to brag that I knew her first. 

Were you one of those kids who was always drawing in the margins of your notebook in school?

Let’s see, I can barely remember back that far, but yeah, pretty much.

Can you think of anything from when you were a kid that influenced your taste in art?
TONS of TV. TONS and TONS! I probably saw about a million commercials. And we ate a lot of junk food too: candy, tv dinners, cereal. I pretty much had a totally typical 70’s childhood, you know, cartoons, Star Wars, Dynamite Magazine, Hey Kool Aid, all that jive.

I remember you being a fan of some children’s book illustrators – who are your favorites? Any titles in particular that you love?
Mmmm, I love Henrik Drescher and Lane Smith. Some of my other faves are The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers and When Sheep Cannot Sleep by Satoshi Kitamura.

Did you go to school for graphic design? 
I went to Ohio University and got a B.A. in Design/Illustration. Then right out of school I worked at a record store. Way to go.

What kinds of work were you doing before Caged Tomato?
I had been working at the same educational publisher for the last 12 years doing page layout, with a little design and technical illustration thrown in. It was a great job, I got really complacent while I was there and didn’t do much of anything else.

Didn’t you draw the Hot Doug’s hot dog? How did that happen? Does Doug let you cut in line?
Why yes, I did! The most famous thing I’ll ever do. My friend Judine O’Shea was working on the Hot Doug’s banner and asked me to draw a hot dog with Buddy Holly glasses and Converse sneaks. So I did. And sadly, no, I don’t get to cut in line.

I think I might be able to guess this by looking at your prints, but I could be wrong – what do you like to draw most?
Well, truthfully, I like to draw animals most. But the world doesn’t need more bird drawings, it needs more donuts.

What made you start making prints for Etsy?
Desperation and loads of free time.

Did you already have a collection of vintage food labels? Where do you get them?
Food labels and recipe cards are something that I see and I think “I must have those!” I got most of my labels from the same seller, inkpainter, on eBay and Etsy.

How do you decide what to draw next?
I usually have a bunch of ideas on a list somewhere. I often think of things to make while I’m riding the El.

Did you ever have any luck finding homemade donuts in Chicago?
I haven’t yet made it down to Old Fashioned Donuts, but I hear tell that is THE place for fritters as big as your head. Also, I’m stalking the Glazed Donut enchantress.

If you had a whole day and someone else’s credit card to do nothing but eat all day where and what would you eat? Take us through every meal and snack – and you can charge airfare too.
Early morning, pop in at Gorilla Coffee in Brooklyn for some fresh coffee, then head to Doughnut Plant in New York—one of each please. Then roll over to Katz’s at lunchtime for a big pastrami on rye. For a pick me up, I would head to Momofuku Bakery and try one of each cookie and pie. And perhaps shove a few pork buns and english muffins in my pockets. Then an early evening visit to the Spotted Pig for some cask beer and bar snacks. Then fly to Yountville, CA for a 5 hour meal at the French Laundry. This is also the day I would magically never get full, right?

What does Lila think of your art? Does she ask you to draw things for her?
She thinks a lot of it is cute, or it cracks her up. She also asked me why the donut lady is sitting on the potty. I have to draw a lot of ponies and mermaids for her. Not well, I might add.

Kent draws, too right? I thought I remembered seeing some monsters he sketched.
He doodles. He wanted to be a comic book artist when he was a kid but got into writing instead.

So that blue truck cake you made for Lila’s 2nd birthday was pretty neat – have you been baking as long as you’ve been drawing?
I haven’t really been baking for that long, I think I just started getting really into food about 10 years ago. Now I’m like, obsessed. And I’m a terrible baker—everything I make has some sort of fatal flaw. Well, most everything.

Do you have a favorite bakery or bakeries? What are they?
I haven’t really been to that many, but I love Angel Food and Bittersweet.

Do you prefer cake or cookies? What about cookies with frosting?
Cookies, totally. Even store bought cookies are like crack to me. Frosting? Eh, I could take it or leave it. (Blasphemy!)

Lila used to come over with some pretty funny musical requests -Clutch, for example. Does her love of stoner metal come from you or her dad?
Stoner metal is one of the areas where our musical tastes overlap, but I think that is mostly her dad. 

What’s the best music to draw to?
I have to find exactly the right music, or nothing works out. Usually some tried and true favorite, sometimes fast: Nirvana, High on Fire, Blues Explosion; sometimes mellow: Neil Young, Palace, Bon Iver, Elliot Smith, Songs: Ohia; if I’m doing a lot of Photoshop work sometimes I like to space out with some Underworld, DJ Shadow, Massive Attack, whatever.

What about baking music?
When I bake I like something that makes me happy, some Kinks, some Pretty Things, some Nuggets, I don’t know. Usually I just listen to Lila, she likes to sing.

Now that you’re a full-blown Etsy wizard, do you have any advice for someone looking to sell his or her art on Etsy?
Whoa, that’s sweet, but I ain’t no wizard. I’ll get back to you when I hit 1,000 sales! I would say make sure you are offering something unique. Also, people like owls.

What’s your favorite custom request so far?
All of them, really. I love it when someone likes my stuff enough to ask me to create something for them. Someone asked me to do the roasting pan and the frying pan because they wanted to get those designs as tattoos. That is pretty awesome. And someone wanted a custom piece for her donut shop. Which is also awesome.

Do any of your designs stand out as a best-seller?
My very first design, the Mix Until Blended.

Is it hard to not spend the money you make in your shop on stuff from other people’s shops?
I do! I can’t help it. I love Etsy. I have an Etsy art gallery growing on my wall.

Do you have a favorite Etsy shop?
I have lots, I adore all my favorites and I love looking through them. I have art by sushipot, plumpoyster, derekerdman, matteart, and doubleparlour.

Obviously you made some retro Bake and Destroy buttons for Sweet Cuppin’ Cakes – do you have anything for sale anywhere else (besides Etsy)?
I have stuff at the Renegade Handmade store on Division. And sometimes it even sells! I have plans to do some craft fairs when I get enough stuff together.

Are you working on any new designs right now?
Yes, I’m pretty slow on new items these days, but I’m always working on something.

What about new products – are you looking to expand on your stationary or introduce anything new?
I want to get more cards in the shop, I’m still experimenting with papers and stuff though. I have plans to do a lot more original art, but those are harder for me because when I screw them up there is no undo!

And finally, is this the first time a former employee has interviewed you for her blog? (^_^)
Yes! #boner!

Big fat thanks to Carrie for answering all my nosey questions – and even bigger thanks for her offer to send one lucky commenter an 8.5″x11″ print of their choice from her shop! Leave your comments between today and July 18, 2009 – midnight* CST for your chance to win! 

*A winner has been chosen! Thanks a lot to Sarah for leaving the winning comment and again to Carrie for hooking us up with one of her awesome prints! 

So it’s my unfinished work, but in a few months I think you’ll be reading a lot about Chef Fayard. He’s young, he’s talented, he’s a little shy but not too shy to unleash the occasional snarky remark and he traded me a chocolate making lesson for a skateboard, so I mean… yeah. What’s not to love? Make sure you read the afterward.

A true champion never really retires. Sure, he might take up golfing, write a few books and appear to be out of the game for a while. But for anyone who has ever fought and won there comes a Rocky Balboa moment when he or she must decide, “is it really over?”

National Pastry Championship silver medalist Dimitri Fayard claims to have hung up his gloves after taking a disappointing second place in the 2003 competition, but at only 29 years old could this really be the end of Fayard the contender?

These days, the L’Isle Arne, France native stays busy in his Lincoln Park bakery, Vanille Patisserie. He and his wife Keli, also an accomplished chef, opened the shop in 2003 and in its short existence, Vanille has already earned a handful of Food Network appearances, several mentions in various food and dining magazines as well as the respect of some of the country’s most prestigious pastry chefs.
“Vanille is definitely one of the best pastry shops in the country,” says Chef Sebastien Canonne, Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF, An exclusive title awarded only to the best pastry chefs in France,) and co-founder of the French Pastry School in Chicago. Canonne considers the Fayards ambassadors of French pastry to American people, a mission the couple is glad to take on. “You can get what you see on TV and it’s only five dollars,” explains Keli.

Most recently, Fayard was named one of the Top Ten Pastry Chefs in the country by Pastry Art and Design magazine. “He’s a perfectionist,” says executive editor Tish Boyle, “he obviously has a passion for what he does and he’s able to bring that passion to the public with his shop.” Fayard says earning a place among the Top Ten from such a respectable pastry trade magazine is an honor, and the one he is currently the most proud of.

Vanille’s cozy little storefront is a far cry from the very lavish patisseries of Fayard’s youth, but only in appearance. Much like Fayard himself, the shop appears American but it is French to its very core. The walls are painted warm shades of maroon and earth tones with a few large, overstuffed seats for customers who can’t wait to get home to devour their treats. There they can sip espresso and enjoy the view of two bakery cases packed with handmade chocolates, croissants, fruit tarts, entremets, colorful macarons and petit fours.

In his thick French accent, Fayard calls the patisserie a life-long dream and a way to expose Americans to French pastry without pretension. He knows all too well that most Americans hear “French” and immediately get defensive. “People and friends would say I come out sounding rude when in fact I did not mean too,” he says, explaining that his accent, like his food is unusual, but not snobby.

His appearance on Food Network’s program “Sugar Rush” introduced Fayard to thousands of foodies from coast to coast. Keli says after the show aired the shop received dozens of calls from people across the country who watched Dimitri preparing his signature entremets on television. They wanted to know if the classic French mousse cake featuring layers of cake, mousse and hand made chocolates would survive being shipped. Unfortunately for them, it would not, but Chicago customers can pop in Tuesday through Sunday and choose from a variety of traditional flavors as well as seasonal offerings. One of Dimitri’s most popular creations is the decadent Manjari entremet, a moist chocolate biscuit topped with rich chocolate cream and chocolate mousse and finally glazed with shiny dark chocolate and topped with a single, curled sliver of handmade chocolate.

The Food Network may have brought some attention to his shop, but Fayard is definitely not a fan. “I get mad at it,” he says, “I see a lot of people who aren’t very skilled and I think some of those people bring down the business.” One person who consistently deters Fayard from tuning in is Duff Goldman from “The Ace of Cakes.” “I only watched it once because it pissed me off so much. His cakes are made of Rice Krispies,” Fayard quips, “my daughter can do that. That’s the kind of thing that gets me mad.” To Fayard, Goldman’s hit reality series is “just some guy talking shit” and many of the network’s cake challenges involve little more than pastry chefs showing off for TV cameras.

This outburst is unusual coming from someone who claims to be quite shy, but Fayard’s rebellious nature goes way back to his childhood days in France. “I was kind of bad at school,” he confesses, “I never studied or did my homework.” Fayard’s lack of interest in traditional schooling, he says, stemmed from the fact that he already knew he wanted to be a pastry chef at the age of 12.

Fayard’s study habits turned around when he started pastry school in Auch, France at just 16 years old. He eventually received his CAP Cuisine and CAP Patisserie, French diplomas for culinary and pastry training, from the Lycee Pardailhan and simultaneously interned for acclaimed pastry chef Philippe Urraca, MOF.

Eighteen-hour work and school days didn’t leave much time for friends or teenage antics, “I was boring, a little bit,” Fayard recalls. When he did find time to see ses amis, the diligent 17-year-old frequented heavy metal shows to watch his friends’ bands play, although he says he was more of a hip-hop fan. Hip-hop and skateboarding, another hobby Fayard managed to squeeze into his busy workday, were booming in mid-90’s France. He was mainly a fan of French hip-hop, but American acts such as Wu Tang Clan and Snoop Dogg also found their way into his Walkman.
It was at this time when the quietly rebellious Fayard got his first tattoo, a Chinese symbol on his back that spells out his name. “Frankly, it’s pretty ugly,” he says, “but every time I look at it, it reminds me of that certain period of my life.” Two years later Fayard got tattooed again, but then decided to stop at two so as not to upset the pastry “old school,” as he calls it. Traditionally, French pastry chefs maintain a very professional appearance, and even though the shop is successful and he is his own boss, Fayard says, “I don’t think people would respond very well.” He doubts his customers would feel comfortable buying macarons and nougat from a chef sporting knuckle tattoos.

It was at the Lycee Pardailhan that Fayard had his first taste of competitive pastry, and despite taking home a disappointing third place he knew he would compete again. “I like to win,” he says, “but I’m a good loser too. I’m not bitter or anything.” Third place in a student competition was not enough to discourage a man who claims to be competitive “about pretty much everything.”

Fayard eventually left France, despite his opinion at that time that all of the best pastry chefs to learn from in the world were in his mother country. When renowned pâtissier Laurent Branlard joined the team at Urraca’s patisserie his world travels and vast experience inspired Fayard to get out there and see what the world had to offer. After a year and a half at the same post, Fayard implored Branlard to send him anywhere where he could learn something new. A week later Branlard obliged with an offer for Fayard to join the opening team at the famous Payard’s Patisserie and Bistro in New York, New York under Chef Jean-Philippe Maury, MOF.

It was at Payard’s tart station that Fayard first met his future wife Keli, a Kankakee native and Culinary Institute of America and French Pastry School graduate. The two chefs were good friends, but they didn’t start dating until five years later when they were reunited at the Bellagio in Vegas, again working under Maury.

It was in the City of Lights that the 20-year-old Dimitri fell in love with 25-year-old Keli. One night, after a two-month courtship, Dimitri flipped a coin to decide if they would spend their evening getting married or watching TV. They were married Vegas-style complete with a chocolate mousse cake with vanilla crème and licorice ganache prepared by Chef Maury.

Working eight-hour shifts at the Bellagio was a strange experience for Fayard, who had become accustomed to 12 and 16-hour days in France. Always looking to absorb knowledge and techniques from the masters, he would clock out after his shift and stay to watch the executive chef in action. “People ask me ‘what’s your hobby?’ and I say ‘pastry,’” he laughs.
While making contacts within the industry, traveling and learning new techniques at every turn, Fayard also swept the 2001 Southern Pastry Classics, taking home the gold medal. He also took home the prize for the best chocolate cake with his milk chocolate mousse and chocolate crème cake topped with candied hazelnuts. His toasted almond sorbet and apricot sorbet each received top honors as well.

The Fayards eventually moved to Chicago where Dimitri joined the opening team at Sofitel Chicago Water Tower at the age of 23. It was at Sofitel where Fayard met French Pastry School graduate Cathay Rayhill, whom he later hired to be his first sous chef.

Vanille opened shortly after the birth of the Fayard’s twin daughters, Maya and Grace. Dimitri had always imagined himself as a business owner, but as a new father making decent money at a large hotel, he wasn’t sure if it was worth the risk. Once he and Keli saw their current location, however, they knew it was the opportunity of a lifetime.
The space was the first and only one the Fayards saw on a tip from French Pastry School co-founder Jacquy Pfieffer. The couple was very excited about the already-existing equipment and décor; large African masks were painted on one of the burgundy walls and despite Keli’s protests, remain there today. Dimitri has been interested in African tribal masks for some time, and he took their appearance in the store as a sign that it was meant to be.

The patisserie was a life-long dream of Dimitri’s but his career aspirations did not stop there. Even before the shop opened Fayard was training to compete in the 2003 National Pastry Championship in Las Vegas. Competitive chefs often train for one full year before a big competition, spending thousands of dollars to travel across the country, sometimes the world, to train with their coaches and teammates. They purchase equipment identical to what will be used in competition and practice their recipes time and time again until they are flawless. In the end, the cash prize for a gold medal varies from only a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars to be split among a team, but often it doesn’t come close to covering each chef’s personal expenses. Money isn’t the real prize anyway, says Fayard, rather it’s “the thrill, you know? The adrenaline rush.”

Chef Rayhill assisted Fayard the year he trained for the Nationals. She describes that time as “very intense for him.” Rayhill says Fayard was quite confident going into competition, and she believed the team would do well.
In June 2003 Fayard ventured to Las Vegas, leaving Keli and the girls back home to tend to Vanille. Like most of the other people arriving at McCarran International Airport that day, he was in the city to gamble. But there was much more than money at stake for the chef this time. A lifetime of preparation and perhaps the future of his career as a competitive pastry chef were at stake in the National Pastry Championship.

Unfortunately for Fayard, luck was not a lady that night and a year’s planning and thousands of hours of training were lost. His team took second place, but Fayard takes no comfort in the notion. “I feel like there’s one winner and everybody else is the loser. There is first place and then that’s it,” he says.

A disappointing silver medal is all Fayard has to show for what he calls his last competitive effort. What’s worse, one of his closest friends Chef Claude Escamilla took home the gold with his team. Since what he considers “the loss,” Fayard has re-evaluated his priorities in his career and in his personal life. “I really miss it and everything,” he says about competing, but “it’s hard to be away and it’s not really what I want anymore.” Keli isn’t so sure Dimitri is ready to retire from competition, “Over the past year and a half he’s been sort of getting that itch to get back into it,” she says, “so we’ll see. I’m interested to see what his next step is.”

That itch may get itchier as Dimitri was recently asked to assist Escamilla’s team in training for the World Pastry Championships, which take place in the fall of 2008. The team representing the United States in the international competition consists of celebrated chefs Laurent Branlard, who Fayard says is “like a big brother” to him, Frederick Monti, and Stephane Treand, MOF. Gold medalist Escamilla will serve as the team’s coach.
Fayard remains humble about his contributions to the teams’ efforts. “I don’t want to make it look like I’m a big shot or whatever,” he explains, “we’re all friends and they were like, ‘Well, you can give us a hand.’” He will lend a hand each month for a year leading up to the competition in September, traveling to every practice to help the team to plan its menu, to train, and to fine-tune each station. “They’re all better than me, so it’s more like another pair of eyes to see things that maybe they didn’t see,” he says.

Fayard plans on drawing from his own experiences in competition, both victorious and otherwise, to help Team USA take the gold in Nashville. “I learned [at the Nationals] that we made a couple of mistakes,” he says, “You have to do a flavor that will be recognized by an international palate.” He sadly points out, however, that it won’t be him up there competing, and although a victory for his friends would make him happy, it won’t do much to change the way he presently feels about competing. Like Keli, the world of competitive pastry must wait to see what Dimitri will do next.

Not yet thirty years old, Dimitri Fayard has seen more success than many chefs twice his age. A self-described workaholic and control freak, he has also tasted the bitter reality of what he considers failure. Losing the National Pastry Championship to a good friend and rival was more bitter than bittersweet.

Victory and defeat, gold medals and world titles all disappear as Chef Fayard drops in at Wilson Skate Park. His new skateboard and talk of a third tattoo, an African mask to symbolize fatherhood, demonstrate Fayard’s pledge to take more time for himself these days and to remember that happiness is more important than world titles- or at least it should be.

The peacefulness of his so-called retirement seems to have rubbed off on the ambitious young pâtissier. “Every time I open the oven and something is baked the right way,” he smiles, “it makes me happy. Every time I do a cake I’m happy. Pastry makes me really happy.” Only time will tell if pastry itself, and not a championship title of his own will keep him that way.

Well, time DID tell and in the end, one of the chefs representing Team USA had to drop out of the competition leaving a spot for you-know-who. Yep! He’s on the team and competing again. So Keli was right, but wives are always right. Good luck Dimitri and Team USA!

Fabio is the manager of Letizia’s Natural Bakery in Wicker Park, he also happens to be Letizia’s son. The Sorano family moved to the states so the children, at the time young adults, could attend college. Letizia wanted to start her own business, preferably something the family could be involved in, and what started as a small catering operation has developed into one of the most popular European-style cafes in Chicago. I sat down with Fabio one sunny afternoon, sipping espresso and talking cake. (By the way, I’m “N.S.” and he’s F.S.”)

NS: How long have you been open?

FS: We’ve been open…it’ll be nine years in a month. November…I’d say 15th it will have been nine years.

NS: What made you choose this particular location?

FS: It was cheap. No body wanted to be here [laughs] and it was close access to the highways.

NS: You were mostly doing catering and wholesale then?

FS: Yeah, wholesale, yeah.

NS: Did you have any idea that this area would turn into what it has?

FS: I’ve worked in places that started out in bad locations that turned out to be really good, so I did see that happening. I do remember [turns in chair to face Division St.] standing out here in the wintertime and looking at the sidewalks and saying, “What he fuck? This is huge, we could do an outside café.” I’d never seen one in this area. Back then, mostly, the only restaurants around here were Mirai… they opened shortly after we did. There was Celluloid…there was nothing here. I’d always thought this would be perfect for a sidewalk café kind of thing and you know [indicates patio full of customers] it was. It totally is.

NS: Did your mom bake when you lived in Italy, or did she start here?

FS: She started here, because at first- well, we were kids so she was taking care of us. And she is a teacher by training, so she used to teach Latin and history in Italy. When she came here she wanted to open her own business and her friend who had a catering business was like, “why don’t you bake cakes for me?” And basically, I think that’s what makes our stuff different is that we don’t have pastry school backgrounds at all. Like, crostata is something we make at home; you can’t even get that in pastry shops in Italy. But that’s what we knew how to make so we figured we’d make that. And then everything else we kind of learned as we went.

NS: Your mom told me once about cheesecakes- she didn’t know how to make one but people kept asking her for them so she figured it out and now you guys have my favorite cheesecake in the whole city.

FS: Yeah, the caramel cheesecake.

NS: I tell people that story all the time because it’s so interesting that the most delicious cheesecake I’ve had comes from someone who didn’t know how to even make one.

FS: Well, we didn’t like cheesecake so we had to make it the way we would like it. But I think if you really look at the process it’s probably one of the simplest methods of making the cheesecake, you know. It’s a combination of making a simple recipe- just cream cheese, sugar and eggs and whatever else is in there and then baking it really slow for a long time, so it doesn’t poof up or down.

NS: So one unique aspect of Letizia’s is that neither of you has any formal training…

FS: And the other is our choice of ingredients, because we started out doing what we do now, you know, natural baking. That really helped us not only because it’s good for you but because it’s going to taste better. It’s not- well, you know, you worked here- it’s not sugar-free, wheat-free, low-fat, so I think the pastries you’re getting here are going to be a little bit different because they’re something we came up with. If we’d worked in French bakeries we’d probably know how to make croissants- and croissants and stuff like that is all awesome, I love to eat it, but there’d be a tendency to have Danish and stuff like that and we never had that stuff so we kind of looked at the recipes we had.

NS: Are a lot of these family favorites?

FS: Some of them are, like the crostata and so on, definitely. Basically, it’s something that, when we were about seven, [referring to himself and his siblings] my mom noticed we were gaining a lot of weight and so she stopped buying the pre-made- I mean, we don’t have Twinkies in Italy, but we have stuff that’s like Twinkies so she quit buying all that stuff and she’d just bake these crostatas which is just butter, sugar, flour, you know. So if you wanted a snack, you could have that. And within about a year [laughs] we shrunk right down. You know, it’s still a sweet, it’s still sugar, but not all the hydrogenated oils and all that processed stuff.

NS: I remember Letizia telling me that she would have an idea- something would just come to her from right here [points to head.]

FS: That’s exactly right. Like, I like mochas so one day we were like, “why don’t we take the vanilla out of this cookie, throw in some espresso, [shrugs and laughs] mix it up, and then instead of vanilla buttercream we’d make chocolate Buttercream then we’ll dip it.” And it’s like- wow, that’d be cool. Or like now, we have peanut butter and jelly cupcakes- put the jelly in the middle, make a peanut butter frosting, it’s wacky but a lot of our stuff comes out like that.

NS: Do you think you have a signature pastry?

FS: I think definitely the caramel cheesecake, that’s like, one of the big ones. [The assistant manager comes over that this point and briefly discusses doing inventory with Fabio.]

NS: So the cheesecake is your…

FS: Ah yeah, the cheesecake I mean, I know the little caramel nut crostata… I think those are like, the two signatures. If I ask people, everybody tells me there’s like a different you know, like, signature thing at Letizia’s. There’s a new cookie- it’s an oatmeal almond cranberry cookie, it’s crazy, you know, people go insane for it. And that was basically a variation on our oatmeal cookie. But I’d say the caramel cheesecake and the crostata.

NS: Are those your favorites?

FS: Luckily I’m not that big of a sweets fan. I mean, I like them…when I eat them I love them but otherwise… you know, everything was fine until we opened the restaurant [grabs and shakes belly] and then I put on like, 40 pounds because I’m around prosciutto and all that.

NS: And you guys are different in that way too because you also offer the savories.

FS: Right, like the panini.

NS: Do you still do the pizza rustica?

FS: We still do the pizza but not in the café, we have that in the restaurant and we don’t do the slices. It’s only for dinner. And the pizza, like I said, it’s a little bit different because it was a case of me going to a guy to get the recipe, teaching Luis how to make it, [Luis was a cook and janitor at Letizia’s, he passed away recently] Luis making it his own way for you know, six years, and now that’s how we do it.

NS: When did you open the restaurant?

FS: That was three years ago.

NS: And you’re still available to do catering, gift baskets, weddings?

FS: Yeah, totally, gift baskets, all that stuff.

NS: Do you guys think you’ll ever want to open a second location?

FS: [An ambulance drives by with it’s siren blaring, but Fabio starts to say “maybe”] I look for places all the time, but usually- so far, and I’m not saying this is always the case- usually the place is not good, or we can’t afford it, or there’s something major happening at the bakery where we can’t do it. So we’ve had opportunities for great spaces. Like, when I was opening next door this customer offered us this great space in Lincoln Park. Great space, total good deal and it was all because he moved that way and he didn’t want to drive over here. I was like, “No, I can’t afford it, the guy would build it and everything.” But it’s like, if I drop the ball, you know, like on the restaurant then…you know. So, we probably will but, I just don’t think that the machine is refined enough, you know? And if you look at the people who branched out and did a lot of stores, it’s not the ones who opened a store and then a year later opened another one; it’s the ones that opened one store for 20 years and then! Like, Chipotle and all that, these were places that like, did their thing for 20 years, they got it perfect and then they branched out. So, right now, between family and all this, we have our hands full. But someday, someday.

NS: Do you have any favorite bakeries from Rome?

FS: There’s a few in my neighborhood that just make insane stuff. There’s two in my neighborhood, one is called Le Mimosa, and they taught my mom how to do a lot of stuff because we got to know them, “oh hi, we have a bakery, this and that,” and they showed us cool cookies and things. Some of the frostings and stuff that they do, really simple. And their specialty is a cornetto- it’s like a croissant with pastry cream and powdered sugar on top and they make it like nobody else in Rome, it’s unbelievable. And there’s another place, it’s called [?] and their specialty is the torte de la Nona, it’s a tart filled with lemon pastry cream and toasted pine nuts on top and it’s insane. I don’t know, I can’t figure out how to make it. I think they use margarine because there’s just no way to get an all-natural butter tart to be like that. It’s that hydrogenated oil, you know, it makes everything pretty but it’s bad for you! [Laughs] They gotta have some sort of trick because it’s just buttery, flaky and crazy.

NS: Do you have any favorites in Chicago?

FS: Sure! Like, Sweet Mandy B’s because you know, it’s like, so different from what we do in the sense that it’s like American home-style. A big ‘ol slice of chocolate cake with a ton of frosting and you know, cupcakes that look like frogs and stuff like that. Sweet Thang, that’s great. You know, their croissants and their zucchini bread, that’s killer. I mean, I love going to bakeries, don’t get me wrong. I can’t think of a bakery that I don’t like, unless you know, it’s like Dunkin’ Donuts… and I actually like Dunkin’ Donuts, too. Everybody eats donuts.

NS: There are so many really American bakeries popping up everywhere now, especially now that cupcakes have kind of taken over…

FS: Yeah, taken off.

NS: Do you consider Letizia’s an Italian-style bakery or an Italian-American style?

FS: I would say definitely not Italian-American in a sense that we don’t have the kind of stuff- OK, the staples of an Italian-American bakery are going to be southern Italian pastries- cannoli, stuff like that. We don’t make that. Because we’re from Rome, it would be a lie if I made canolli. So we don’t really have that stuff. I’d say like, our pastries are more like the pastries you’d get in central Italy. But even then, there’s a lot of really homemade stuff, you know? I mean, clearly we have muffins and things, not Italian, but…

NS: Why is it so important that the ingredients are all natural?

FS: Well, we firmly believe that what you eat is a health issue, and so- you know, so many people who eat all this processed, like, fat-free stuff [wrinkles nose in disgust] and it’s so bad for you! And we always knew that! I mean, 10 years ago we were baking stuff with no margarine but it took a while for public opinion to come around. It took some crazy guy in California to sue Nabisco and the FDA about hydrogenated oil to get labeling. And now even the processed stuff is getting rid of it. So we really believe that there are side effects to not eating natural stuff. Organic’s great, when it’s available, hardly verifiable, very unreliable, so it’s not really something that… I mean, most of this stuff wasn’t even available organic when we first started, now there is a lot more stuff… But certainly it’s better than the processed stuff. And the taste- that’s the other thing- it tastes better and it’s better for you. It is more expensive, that is the difficulty, and it is more difficult, that’s the thing. We can’t make certain things, you know, it’s hard to find coconut that isn’t treated, things like that. But other than that, it’s totally worth it, it tastes better and it’s good for you.

NS: I think people that appreciate that there aren’t going to be trends here. You aren’t going to come in and find a low-carb muffin, it’s always going to be good and it’s always going to be “real” food.

FS: Just like you would make it at home. Which, in the end, is how we always did things so you know, it’s kind of easy. You know, people always say, “Oh the Italians are so smart, you know, the Mediterranean diet, you eat so healthy!” No, the truth is, meat is very expensive in Italy so you can’t eat it all the time. So are eggs! So you don’t eat eggs and bacon for breakfast because it’s just not available. And in the same way, they don’t have Crisco [disgusted] and stuff.

NS: I’ve found in my conversations with bakers in other countries, like, in Australia they don’t have cake flour so they find ways to make things with what they do have and in the end it’s probably a lot better than the short cuts we have here.

FS: Right, we have access to so many ingredients here; it’s unbelievable. I mean, just the fact that you can buy things like walnuts, you know, shelled hazelnuts here like, like, like it’s butter, you know? Like it’s nothing. I mean, we’re lucky like that. I’m just glad there’s this big overall trend of eating less but eating better quality.

[Woman stops to talk to Fabio about his 10-week-old puppy.]

FS: But there are places opening up like, you know, places that specialize in organic, which is great, you know. I think over all when you look at the long term effects of eating properly, you know- I mean, people might go to Aldi and buy the cheap processed shit, but in the end the healthy effects are going to cost them more. When I go to Italy, I eat like a pig [laughs] I eat all the time, and I don’t gain weight. And it’s not because I walk a lot, that’s the other thing people think. It’s just, if you don’t eat a lot of stuff that has hormones and things- bovine growth hormone will make you grow just like it does the cows, you know?

NS: And there’s so much sodium in processed foods, too, people don’t pay attention to that.

FS: It’s horrible. I mean, I don’t know, it’s always funny from the outside looking in. We went to this place outside of Vegas called The Omlette House, ok? Run by a couple of bikers, really cool. They have HUGE omlettes, so I was like, “what’s the baby omlette?” And he’s like, “that’s with three eggs.” So I’m thinking, what’s the big omlette and he’s like, “Oh, it’s six eggs. But we don’t salt them.”
“Oh! Ok, great! That’s right. So like, it’s ok to eat six eggs as long as you don’t put salt on them, I see.” It’s crazy! Crazy!

NS: I’m never curious about why we’re so fat, it doesn’t surprise me at all.

FS: [laughs] Yep!

If you’re in the Chicago area check out Letizia’s Natural Bakery, I worked there for about four years and the Soranos were like family to me. The flourless chocolate truffle is amazing, as are the cheesecakes.

And check me out on Etsy because I’m awesome.