Published:
December 11
Even
itinerant bakers need to settle down. Grassroots Gourmet began in November 2009
as a baked-goods delivery service that specialized in cupcakes and cookies.
Co-owners and second cousins Sara Fatell, 27, and Jamilyah Smith-Kanze, 30,
gave up their mobile lifestyle in late November when they opened a
bricks-and-mortar location in the burgeoning Bloomingdale neighborhood. The
first-time business owners, who both live close by, did much of the work
themselves: laying the concrete floors, painting the avocado-hued walls and
crafting the warm wood counters.
It`s
a simple setup. There`s a small counter in the front and an open kitchen that
stretches into the back. Floor-to-ceiling windows look out onto Rhode Island
Avenue, letting in plenty of sunlight and helping intrigue passersby.
Everything
is made from scratch here, mostly by Fatell, a self- and family-taught baker who
used to ``stress bake`` for friends and relatives before she took up the
profession full-time. Her daily selections are displayed in a two-tier glass
case and on several covered cake stands.
You
have to arrive in the first half of the day to ensure that everything is
available. (You also can call ahead to place a special order or schedule a
pickup.)
It`s
easy to understand why these treats are going fast; they`re quite lovely. They`re
all on the small side, so you`ll want to get a bakery box filled with a
cross-section of selections.
Sticky,
sweet chocolate bourbon pecan mini pies ($3.50) are hard to resist, as are the
vanilla whoopie pies stuffed with creamy Nutella icing ($2.25). Cupcake flavors
change regularly but might include mint chocolate, Snickerdoodle or
vanilla-topped chocolate ($2.50 to $2.75).
There
are a number of half-dollar-size cookies, including a fine chocolate peanut
butter chip (90 cents) that will make you wish that you had bought a dozen
instead of just two. (I won`t make that mistake again.) It`s based on a recipe
from Smith-Kanze`s grandmother, who used to send her care packages full of
them.
Family
is clearly important here. Pictures of relatives are tacked up on one wall to
honor all the help they gave getting the startup off the ground. An aunt who
recently succumbed to cancer is paid sweet homage with Kathy`s cookie (90
cents), a triple treat packed with white, milk and dark chocolate chips. A
percentage of the proceeds goes to Court Appointed Special Advocates, where she
worked.
All
these goodies go well with a cup of coffee ($2 to $2.75) from M.E. Swing in
Alexandria. Though there`s nowhere to sit, you can always stroll over to Shae
Kims Memorial Park on the corner of Florida Avenue and First Street NW.
—
Nevin Martell
Grassroots
Gourmet 104 Rhode Island Ave. NW. 202-629-2040. www.grassrootsgourmet.org.
Hours: Tuesdays through Fridays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.;
Sundays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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