You can taste the love at Rosa’s Bakery.
Opened in December, not even a pandemic could dim the enthusiasm and vision of the women who were determined to open a bakery as a way to honor their mother who, sadly, is confined to a local convalescent home with Alzheimer’s. But each day they visit and tell her about what they baked and the customers who came in, so Rosa gets a chance to imagine the day anew as if she was right there.
Stephanie Colon and her sister Edna Fernandez are partners and co-owners. Along with Edna’s daughter, Cindy, they turn out the breakfast basics quite well. But what shines forth is that all out shared love and admiration for their mother, Rosa. This is her bakery, after all, even if she is never there.
Located at 649 Burnside Avenue, and opening at 7 a.m. (8 a.m. on Sunday) 7 days a week, Rosa’s has transformed an old greasy spoon that closed after the owner got annoyed by a change in the configuration of the parking spaces in front of his business. And it sat stubbornly shut, a sad reminder of the day when the once-popular local café and bar was a neighborhood icon. Right across the street is the Wickham library, behind that the town’s new Public Safety Complex. Next door is Chuck’s Automotive, all draws to the heart of Burnside.
Now, the heartbeat is coming back, one cupcake at a time. Stephanie is mixing and frosting magic with cakes, there is flan, fresh sticky buns and glistening pastries. The sisters have been baking since December but Rosa’s was only open for curbside pickup until Saturday, May 1. That was the day the governor declared it to be OK to open to the public – five months after the sisters opened their bakery. The state may be a slow riser, and the governor and legislature focused on legalizing pot and debate when to reopen state offices. But finally at Rosa’s patrons can enter, venture to a chair and table and sip a cup of coffee – legally.
So, Saturday three friends were perched in the window seats. Ramonita Crespo, Marilyn Albert and Judy Brown were as giddy as schoolgirls as they chatted and watched passers-by. “We couldn’t wait. We were customers before. Now we got to meet each other and go inside,” said Judy. Each enjoyed the treats from the big case, the cupcakes and the glistening pastries.
Edna Fernandez quit her job in human resources to open Rosa’s Café & Bakery. She and Stephanie have been busy baking and building a customer base, and the reputation has been spreading with every Instagrammable layered dessert treat. Now, the walk-in customers are the icing on the cake.
The story of Rosa’s Bakery is right there on their website and social media pages. Founded in honor of Rosa Cruz, “a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and a resident of East Hartford for over 40 years”. Two of her four children, Edna and Stephanie, said it was “a lifelong dream” to open such a place. Pandemic or not, when they saw the neat and tidy place on Burnside they just knew the location was perfect.
The website relates that their mother, Rosa, came over to the mainland from her native Puerto Rico during the summer of 1965 to work the tobacco fields in Connecticut. There she met her future husband, Angel Cruz.
“After a whirlwind romance, they started a family and eventually settled with their four children in East Hartford.
“As the matriarch of the Cruz family, Rosa’s cooking was always the main event during any family gathering or holiday party. When she wasn’t cooking, you could always catch her sipping her favorite cup of coffee while mastering her crosswords or watching her novellas.”
Some of the offerings at Rosa’s Bakery and Cafe.
“Her love of coffee and cooking, coupled with her love of the East Hartford community is what inspired us to open this café,” wrote the sisters. “Sadly, Rosa has progressed to the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease, but is still very much a part of our lives. As a resident of Riverside Health Center in East Hartford, our family is fortunate enough to visit her every single week. We look forward to telling her all of the crazy stories and about the wonderful people who walk through the doors bearing her name.”
The menu is straightforward. Everything is kept simple, and simply well done. There are all the assortment of plain and fancy coffees, from cold brew to macchiato. Try the hash browns. They are Rosa’s recipe, explained Edna, potatoes with sautéed onions, olive oil, garlic, and seasonings. The “Rosa’s Special” consists of two eggs, side of home fries, side of bacon, turkey bacon, sausage, or ham, and a slice of toast for $7.99. Lunch selections include all types of sandwiches made to order, a Cuban sandwich features homemade slow roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, mustard and pickles, pressed in a griddle (a la plancha).
Inspired by the curbside pickup where quick is the order of the day, the “build your own lunchbox” of the cold cut sandwich of choice, chips, salad or fruit, and a cookie or cupcake is popular.
Pastries and cakes are where the Rosa Bakery love really shines. Pay attention as there is always a Puerto Rican specialty item which varies daily. Mallorca (Puerto Rican sweet bread) was a recent option but others have been pastelillos de Guayaba (Guava and Cream Cheese filled Pastry) and mini flans.
THE SKINNY: Rosa’s Bakery and Café, 649 Burnside Avenue, 860-310-2036. Open M-Sat 7AM-3PM Sun 8AM-2PM. Check out their menu online or on Facebook.
