14 July 11-17, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | culture | Night+Day | News | letters | coNteNts | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | ▼ SOUTH MIAMI HIDDEN FRENCH BAKERY GOES VIRAL OVERNIGHT A warehouse lot in South Miami might be the last place one would expect to find artisanal French baked goods being made daily, but this hidden location didn’t stop Casa Bake from selling out of pastries by 9 a.m. on a weekday. Yes, nine o’clock in the morning. Newly opened artisanal French bakery Casa Bake, located at 7165 SW 47th St., has gone viral overnight after New Times’ “Best Influencer” in 2024, Mr. Eats 305, shared a reel on his Instagram raving about the bak- ery. On June 19, just a few hours after he shared his review of himself enjoying its chocolate almond croissant dusted in pow- dered sugar, people immediately began flocking to the bakery. “It was crazy,” owner and French pastry chef Benoît Pagliardini tells New Times. “We had people making a line outside the bakery at 7 a.m. before we even opened and we were sold out by 9 a.m. So, we had to close the bakery this week and focus on online orders. We have re- ceived so many, and we are so grateful for it.” Owing to the sudden fanfare, the bakery had to suspend in-store orders, yet still man- aged to sell out every day. How did this happen? It’s because of the acclaimed French pas- try chefs behind the bakery, including French pastry chef Pagliardini, the former executive pastry chef at Atelier Monnier in Miami. From a young age, Pagliardini would bake and cook with his family on the weekends in France and learned how to bake alongside his father. The French pastry chef then moved to Miami to work in a bakery until the CO- VID-19 pandemic struck the city, and he be- gan teaching at-home pastry classes. After breaking into the wholesale business, he met artisan bread baker Monica Sarmiento-Stad- lin, owner of Madame Lecker Artisan Bakery, who invited Pagliardini to teach her how to make croissants. Fast-forward to 2024, and the two bakers got back in touch and decided to become business partners, and the rest is history. “Since the beginning, we wanted to focus on the products,” says Pagliardini. “It was im- portant for us to have fair prices and very high-quality products. The bakery was al- ready doing wholesale, but as Casa Bake, we opened the retail for the community around here.” The best part is that the delicious treats are truly budget-friendly. Croissants range from $3.50 to $4, artisanal breads cost $8, and the most expensive items include a wide se- lection of cakes made to order and tarts that feed six to eight people, which cost $45 to $55, respectively. “We have a limited production because everything is made from scratch,” explains Pagliardini. “There is fermentation involved, so it’s long, and it’s a process that you have to respect. I really insist on ‘artisanal’ because we make everything from scratch and by hand. We wake up every day at 3 a.m. to bake everything so it’s fresh every day, and, honestly, we are very proud of that.” Anyone who wants to witness the crois- sant-making process up close can book a cooking class at Casa Bake, which includes the classic croissant for $100 per person on Saturdays, and French macaron and cookies for $50 per person on Wednesdays. While July classes are already sold out, keep an eye on the website for future classes or private event bookings. Each class includes small bites and drinks while attendees are guided through the full recipe for each pastry, “We just try to have a good time while they learn something new, and they can take all their pastries home. We also welcome kids accompanied by the par- ents,” he adds. For anyone who wants to try these arti- sanal French pastries, the chef recommends ordering ahead (or arriving very early). Casa Bake. 7165 SW 47th St., Ste. 316, Mi- ami; casa-bake.com. Opens for pickup from Tuesday to Saturday, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. or sold out. RACHEL COSTA | TASTE TEST | ▼ Café Casa Bake photo Casa Bake offers artisanal croissant baking classes.
