Third Time's a Charm: Glaze Returns to Its Bakery Roots

Glaze, the two year old Japanese-inspired bakery operated by co-owner Heather Alcott, has entered 2015 with significant changes. Starting today, the sushi part of the spot, brought to the Congress Park neighborhood in collaboration with Sushi Sasa, is a thing of the past. A new menu, to be launched on January 20, will replace the lunch-appropriate offerings.

Why the change? It seems like things just didn't work. "We have learned a lot in the last two years in business and we are so excited to bring a new iteration of our concept to our neighborhood," Alcott says. "Our core was the bakery and great desserts. We are returning to that and building a new neighborhood eatery around it," she continues. For his part, Sasa's owner Wayne Conwell says "We really enjoyed Congress Park. It's a neighborhood I have close ties to. We built a great new clientele over there; we hope that they will visit us at Sushi Sasa."

This is almost like Glaze 3.0. The bakery first opened its doors in January 2013 as an emporium of many things sweet. Last March, the doors closed briefly only to announce three days later a partnership with Sushi Sasa. With the sushi gone, a new chapter begins.

One thing that has been a constant over Glaze's lifetime is the outstanding desserts and specialty cakes. Glaze is built around the Baum cake, a layered cake of German origin popularized in Japan that is baked on a highly prized rotisserie-like oven. Alcott purchased one of these ovens, nicknamed the Red Dragon, and is the sole owner of one in North America. Her plans is to continue her strong pastry program and add to the repertoire savory items that are approachable and attractive to the neighborhood clientele.

Kris Padalino, formerly of Bittersweet, will helm the new food offerings. The chef, who attended the Le Cordon Bleu in San Francisco and whose resume includes a two year stint as a pastry chef at the award-winning Campanile among others, is excited to create savory dishes side by side with sweet ones. The menu is being tweaked and remains under wraps but Alcott and Padalino promise one thing for sure: a killer lobster roll made on a one-of-a-kind pretzel bun baked in the Red Dragon.

During this transition period, Glaze will continue to serve its plated desserts in house and offer its cakes, macarons, and more to go. A cocktail menu will launch next week to complement the existing wine and beer offerings. The eatery will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.