Real Pie Company Is Making a Comeback!

Received the email below today and for those of you who used to order Kira's pies and picked them up at Corti's back in the day, you know how delicious her pies, galettes and quiches are.


Dear Valued Customers and Friends:
 
It is with immense happiness that I announce the rebirth of the Real Pie Company.
On Friday, August 30th, I will begin offering a limited menu of Real Pies two afternoons a week to my customers. The pies will be available on the 30th at East Sac Mercantile (http://eastsacmercantile.com) from 2:30pm to 5:30pm. The pies will then (after the 30th) be available every Thursday and Friday afternoon from 2:30pm to 5:30pm. The Mercantile is located at 3257 Folsom Boulevard in East Sacramento, and has ample street parking. I plan to expand my baking days in October to include Saturdays.
 
(*Note: I will NOT be baking Thurs/Fri, September 19/20).
 
(* Note: I cannot take credit cards until the first week of September! Cash or checks only on the 30th. Sorry about that).

As always, our menu will change weekly depending on the produce we are able to source from our region's wonderful small family farms. Each week, I will send out the menu of available pies to subscribers of my email list. (Important: If you would like to be removed from our email list, please unsubscribe below).
 
In addition to our ever-changing seasonal pies, tarts and galettes, “staple” items that will (usually) be on the menu include our Jumbleberry pie (packed with blackberries, blueberries, cherries and raspberries) and some version of our rustic apple galette (or pie), simply because there’s always such a high demand for these items.
 
Unfortunately, I cannot take pie reservations at this time due to my limited production. Sorry about that.
 
I look forward – with much joy – to be baking for you again. If you have any questions or comments, please email me at kira@realpiecompany.com.
 
Warmest regards,
Kira O’Donnell
Real Pie Company
East Sac Mercantile
3257 Folsom Boulevard
Sacramento, CA 95816

www.realpiecompany.com (website under construction at the moment!)

Pushkin's Bakery

1820 29th Street, Sacramento, CA 95816.
(916) 376-7752
http://www.pushkinsbakery.com/

Mr.S. and I have a ritual, on weekends we like to duck out of his house before all the crazy chaos begins and grab a cuppa joe at Temple. The large patio is great for people watching and gives us some time to wipe the sleep from our eyes and gather our bearings. Awhile back we noticed that a small bakery had opened in the plaza that houses Temple Coffee and Revolution Wines, called Pushkin's Bakery. The husband and wife run bakery was said to be dedicated to being wheat/gluten-free and dairy free. Music to my lactarded ears! Anyhow, we kept trying to pop in there to grab a little somethin' delish to nosh on but for some reason it was closed whenever we'd stop by. Bad timing, I suppose. Last weekend we finally scored. We were able to purchase several baked treats and enjoy them on the patio as we savored our hot cups of coffee.

 

When we entered the store, we were immediately greeted with the delicious aroma of fresh pastries baking. It was intoxicating and caused my stomach to growl in anticipation. The woman in front of us in line was busy bombarding the (very) patient gentleman working the counter with a million and one questions, so we had plenty of time to peruse the various baked goods in the display case. There was a nice variety of gluten and dairy free choices- cookies, cupcakes and breads. We settled on vegan zucchini bread, vegan banana walnut bread, a peanut butter cookie and one strawberry scone. The zucchini bread was wonderful; it was toothsome, ever so slightly sweet and extremely moist and spongy (I know a lot of you absolutely abhor the word "moist," but it's the best way to describe this bread). The zucchini was grated quite finely, making this a perfect treat if you're trying to sneak some veggies past your kidlet's eagle eye and picky palate. The homemade banana bread had nice big juicy bits of banana that you could see; however, the bread part itself tasted very sugary and had a gritty texture. I may have just gotten a bad one but not sure if I'd order that particular bread again. I did, however, like that the breads came in individual mini-loaf serving sizes- just the perfect amount for snacking.

Now Mr. S. fancies himself a connoisseur of peanut butter cookies. He gave Pushkin's crunchy PB cookie a thumbs-up and declared it "solid." I was able to wrestle away a crumb from him and agreed that the cookie exhibited a lot of peanutty flavor. The price was a bit steep for one cookie ($2.75) but we did appreciate that Pushkin's uses all natural ingredients solely from gluten-free manufacturers. My strawberry scone was the only clunker of the morning. It was extremely dry and I felt like I was munching on a thick dough brick with hard icing. Also, there was only one minute bit of strawberry in the whole scone.

Service there is terrific. Both owners were very friendly, helpful and willing to offer product recommendations. I noticed that they didn't rush customers even though it was busy and were happy to answer questions (no matter how many or how absurd).

Most gluten-free, dairy-free and/or vegan baked goods I've come across have tasted like cardboard or have been so dense that you could seriously maim someone if you lobbed it at their head. Not Pushkin's...but don't take my word for it, give this small business a try yourself. On my next visit, I think I'd like to try one of their delicious looking vegan chocolate-banana-peanut butter cupcakes (try saying that one really fast!)...and perhaps a salted pecan one too or maybe one of their "dudes" (mini pb cookies with chocolate chips and chocolate ganache). Ahhh, decisions, decisions.... ☺

* Note: the hours are a bit funky. They're only open Tues-Sat and don't open until 9am. So no Sunday/Monday or early morning pastry pickups here.

* Pushkin's also does catering and makes full-size wedding cakes.

* Get there early for the best selection, they do tend to run out of things quickly.

Starbread Bakery

 

6127 Mack Road, Sacramento, CA 95823. (916) 427-8598.

Hope you're having a relaxing holiday week, readers and are all ready to welcome in the new year. I was doing some sorting on the laptop today and came across a forgotten photo I took a few weeks back when Mr. S. and I snuck off to South Sac for a quick a.m. coffee and a bagful of señorita bread from Starbread Bakery. Mmmm, señorita bread...my mouth's watering just thinking about that trip. For just $2, you get 5 pipin' hot sweet rolls drizzled with a hint of honey. It's just the perfect bit of sweetness to get you started in the early morning. What are you waiting for? Go get some....

Café Lumiere

"All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast." ~ John Gunther

5701 Broadway, Suite B, Sacramento, CA 95820. (916) 456-2679.

Warm, flaky and with a buttery outer layer that just melts in your mouth? Sounds good, right? Well, you if love a well-made croissant as much as I do, I suggest that you mosey yourself down to the family-owned Café Lumiere. Just down the street from the DMV and DOJ in an inconspicuous but well-kept strip mall you'll be able to satiate that croissant jones.

Café Lumiere, owned by Geoffrey Matsuyama and Peter Kuo, opened up quietly in Tahoe Park just over a year ago but has steadily gained popularity with the local neighborhood residents and area workers. The cafe's design is simple and the service friendly. I found the mango and banana colored walls to be warm and welcoming and enjoyed reading past-issues of Dwell and Atomic Ranch while waiting for my order.

The breakfasts at Café Lumiere are what draws the crowds. I decided to pop in last week and try one of their much-talked about breakfast sandwiches. I love that they aim to please the customer and allow you to choose your bread, meat, cheese and how you want your eggs cooked. I went with some sliced ham, scrambled eggs and provolone cheese served on one of their handmade croissants. It was served open faced, freshly made and was quite delicious. Simple but perfectly-executed.

Café Lumiere also does lunch (a juicy Angus burger, fresh salads and sandwiches) and offers various tasty pastries (I was drooling while checking out their display case). My only disappointment with the joint is that they serve Java City coffee (ugh!), which I'm not a fan of. I'd love to see them carry one of the other local roasters like Temple, Old Soul or perhaps Chocolate Fish. With a good cup of joe, I'd definitely be there more often. By the way, I know everyone's pinching pennies these days because of the economy but Café Lumiere's prices are reasonable, they do take plastic and even better-- they offer a 10% discount to state, federal and UCD employees.

Have You Checked This Out? : Wildlands Bake Shop

( 4-tiered pink champagne birthday cake. Photo by Angela Casagrande )

Although I love watching Ace of Cakes, have dated a pastry chef and swoon at the slightest mention of Johnny Iuzzini, given the choice I'd choose cooking savory dishes over baking any day. Baking is an exact science unlike cooking where you can wing it or modify a dish and the word "exact" and me; well, we don't go together so well. Maybe it's because I had a horrible chemistry teacher in high school or maybe it's because I chose a Lite-Brite over an Easy-Bake oven when I was a kid; but I've never had the patience for being precise in the kitchen. Sure, I bake begrudgingly from time to time when I have to but when I need something baked well, I turn to the experts...those that LOVE to bake. You know the ones...they're happiest when they're kneading dough, there's usually a sprinkle of flour on their sleeve or forehead and their kitchens ALWAYS smell warm and inviting. Lucky for me, living in the grid I've come to know the bake-ress of Wildlands Bake Shop, Jenn Garrison. From the first time you meet her, you'll be won over by Garrison's friendly smile and southern grace. A Sacramentan by way of Georgia and Ohio, Jenn's baking goods have slowly won her recognition in the downtown (and surrounding) communities. She started out in the food business at the age of 19 as a server at the Zephyr Restaurant while attending Kent State. Fate took a turn for her when the night baker quit and Garrison was bumped up into the position. She prepared the Zephyr's cheesecakes, assorted daily breads and cookies each night as friends stopped by to chat. Although baking isn't her day job yet, Garrison a senior project manager for an environmental firm, hopes to someday open her own bakery/coffee shop here in the river city.

( Wildland's Bake Shop's Jenn Garrison )

Until the Wildlands Bake Shop makes it's brick and mortar debut, you can place orders via Facebook (under the group name: Wildlands Brown Box) or email wildlandsbakeshop@gmail.com for your baked needs. WBS uses all natural ingredients and strives to use local, seasonal ingredients as much as possible. Currently WBS is offering up homemade cookies, cakes (special occassion or otherwise), cheesecakes, cupcakes, pies, scones, cornbread, brownies, truffles and tarts. Whew! You can see the available flavors and prices at : WBS Price List

And if that doesn't get your tastebuds buzzing, Garrison welcomes special orders and dessert spreads with advance notice and is happy to meet with customers for a consultation. She also does several gluten-free products that are magically delicious; none of that dense, cardboard-like stuff that most of us have had at one time or another and spit out.

Can't make up your mind which of these goodies to go with? Let me suggest the coconut pecan tartlets, which are my fav. These mini tarts resemble the Girl Scout Samoa cookies in taste and are absolutely scrumptious. I would recommend either getting the full size tart or a couple of the minis if you don't live alone as everyone will be flocking to you for "just a bite" when you pull this dessert out. And fellas, want to not get in trouble with your lady this year? Plan ahead and order one of WBS's sweetheart cakes for Valentine's Day. They're the perfect size for sharing and come in several flavors (triple chocolate, mexican hot chocolate, bittersweet chocolate and chocolate butter caramel). Or you could go the route of truffles (Gosling's dark rum/crushed almonds/toasted coconut or dark chocolate/4 Roses single barrel bourbon/toasted pecans).  Regardless of whichever tasty treat you decide to go with, you can rest assured that it'll be made fresh and with love.

( Ginger carrot cake with winter spice cream cheese topped with toasted almonds and currants. Photo by Jenn Garrison )

(Seasonal fruit pies. Photo by Jenn Garrison)

(Coconut pecan mini tarts. Photo by Jenn Garrison )



Hole in One : Marie's Donuts

Who says Sacramento has no late night eats? Got the post-bar crawl munchies? Suffering from a bout of insomnia? Or just looking to top off an awesome date? Head to Marie's Donuts. Yes, yes the Marie's on Freeport Blvd...that's the one! Mosey on over there and grab a bag of warm, straight-from-the-oven donut holes at 1am when they open. Nosh on those and you're sure to have sweet dreams.

"Donuts is there anything they can't do?" - Matt Groening