On Restaurants

Mad about sandwiches? Stop in at Angry Baker

Olde Towne East's new place to eat also has desserts, vegan dishes

Tuesday, February 22, 2011 02:50 AM

By Denise Trowbridge

FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Olde Towne East is now just a little bit sweeter.

The Angry Baker bakery and cafe opened its doors at 891 Oak St. on Jan. 28, becoming part of the growing restaurant scene on the Near East Side.

"I live in Olde Towne East. There is a real need for a lot of things here, like small restaurants and places for people to go," said Angry Baker owner Vicki Hink. "I really love the area and all the people that live here. Everyone has a strong sense of community and has been super-supportive."

The need, as well as a desire to strike out on her own, is why she decided to open the Angry Baker. The tiny, 900-square-foot spot seats only 14, but it has it where it counts.

Breakfast offerings include smoked salmon, red onion relish, cream cheese and arugula on a croissant for $6.25; an egg sandwich with Ludlow cheese on a bacon, Swiss and chive scone for $5.25; a French toast sandwich with ham, Swiss and Ohio maple syrup for $4.75; and cinnamon-apple vegan pancakes for $4.25.

Lunch fare consists of a handful of sandwiches, such as the Snobby Joes vegan sloppy joe made with lentils for $6.50, and a white cheddar grilled-cheese sandwich with bacon, pear and arugula for $7.25.

Then, of course, there are the sweets. Options range from the simple, such as $1 peanut butter cookies, to the deluxe, such as Dr Pepper cake filled with blackberries and chocolate ganache for $4.50 a slice. Brioche caramel cinnamon rolls are $3.75 each, and kolache is $2.75.

A slice of salted caramel apple pie is $3.75, and vegan muffins and cookies go for $1.75 to $3.

Hink uses local ingredients whenever possible, including meat from Bowers & Sons in Pataskala and the Columbus Packing Co., and cheese from the Blue Jacket Dairy in Bellefontaine and L.W. Randles in Warsaw. The eggs come from Hillandale Farms in Croton, and the milk is from the Reiter Dairy in Springfield. The oats, flour, bran, honey and maple syrup come from Stutzman Farms in Millersburg.

Although the Angry Baker has been open for only a few weeks, "We already have regulars," Hink said. "The first couple of days, we even sold out of a lot of things.

"I do the majority of baking myself, but I've had to hire a couple more people just so we can keep up with the amount we need."

Hink, who went to culinary school at Columbus State Community College, worked at several local haunts before deciding to strike out on her own, notably Hyde Park, Z Cucina and Bakery Gingham.

Hink said "the Angry Baker" was a nickname given her by a former co-worker and good friend. "Certain jobs you like, and some you don't. That job in particular, not so much."

She insists she is nothing akin to the Seinfeld show's "soup Nazi." "Do I get a little angry sometimes? Who doesn't?" she said. "But I'm mostly pretty nice."

Her dining spot's neighborhood, Olde Towne East, is on the way up. Yellow Brick Pizza opened across the street at 892 Oak St. early last year. Portico at Voda Emporium, a coffee shop and lunch spot serving bagels and sandwiches, just opened at 79 Parsons Ave.

"We believe Olde Towne is making a huge gain in popularity. Many young people are moving in and new businesses are opening," said Ted Dyrdek , co-owner of Portico at Voda Emporium. "We now have four places to eat within two blocks: Black Creek Bistro, Yellow Brick Pizza, the Angry Baker and Portico. All are different, but all are quality food establishments."

"I'm pretty optimistic," Hink said. "I know the area and how much this was needed here, and I'm confident it will do well. And although it's always scary to go out on your own and open a place, it isn't too scary not to try."

The Angry Baker is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 9a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.