About usPartner with usSign up to our Newsletter
Sugar Sketch 1 Bakeries Caterers Alphabet City East Village Loisaida

Recognizing immediately that there was something new opening on 2nd Street, I knocked on the door of number 172 East. I was met by a woman who was hand painting an array of leaves placed on cookies sheets, all made out of sugar. She was getting ready to decorate a cake, she told me. Moments later, a younger version of the woman popped her head up and announced herself as Martina, the owner of the brand new bakery. "My mom, Cristina, and I are so excited: We are opening tomorrow!"

Tom, the photographer for Manhattan Sideways, and I ended up spending a good half hour with this dynamic duo as we listened to their story and, of course, sampled some of the amazing baked goods. Martina was sixteen when her parents decided to move to the United States from Italy. She always had a passion for baking and started an online business in 2013. "I only made specialty wedding cakes when I first began," she explained. Martina went on to say that she rented everywhere - "Whatever building had the best price each month, that is where I ended up."

In 2016, the mother and daughter team decided that it was time to have their own retail space. They were eager to have a window where they could display their beautiful, creative cakes. They were also looking forward to developing personal relationships with their clients.

While we were in the shop, we watched brownies coming out of the oven, cake pops being made, and a pear tart just getting underway. Our favorite treats, however, were the little bites of red wine cookies. Marina explained that these are only found in the center of Italy. "You either love them or hate them, and I am obsessed," she stated. Tom and I looked at each other as we bit into one and could not imagine anyone not thinking they were divine. The texture was perfection - a crunch in every bite and a burgundy color peeking through the middle.

Marina told us that she is trying hard not to have her desserts be too sweet. "I am adjusting American recipes - plus, I will have a complete Italian menu with items that one cannot find anywhere in New York." Although it is a tiny space, I can readily imagine people in the East Village gathering there for their morning cup of coffee, something delicious to eat, and a bubbly conversation to start off their day.

Marina said that so many people have stopped by to say hello and to wish them future success. "I already love this neighborhood." She loves it so much that when an apartment upstairs became available, she grabbed it. The warm reception that she received as a new business has now extended to a neighborly embrace. "If I am going to have long hours baking well into the evening, I might as well live upstairs."

Location
Loading
Sign up to Sidestreet Updates
Sugar Sketch 1 Bakeries Caterers Alphabet City East Village Loisaida
Sugar Sketch 2 Bakeries Caterers Alphabet City East Village Loisaida
Sugar Sketch 3 Bakeries Caterers Alphabet City East Village Loisaida
Sugar Sketch 4 Bakeries Caterers Alphabet City East Village Loisaida
Sugar Sketch 5 Bakeries Caterers Alphabet City East Village Loisaida
Sugar Sketch 6 Bakeries Caterers Alphabet City East Village Loisaida
Sugar Sketch 7 Bakeries Caterers Alphabet City East Village Loisaida
Sugar Sketch 8 Bakeries Caterers Alphabet City East Village Loisaida
Sugar Sketch 9 Bakeries Caterers Alphabet City East Village Loisaida
Sugar Sketch 10 Bakeries Caterers Alphabet City East Village Loisaida
Sugar Sketch 11 Bakeries Caterers Alphabet City East Village Loisaida
Sugar Sketch 12 Bakeries Caterers Alphabet City East Village Loisaida
Sugar Sketch 13 Bakeries Caterers Alphabet City East Village Loisaida
Sugar Sketch 14 Bakeries Caterers Alphabet City East Village Loisaida
Sugar Sketch 15 Bakeries Caterers Alphabet City East Village Loisaida

More places on 2nd Street

Lost Gem
Kenkeleba House 1 Art and Photography Galleries undefined

Kenkeleba House

Had we not been personally escorted through the unmarked double doors that lead to Kenkeleba Gallery, Manhattan Sideways might not ever have known it was here. The only sign on the building reads Henington Hall, etched into the stone facade along with the year it was built, 1908. According to Joe Overstreet, in the 70’s the building was condemned until he and his wife, Corinne Jennings, were able to strike a deal with the city in 1978. Although 2nd Street was teeming with drug activity back then, the arrangement proved worthwhile for Overstreet, as it gave him, his wife, three children and the emerging Kenkeleba House a home in an area that eventually cleaned up its act and became one of the most important neighborhoods for the arts in New York City. Since its founding, Kenkeleba House has flown under the radar as a not-for-profit gallery space and artist workspace. Joe and Corinne were only interested in promoting new ideas, emerging artists, experimental work, and solo shows for those deserving of the recognition. They preferred to showcase artists whose works were not typically featured in commercial galleries, focusing primarily on African American art. Joe and Corinne’s vision of Kenkeleba House - as a space for artists to grow, to showcase African American that oftentimes would have been lost, and teaching African American history through gallery shows - was only possible due to their extensive background in art as well as their immense individual efforts. Corinne was born into a family of artists in an isolated part of Rhode Island, and until she was about twelve or thirteen, she thought “that’s what everyone did- I thought people made things. ” Her father, a talented printmaker who studied under Hale Woodruff, is widely known for his black and white wood engravings and costume jewelry. The Wilmer Jennings Gallery - across the street on 2nd Street - is named for him. Jennings’ mother was a Yale graduate and painter. Corinne came to New York in the 1960’s, originally wanting to be a scenic designer. Even though she was qualified, she was turned away by the head of the scenic designer’s union with the explanation that they did not want any women or black people. She instead started to do art projects, and eventually decided to “tackle some of issues that prevented African American artists from fully developing. ”Corinne and Joe spent a lot of time speaking with artists from different parts of West Africa and the Caribbean, eventually coming upon the realization that “they needed to find a different way for people to develop, for people to have space to work, [and] to find alternative educational routes for people. ” In 1978, Joe and Corinne purchased an abandoned building on second street, fixed it up, and opened up their first art exhibition in 1980. From then on, they began amassing their extensive and remarkable collection. The exhibits on display in this gallery recognize the rarely explored contributions that people of African descent have made to the art world. It is here, hanging on the walls and filed away in the deepest recesses of their private collection, we were showed a portrait of Dr. John DeGrasse painted by a largely forgotten African-American artist by the name of Edward Mitchell Banister (1828-1901). Banister won a national award for his most famous painting, “Under the Oaks. ” The magnificent framed picture of Dr. DeGrasse is easily worth more money than we could count, but the history lesson we received from Joe was priceless. Dr. DeGrasse was a native New Yorker and also one of the first African-Americans to receive a medical degree. He gained acceptance to the Boston Medical Society in 1854, making him the first African-American to belong to a medical association in that state. And to boot, he was also the first African-American medical officer in the U. S. Army serving as Assistant Surgeon in the Civil War. In addition, Manhattan Sideways viewed works dating back to 1773, by the late Hale Woodruff, an African-American abstract painter who lived in New York City from 1943 until his death in 1980. In addition to being an artist who aspired to express his heritage, Woodruff was also an art educator and member of the faculty at New York University. “We are African-American, so that is what we do, ” said Corinne, “but we are also interested in artists from the Lower East Side. ” Corinne’s personal art collection reflects much of her parent’s amazing work, as well as that of other African-American artists, both well-known and yet undiscovered. Kenkeleba Gallery aims to teach the younger generations about African-American history. “Every nationality walks by here on a daily basis, but they have no idea who we are as a people. ” Joe and Corinne were well aware of the contribution African-Americans have made to the arts that began right here in this community. Their private collection is made up of over 30, 000 paintings, artifacts, art books and jazz records that tell the rich history of African-Americans in this country.