Glorious food that sates all sugar cravings
Students at Carnegie Mellon are pretty lucky — nearly every conceivable form of food can be found within minutes of campus. Bakeries, whether specializing in pastries, pies, cupcakes, or all of the above, have become quite popular among students looking for a sweet treat and a break from their studies. One great option for sampling desserts is Food Glorious Food, a catering company that opens their shop in Highland Park every Saturday morning to sell their fresh-baked creations to the community.
The display at the bakery, with the grand spread of cakes, cookies, tarts, pies, and quiches, is guaranteed to make any customer’s mouth water, as well as remove the ability to choose any particular pastry.
One customer favorite is the Apple Harvest Cake. Loaded with large apple chunks, it is a tangy cake that is sure to please. Its cream cheese-based frosting maintains the moisture and adds a creamy texture. Each bite comes close to melting in your mouth. Although it is extremely delicious, the richness of the cake makes just one slice extremely satisfying.
Another good option is the Jewish Pizza. This breadstick is very different from the usual kind, with a firm, crisp, sugar-coated exterior. The tastes of dried fruit and almonds come through to accent this addicting treat.
The Lemon Tart, with its strong flavor and nice, thick consistency, is also a great choice. The filling is glazed over, giving it a creme brulee crunch with each bite. The crust is firm and maintains the integrity of this dish to complement the lemon filling, creating an interesting but successfully dynamic bite. Instead of being acidic and sour, it is a nice, refreshing tart that has a hint of summer.
The Sour Cream Apple Pie presents a different approach to making an apple pie. In between the slices of apple are layers of sour cream. It gives balance to the pie, keeping it from being too sweet. Above the fluffy apple and sour cream combo is a crunchy top layer, giving this pie an unique combination of coffee cake and apple pie taste.
There are some exceptions to the great standard of desserts, though. The highly recommended Neapolitan cake was messy, heavy, and fell significantly short of expectations. Large pillows of cream interrupted the layers of pastry. Unfortunately, the pastry was not as soft as it should have been and the effort it took to eat it ruined the dish.
This charming little bakery is just a side note to the larger operation. The owners, Brad Walter and chef Tom Hambor, run Food Glorious Food as a cooking school, catering company, and corporate training center. They also have a small gourmet store located at their bakery. The hands-on cooking classes teach everything from making your own mozzarella cheese to organic soups and gourmet meals. Although slightly expensive, these classes teach skills that will impress anyone.
Food Glorious Food includes Carnegie Mellon as a significant part of its history. Walter was the Dean of Student Affairs here at Carnegie Mellon back in the 1980s. He was the one who brought the infamous clock to the Cut, as well as pushing for the construction of the University Center to give students a proper place to meet with each other. He eventually went to the Loretta Paganini School of Cooking in Cleveland and has since taught cooking around the world. He met his business partner in 2000 and opened Food Glorious Food shortly after.
Every Saturday, the bakery opens at 10 a.m. and goes until they are sold out. Usually this happens around 4 p.m., so getting there early is a good idea so that you can sample some of their best stuff. Customers can feel the attention to detail and quality of the food. Food Glorious Food is a great bakery that must be experienced.
Food Glorious Food is located at 5906 Bryant St. in the Highland Park neighborhood. Reach them at 412.363.5330, or browse their website: foodgloriousfoodonline.com.