—————————————————— Baker Spotlight: Angela Rowley, of Blackbird Foods, Is Taking Meat Pies to Another Level | Eating Our Words | Houston | Houston Press | The Leading Independent News Source in Houston, Texas

Chef Chat

Baker Spotlight: Angela Rowley, of Blackbird Foods, Is Taking Meat Pies to Another Level

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Because Rowley does not have a storefront, she must rent space from someone else in order to prepare all of her pies. Kraftsmen Cafe in the Heights on 22nd Street sublets its kitchen to several businesses, including food trucks and other wholesale bakeries, and that's where she does her baking.

"I share it [the kitchen] with a couple of other food truck people and Fluff Bake Bar -- that sort of thing. I have learned a lot from going into this kitchen and sharing with people," Rowley says. "It's kind of a hectic environment, because whereas before if you're working in a kitchen you're all working towards that common goal, here actually all of you have your own business and you're all trying to get your own goal at the same time."

Rowley says she's always in the borrowed kitchen, even on Friday and Saturday nights, evenings on which she often has the space to herself.

"I have visions of little pie storefronts; unfortunately, I think that is still too far in my future," she says. "I just think it would be really nice to have this small little pie shop, maybe serving milkshakes, too, and just little pies. You wouldn't even need a lot of space, just like a couple of tables; just something really casual for people to come in and out of."

For now, you can find her savory (and some sweet) pies at the Urban Harvest farmers' market on Wednesdays and the Eastside Farmers Market on Sundays. You can also pre-order frozen pies from her Web site, then pick them up at the market to make sure you get the one you want before they're all gone.

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Molly Dunn
Contact: Molly Dunn