When you are with a child who eats gluten-free (and maybe yourself as well) and you go into a coffee shop, there is a bit of guilt that exists when you have to say "Sorry, honey; you can't eat anything here. It all has gluten." Even though they might understand, it's still a little sad (and maybe for yourself as well). Imagine being able to walk into a bakery that serves not only all gluten-free but mostly organic baked goods, some of which are even dairy-free? Would that make you cry with joy? For a 5 year old with a gluten sensitivity, it made her day.
Next time you are in the peninsula, a trip to Zest Bakery will be worth a diversion. They make everything on-site and use only the best ingredients, using local and organic ingredients whenever possible. According to Patrick Luke, owner, "We love building relationships with local farms and vendors and feel strongly that our ingredients are sourced locally (If our landlord would let us, we’d even put an organic garden on the roof!). For example, this week we made an arugula pesto and ricotta ravioli made with fresh produce from our local farmers market. We also use organic flours in all our breads and pastas and take an environmentally friendly approach to our packaging."
Patrick, who has Celiac disease, was waiting for a gluten-free bakery to open in the area. He saw the need, had the right timing with work, and Zest was born, in July 2010. Business has been good for Patrick Luke and Charissa Fleischer, business partners and now husband and wife. In the beginning, Patrick says they did it more for themselves and did not anticipate a huge need for gluten-free baked goods. Once the doors opened, they could hardly meet the demand and had to recruit help from family members. They have built a great team and have already been in business 6 months.
So what's in the future for Zest Bakery? Patrick says they will soon be offering vegan gluten-free (wow, what a combo!) dutch crunch loaves and serving sandwiches. Another offering in the works is a frozen "farmer's market" pizza. Long term, there could be more Zest Bakeries. We will have to wait and see.
When asked what are the top sellers, Patrick said "On the savory side, customers love our multigrain bread which is also dairy-free and features flax, sesame, and sunflower seeds. On the sweet side, customers love our lemon zest poppy seed loaves and our cream puffs."
Zest Bakery serves bread (baguette, white sandwich and a whole grain loaf), muffins, tea cakes, cookies and many other goodies. Since everything is freshly made, go early for the best selection or call ahead.
For more information, visit their website, www.zestbakery.com. The bakery is located at 1224 Arroyo Street in San Carlos, near Laurel Street. Check the website for hours and their contact info.You can read their blog here for more up to the moment information.
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