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 Small Changes Have Made A Big Difference At Stacia's Bakery By Rebecca Cook AT THE TOP of my list of can't-miss cures for the blues is the comforting indulgence of something home-baked. Who hasn't experienced the sense of inner peace that accompanies a chocolate-chip cookie fresh from the oven, still warm and delightfully gooey? We won't even go into the joy of a home-baked pie or a triple-layer chocolate cake, but these are marvelous remedies as well.
What, then, is a melancholic with a sweet tooth to do? Hie thee hence, and quickly, to Stacia's Bakery & Café, where solace and scones abound. Eight years ago Stacia Sumwalt opened a small bakery in the Broadway Village Center at Country Club and Broadway. From humble origins serving only cookies to hungry shoppers, over the years Sumwalt has expanded her offerings to include an assortment of baked goods, soups, salads and sandwiches. Last August she sold the business to Todd Christiansen, who hired longtime chef-about-town Cathryn Matthes to manage the kitchen. Although the changes at the tiny restaurant since that time have been subtle, Stacia's has indeed undergone a significant transformation. "We certainly didn't want to alienate the existing customer base," says Matthes, "so we introduced changes very slowly. The look may still be the same, but a lot of what's inside is now very different." Only one staff member from the original incarnation remains at Stacia's. The new employees bring a host of professional cooking experiences with them, particularly head baker Lori Wells (formerly of Bentley's and Scordato's), whose creativity and everything-made-on-the-spot-from-scratch commitment is a key component of the new order. Stacia's kitchen stands open to view from behind the counter, and the sight of aproned cooks up to their elbows in flour, along with a little extra heat radiating from the ovens, attests to the fact that good things are happening here. An impressive selection of muffins, scones and cinnamon rolls, along with an aromatic brew of coffee, are early morning temptations, with the Scottish quick-bread scones particularly adept at stirring the imagination. Variations include traditional currant; low-fat oatmeal and currant; lavender praline; sharp cheddar, Monterey jack, dill and onion; and the store's best seller, white chocolate and cranberry. It isn't hard to select a personal favorite from among this bunch, with a word of caution: They tend to become habit-forming.
Stacia's also features a sideline biz known as Cookies Incredible, which gives you the option of composing your own tin from a selection of 14 different varieties, or stretching the limits of your confection conventions with custom-designed and shaped sugar cookies. Gearing up for the holidays, Matthes and crew are already contemplating the construction of several festive and regionally specific gingerbread houses. And, as though our own cravings weren't enough to justify a visit, Stacia's offers Incredible Canine vegetarian dog cookies. Matthes' own culinary gifts emerge during lunchtime, when a need for more substantial food drives the agenda. The house salad has been upgraded to include a refreshing mix of mesclun greens, with a colorful spray of shredded beets, carrots, jicama, lentil sprouts and fresh croutons accompanied by a choice of Caesar, creamy apple cider, tamari-lemon or ranch dressings. Almond-albacore tuna, crab and tarragon chicken salads can be added to the greens, or heaped on a few slices of bread, for heartier appetites. Deli-type sandwiches with corned or roast beef, turkey or ham are also an option. Daily soups are a staple at Stacia's, satisfying even in the warmest of weather. A roasted corn chowder, served warm with fresh corn and bits of red pepper, onion and carrot, was a scrumptious lunch one day, even though the cooler gazpacho would probably have been a more sensible choice. Also featured daily is a savory filled pastry, an option with myriad possibilities. Just about every culture has experimented with ways to encase foodstuffs in dough, ranging from meal-in-a-turnover Cornish pasties to bite-sized wontons.
Matthes expertly plays with this
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Regrettably, for those of us who long ago left our mother's kitchen
behind, such therapeutic treats are few and far between. No one,
it seems, has time to bake these days. Store-bought items are
invariably disappointing, and the really outstanding desserts
in many of Tucson's fine restaurants are too costly to permit
frequent indulgence.
Wells has also invested in the labor-intensive production of
croissants, those lighter-than-air but loaded-with-butter wonders
of the pastry empire. In addition to the plain all-butter version,
a chocolate-filled version is also available.
