You undoubtedly have heard about the beloved Oakmont Bakery moving to a new location. The move has been in the works for about four years, but as of February 6, the new location at the corner of Hulton Road and Third Street, just a few blocks from their previous location, is now open for business.
My relationship with Oakmont Bakery began 8 years ago. I kept hearing commercials on the radio about these paczkis, (pronounced pownch-kee) Polish donuts and I needed to get to the bottom of this tasty delight. (Since I am Slovak/Hungarian I grew up on ceregi not paczkis!) Because of the timing of learning about pownch-kee and having my third child, his nickname Pootchie was inspired by this Polish specialty.
The first trip to Oakmont Bakery turned into a tradition that now spans nearly a decade. We make the yearly trip, just before Lent begins, to get our last taste of sugar before the fasting season begins. There are at least 15 flavors. I have never strayed from the Oakmont Creme which has a chocolate buttercreme filling, but most of my family ops for the fruity flavored filling.
But I digress, we are talking about Valentine's Day not Lent.
The weeks prior to the bakery's move, news programs were filled with stories about the new luxurious location. It was during that time my mom saw a photo of one of their specialty cakes called the Sweetheart Torte, a chocolate and yellow cake topped with strawberries and chocolate ganache, and mentioned she would like to try it. She even saved the newspaper which featured the photo and article about the new store for me to read. This cake had made quite an impression on her.
The new bakery is 6 times the size of their previous location down the street and boasts more indoor and outdoor seating with lots more parking. But that parking was simply not enough on the night before Valentine's Day. Cars were lined up down the street as people were trying to get that special treat for their loved ones.
I had meant to get to Oakmont Bakery earlier that Wednesday, but the snow and cold didn't make for an inviting afternoon errand. I thought about going to the bakery early Valentine's Day morning, they open at 6 a.m., but after seeing the stories about traffic being a bit snarly at the new location, I didn't want to risk being late for the school drop off.
I was in a bind. Either l would let it go and not get the cake at all or I would make a mad dash at 6 p.m. Mind you, they close at 7 p.m. Since I am a bit obsessive- compulsive, letting it go is not in my DNA.
My daughter accompanied me on the dash. She was having a bad day and I thought nothing boosts your mood like the prospect of getting tasty treats. I had full intention of getting us pre-annual paczkis, since I was making the 35 minute drive and thought I also deserved an extra treat this year.
When we turned onto Third Street the traffic was backed up and it was already 6:45 p.m. I told my daughter to run in and at least get a number and I would park. I was able to find a space down the street, not far, and I ran to the bakery.
When I looked at our number we were 160. The number they were serving at the time was 100. I wasn't sure how this would play out, but I figured since we were inside, there was a good chance of getting something.
Once I caught my breath, I looked for the cake. There were a few in the glass case. Yes! Then I looked at the paczkis. There were plenty of those too. But because we had so long to wait, and there was so much to see, cookies, cupcakes, cakes, my order changed a few times. I talked myself out of the paczkis, because the rest of the family wasn't with us and it just wouldn't be right. I talked myself into gingerbread men, for my sons, eclair, for my husband, and cannoli, for my daughter and I. Oh, and yes, the cake for my mom.
Eventually, they locked the doors, as people were still trying to get in at 7:10 p.m., but shortly after that our number was called. I was pleased with how smoothly the transaction went and how I used self restraint in leaving with not much more than what I intended. Once in the car, my daughter and I enjoyed each bite of the mini cannoli and started the journey home.
The cake was really important to me because of what transpired one year ago to the day. My mom, siblings and I spent Valentine's Day 2018 in the hospital as my dad underwent major surgery. It was not a great way to spend the holiday, but it did provide us the amazing gift of my dad currently being cancer free.
I thought enjoying the Sweetheart Torte was appropriate this year to symbolize the sweetness of life. So I left the cake on my parents' side porch with a small Valentine card. I sent a text to alert them of the special delivery. My mom was very surprised and said she would have a tough time waiting until after dinner to cut it.
Later in the evening, I even got to try a piece. Each moist bite made me happy there is an Oakmont Bakery for those times you just need something a little out of the ordinary to make the day mouthwateringly delicious.
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