For most restaurants, selling out of every single item on the menu would be a catastrophe. But for Jeff and Kris Mullersman, who recently opened Delish Cheesecake Bakery & Cafe in Old Town Florissant, that is precisely the goal.
Early each morning, this innovative husband-and-wife team starts baking fresh cheesecakes, cupcakes, cookies and quiches – all from scratch. And if everything is gone by closing time, they consider it mission accomplished.
“We don’t want to make cheesecakes two weeks in advance and then have them just sitting there,” Kris says. “Our menu changes every day, and is always made fresh, so the early bird definitely gets the best selection.”
And what a selection it is! Delish offers three different sizes of cheesecakes (9-inch round, “baby” or by the slice) and you can choose from 30 mouth-watering flavors, including Creamy Lemon, Chocolate Explosion, Red Velvet Swirl and this autumn delight, Pumpkin Hazelnut…
Though neither of the Mullersmans have any formal culinary training, Kris, 39, is a gifted baker whose sweet creations have always been in demand. “I’m just a homemaker who loves to bake,” she says modestly. “But when I lived in Omaha, where I grew up, I used to make cheesecakes for local restaurants, and it seemed like I was always baking for somebody.”
North County native Jeff, 38, whose surname actually means “baker” in German, is the official quiche chef at Delish. He also whips up gourmet salads and 14-inch Bavarian pretzels every Friday, in between completing renovations on the cafe’s historic building.
Delish is located inside Florissant’s former Narrow Gauge Railroad Station, a quaint wooden structure from 1878 that used to serve as a destination for electric trolleys. The trolley line, which followed rue St. Ferdinand/Graham Road, stopped running in the 1930s, and in 1969, with demolition imminent, the station was moved to its current site in Tower Park. (As in water tower. Next to Fritz’s.)
In recent years, it was home to a candy shop and an Irish gift store, both of which went of out business, but that doesn’t concern the Mullersmans one bit. “We actually had a customer tell us this is a terrible location, since both of the previous businesses failed,” Jeff says. “But we think it was the nature of the businesses, not the location.”
“And we’re here to turn it around,” Kris adds matter-of-factly.
Indeed, the couple has already invested quite a bit in the building, sealing it from the weather, installing a commercial kitchen and adding hot water service. In the spring, they plan to add an outdoor seating area with 12 additional tables.
“We’re both in love with the history of the building, and we want to do everything we can to preserve it,” Jeff says. “And by opening our business here in Florissant, we’re able to invest our money back into the community we care about.”
He and Kris live just up the street from the cafe, not far from Sacred Heart, where their daughter goes to school. And the name of their business….well, that hits close to home too.
While Kris was growing up, her father would end every meal by graciously telling his wife, “That was delish, my love!” So when it came time to choose the cafe’s name, Kris knew instantly. “It was something I heard every day, and it just makes me happy when I think about it,” she says. (Those are her parents in the pic above.)
As for the menu at Delish, that also evolved pretty organically, with a strong emphasis on quality and simplicity. “We make everything from scratch and use nothing that’s frozen,” Jeff says. “So if we keep the menu fairly simple and use local and seasonal ingredients whenever possible, we know that we can maintain the level of quality that we want.”
At some point, soups and sandwiches may be added. But for now the focus is primarily on baked goods, with a few savory items (including vegetarian options) thrown in for lunch and dinner. The Mullersmans do wholesale their cheesecake to local restaurants, like Hendel’s. They also take special orders, which can usually be filled within 24 hours.
Their Delish Signature Cupcake, shown here with a Sweet & Salty Cookie, basically looks and tastes just like a Hostess Ding-Dong, except bigger and so much better! I should also mention that the cafe hosts live local music on Friday nights, offers free wi-fi, and serves St. Louis’ own Thomas Coffee, which is roasted here in town.
And not only are Jeff and Kris great cooks, they’re also good people. As a way to “pay it forward,” they give out “smile cards” to folks who’ve done something nice, which can be redeemed for a free slice of cheesecake! So when you visit Delish – and you most definitely should – don’t forget to be on your best behavior!
Delish Cheesecake Bakery & Cafe is located at 1060 rue St. Catherine, 63031, in Old Town Florissant. Hours are Tues & Wed 7-7, Thu & Fri 7-9, Sat 8-9 and Sun 8-4. To place a special order, call (314) 831-7400. Whole cheesecakes are $32.
The Ex-Whipper and Eleven Other Reasons Give Us No Reason to See A Budget Deal Ahead..
Like wa always seem to say, Washington has a bad habit for avoiding the tough decisions, and taking the easy way out. They did it earlier this year, when they passed a BS $1.5 trillion budget cut over the next decade. If it sounds like a lot of cutting, keep in mind that this year's deficit is $1.2 trillion. So, they essentially did about 13% of the business needed to be done... Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
But, fear not, for there is a little-known codicile in the Faber constitution (OK, it's pretty well-known) that formed the Budget Select Supercommittee to create a bi-partisan solution to cut even more from the fuure budgets. A Gang of Twelve: Six Senators, Six Congressmen. Six Republicans, Six Democrats. All entrusted with working together to hack and chop fairly, so the automatic cuts don't take effect.
Yeah, it does sound pie in the sky and far fetched to us as well. For those of us who live in the 6th District of South Carolina, we KNOW nothing will happen in the next 60 days.. Why? Because one of those members is our own Whipmaster, Jim Clyburn.
We all know that Clyburn is a budget hawk and expert, with his decades of private business experience, and years of serving on every financial and business-related committee in Congress. Oh wait, he hasn't done any of that. No, he's there for two reasons...
First off, he's there for himself. You see, the lobbyists now know that instead of paying off every Committee Chair and Whip (which are probably 100), they now only need to coddle 12 people of the 535 members of Congress. Clyburn has already gotten flack for doing a ton of fundraising as all of this has gone on to fill his coffers. Well, he DOES need all the money he can get to fight off those tough challenges every 2 years....
But, the main reason he is there is that both he and Barack Obama - who calls him The Sage, which really is polispeak for 'Old' - is to ensure that NOTHING happens to the Sacred Cows of Medicare, Social Security and other programs that are going to sink the US economy eventually. Clyburn and Obama are both on the same page as far as their vision of America, and Cly and the Family Stone will make sure almost no cuts occur, and that taxes are installed wherever possible.
He's not our only reason for doubts about a deal. We're not very happy with either side's choices. The other House Dems? Xavier Becerra is another super-liberal, who fought every compromise brought by the Bowles-Simpson panel. Chris Van Hollen could be better, but his job is essentially to make sure Democrats are elected. Bipartisanism isn't exactly a prereqisite for that gig... The Senate Dems are Patty Murray, who has the same gig as Van Hollen, only in the other chamber, John Kerry, and Max Baucus. Could be worse, but not great.
As bad as the Dems choices were, the Republicans loaded their side with guys (literally ALL guys) just as rigid on tax reform. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) is a Tea Party-type, no taxes, no how stiff who will not help the cause of compromise. Rob Portman (R-OH) has the OMB experience to break out the paring knife and make the tough decisions, but his tenure in the Bush Administratio will not make him friends. John Kyl (R-Az) is another big wig in the GOP who didn't get there by being nice wih the other side. Maybe the fact he's quitting soon will soften him up, but we doubt it.
On the House side, Jeb Hensarling (R-Tx , which says it all) leads the team, along with Michigan committee chairs Dave Camp (Ways and Means) and Fred Upton (Energy). Hensarling has been the GOP floor hammer for a decade now, and Camp opposed any tax hikes on Bowles-Simpson. Upton is more of a wildcard, but has been a thorn in the side of Obama lately. Not much daylight for compromise there either...
No, we're not big fans of tax hikes, but if we get a 3-1 or better deal on cuts vs. tax hikes, then make the deal. My economic guru, Joe the CPA, says the megarich know they have been getting sweetheart deals the past decade, and they can and would pay it. Everyone talks about payinr 'their fair share'... the best way to do it? A Flat Income Tax, two tiers, with one exemption tied to the poverty line. Simple. Fair. Will this every happen? Never....
More importantly, will the budget deal get done? Maybe, but we doubt it. Our hopes are for Baucus, Portman, Kyl and maybe Van Hollen to reach a deal. We know the likes of Clyburn will not get it done - he's just there to get Obama's way in the deal as much as possible. And of course, he's in it for himself.... But, we do look forward to Clyburn's reunion with John Kerry.
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