Having tried many of their delicious flatbreads and hearing their praises sung by Andy Jacobi of Untamed Sandwiches - who has his rolls custom-made by Grandaisy - it was a delight to meet Monica and Romel, the masterminds behind this incredibly successful bakery. Monica, the owner, started Grandaisy - named for her grandmother - after opening Sullivan Street Bakery with Jim Lahey in 1994. As for Romel, "What doesn't Romel do?" Monica said, trying to define his role. He is an integral part of the company, including being in charge of marketing and catering. The two have worked together since the bakery got its start on a "sleepy street" in Soho in 2006. They then moved to Tribeca and later opened the 72nd Street location in 2008. In addition to their storefronts, Grandaisy has 250 direct distributors throughout the tri-state area. With their main operations in Tribeca, as opposed to New Jersey or the Bronx, restaurants often choose to call Grandaisy for last-minute orders. "Our ovens are essentially never off," they said.
Monica's journey to running a bakery is not one often heard in the food industry: she is an anthropologist, and received her PhD while working in rural Bolivia. She also spent time studying in Italy, where her attitude towards food changed. She explained, "People would ask me to join them for lunch and I would say, 'no, that's okay, I've got an apple.' But that's not how things are done. They would drag me out to dine." She learned that a huge part of the Italian's culture is taking coffee breaks and eating proper meals. Monica's dream was to bring a piece of this ritual to New York through Grandaisy.
Monica's time in Bolivia also stressed to her the importance of food. "Among the Aimara people, if you have a good husband, he would build an oven for you," she told us. Monica also believes that her skills as an anthropologist have allowed her to better understand people's cultures and, therefore, their approach to food. At this point in our conversation, Romel jumped in to say, "It's all about helping people: being an anthropologist, or opening a bakeshop."
Then Romel brought out a selection of flatbreads for us to taste. I was thrilled to have the Manhattan Sideways team try the cauliflower option - my favorite - with its hint of gruyere. We went on to taste several others, including the phenomenal potato and onion, butternut squash and the zucchini. Each of these flatbreads were originally going to be seasonal, but Monica proudly told us that Grandaisy witnessed such a strong demand that they decided to offer them year round. As we were complimenting the variety of flatbreads, both Monica and Romel admitted that they, too, love eating the food at Grandaisy. "Romel has just started running marathons just so he can eat all he wants," Monica cheekily informed us.
As we continued trying some of the scrumptious almond cake that Romel offered us and learned about the tiny sweet sandwiches called "panino dolci," I asked if they had plans for Grandaisy to open in other neighborhoods. Monica said that they are content to remain as they are, for the time being. Fewer locations make it easier to create a baking community, both within their own company and with their customers. The bakers, many of whom have been with Grandaisy since it first began, are often traded between Tribeca and the Upper West Side so that they can experience both locations. The pastry chef has a particularly wonderful story: his father was a baker in Guatemala, and when he applied for a job sweeping the floors, Monica saw his potential as a great chef. Though Grandaisy has expanded its operations somewhat, by churning out a line of jam (including spaghetti squash jam, a Bolivian specialty), Monica and Romel have never put pressure on their pastry chef to create more variety – "We are all about making a few things really well." Both Monica and Romel agree that their favorite part about owning a bakeshop is introducing people to high quality items that can be enjoyed in small doses. Romel said, "We're happy doing what we're doing – food can really be a transformative experience." They then reminisced about how they used to stand behind the counter serving guests. They miss it, but whenever they are on West 72nd Street, they fully appreciate the casual community that has formed as customers stand in line and join in conversation.