Schnecken with Ann Amernick

[DonRocks]

I chatted with Ann Amernick today about a variety of things, and she said it would be okay if I paraphrased some of our conversation here.

‘Don’t post about the doughnuts!’ she pleaded. ‘Everybody wants the doughnuts. I’ve had people come in here and ask for doughnuts, and when they find out we don’t have any, they just walk out. Why can’t they try some of my other things? Have you tried my Baltimore Cake?’

Indeed I have, and it is fabulous (as are the doughnuts). I noticed she had hamentaschen today, and I asked her if she’ll continue to have it after this weekend. She said that, no, after this week it will be difficult to sell, but if people call her in advance, she’ll try and accommodate - not just for the hamentaschen, but for other things as well.

I told her how much I adore her focaccia, both the goat-cheese and the pizza version.

‘Don’t post about that either,’ she said. ‘We lose money on it. I use real Reggiano, have you noticed? And the goat cheese is the same one we use at Palena.’

Well, yes I have noticed, and that’s why I’m in there seemingly every other week. So what do you want me to write about, Ann?

‘Everything in here is made in-house except for the doughnuts, which are made down the block at Palena. All the ingredients are the highest quality I can find. Sometimes it seems that nobody cares about quality anymore - even Tom Sietsema thinks I need to do something new and different.’

I raised an eyebrow when she said that, because that’s simply not the impression that I’ve gotten reading Tom’s reviews and chats. And I questioned her on it.

‘Did you see what he said in his Dining Guide? He likes Frank, but he thinks my desserts at Palena need to change. Well, I’m xx years old now, and I do what I do, and I’m not going to change.’

I reiterated that Tom has come across as being squarely in her corner, but I also decided to play devil’s advocate. “Well, some of the things on the dessert menu at Palena are the exact same things you get here, and after a rich bowl of soup with a quail egg in it, you aren’t always in the mood for a shortbread cookie.”

Ann threw up her arms, and almost – almost – smiled. ‘Well, okay, but get the sorbet. The sorbet is wonderful – have you tried my grapefruit sorbet?’

I didn’t have a good response for this, because she was right. She continued:

‘I’m not going to do anything new and different, because I’m concerned about executing the traditional things in the right way using only the best ingredients. Someone needs to do this, and if I don’t do it, who’s going to? Have you tried my schnecken? It’s wonderful, they have this at Greenberg’s in New York. Here, take one home and try it.’

I was embarrassed that I didn’t know what a schnecken was – I always thought these things were called sticky buns. But I had it this afternoon, and yes, it was wonderful, every bit as good as her Baltimore Cake, her almond cookies, her cheese straws.

‘People need to try my things, they would love them if they’d just try them,’ she said.

I replied that people simply don’t know about them – who on earth knows what a schnecken is? And I suggested to Ann that she should put together an email list and send out an occasional email letting people know what she offers.

‘How am I going to do that?’

“Put a bowl out on your counter and have people fill out their email addresses. People want to know!”

‘Okay, I’ll do it.’

And I believe she will do it, and the next time I’m in there I’ll leave her my email address along with scores of other customers eager to receive regular updates about what this talented pastry chef is up to, what’s new and seasonal, and what’s coming down the pipeline. And I also believe that this bowlful of email addresses will sit there and languish, because Ann’s not going to take the time to figure out how to send out a mass email, because she’s too preoccupied doing what she does best.

Ann, you might be xx years old and set in your ways, but I cannot imagine Cleveland Park without your bakery, and I suspect a lot more people feel that way than you think. Biz hundert un tsvantsik.

Cheers,

Rocks.

[butterfly]

I can't imagine how or why anyone would expect Amernick to diversify more than she has. Already she has proven that she is one of the very best at what she does.

Her cookies are better than my mom's--and that's saying quite a lot.

And she used to offer baguettes (does she still?). These were every bit as good as the ones I used to get at the bakery underneath my apartment in France. I couldn't believe a pastry shop could turn out bread this good. And the caramels. And the cheesestraws.

I think being able to take classic and familiar recipes to the next level in terms of execution and ingredients without injecting trendiness or postmodern deconstruction is noble and much-needed.

Yes, of course, her stuff is expensive, but three of her little button sized cookies are more satisfying than just about anything else. I think we need more people doing just what she is doing.

[morela]

That focaccia rocks!!

Edited March 7, 2004 by morela (log)

[Mark Sommelier]

Schnecken is a German word that means "snails". Sticky buns are named this because of the way they are rolled up. Bless Ann for making these.

Edited March 7, 2004 by Mark Sommelier (log)

[maureen]

Amernick's is a treasure in Cleveland Park - Ann makes a butter/shortbread type cookie that she has a special name for (I am blanking at the moment) that is sort of large (for her) that is amazing. And don't get me started on her oatmeal cookies - these are the oatmeal cookies of your dreams - crisp on the outside, soft inside, chewy, with just the right mix of dried fruit to give sparkle without making the cookie too sweet. If I had one request of Ann, it would be that she make a cinnamon roll that doesn't have the sweet edge of the schnecken (which properly does have that sweetness) for those of us who prefer a less sweet cinnamon treat. Ok, a second request - that she offer for sale her unbelievably fabulous fruit tarts with almond paste instead of making us beg her to make us one on special order (which may never happen again, unfortunately). Perhaps when pears are in season in the fall, she'll offer them for a couple of weeks after announcing in advance that she will so that people can get their orders in and she can make enough to make it cost-effective for her shop (HINT HINT).

Washington, DC is far behind NY in the number of artisanal food purveyors available to us and we must all be sure to support those few struggling to make a living providing us with the best. Go to Amernicks and spend money (but not today - she's closed on Sunday).

Edited March 7, 2004 by maureen (log)

[cjsadler]

‘Did you see what he said in his Dining Guide? He likes Frank, but he thinks my desserts at Palena need to change. Well, I’m xx years old now, and I do what I do, and I’m not going to change.’

I think Sietsema does have a point here that Ann Amernick is missing. I've been eating at Palena fairly regularly for a long time and the dessert menu never seems to change. In fact, I usually skip dessert there these days. I can understand keeping the cookie plate on there since it's so noteworthy, but some of the other items aren't really that fantastic. I say this knowing how good Ann Amernick is-- everything I've had at her shop has been amazing. The complaint isn't that she do something 'new and different', it's that surely she has a bunch of delicious desserts she could rotate on and off the Palena menu with more frequency to provide some needed variation.

[DonRocks]

I've been in contact with Ann about this thread, and she wanted to add a couple of thoughts. First and foremost, she insisted on sharing any credit she gets here with her two coworkers:

"The two people that work for me are Noris Pineda and Noel Sanchez. They are the most loyal, hardworking two people I've ever known. I plated desserts at the restaurant for 3 years until this past September when Frank finally took pity on me and said "Let's get Noel to plate". So now Noel, goes down after a day at the bakery and works the night shift."

She continues to give credit to her coworkers:

"This bakery and the restaurant are miracles. To have survived  3 1/2 years in this economic climate is astonishing.  It's due in part at the bakery because [of the] people who come in to help … On Fridays and Saturdays, Robert DeLapeyrouse comes in and bakes bread … We are so lucky.  The point is that the bakery is a warm and welcoming place to the people who come in with like attitude."

I stopped in yesterday morning for a piece of focaccia, and in less than five minutes, I saw three people come in, ask for doughnuts, and leave without buying anything when they were told that the first batch was gone, and that the second batch hadn't yet come in (the doughnuts are made down the block at Palena). The "doughnut people" seem to be the bane of Ann's existence:

"... they want the doughnuts, in most cases, because Tom wrote them up and put a big picture of them in the dining guide. It became cool to wait for the doughnuts to get to the bakery, the 'in' thing to do, the new 'trendinistas.'  I could write on infinitely about this subject. I'd rather talk by phone if you want to hear what we deal with. But I will relay to you one incident. We made a policy to not break twenty dollar bills for one or two doughnuts, if the customer didn't buy anything else. We had to. The bank usually runs out of one dollar bills early on Saturday, and no matter how hard I try I'm always floundering to keep the cash drawer supplied. A woman came in around 2 p.m. and asked Noris for 2 doughnuts and then handed her a 20. Noris told her we couldn't break a 20 for 2 doughnuts. The woman became angry, held the bill in Noris's face and said "This is American money". (Noris is Latino) She asked to see the manager. I came out of my office, (a proof box that's no longer operational) and came up to her and began to apologize, telling her that I understood her frustration, but I could not get any more ones, the bank was closed. She said she left her apt. just to get the doughnuts and all she brought was a 20. I said I was sincerely sorry but I couldn't do it.  She was really angry and said her Satuday was made up of getting her doughnuts and that the doughnuts put "this bakery on the  map". Well, that was  the wrong thing to say to me, as you can imagine. So I said many customers bought a few other things along with the doughnuts and then it made it easier to break a large bill. (You could buy a few little cookies and it would cost 60 cents, you can't get cheaper than that). She said she only came into the bakery for doughnuts, that she bought all of her other pastries at Firehook. So I told her then that's where she should go and she said that's exactly what she would do. My feeling was that that story would go all over the internet making me and the bakery look like real [censored]s. And we're really not. We just don't understand how all these people think that the only thing worth buying at the bakery is a doughnut. And the one thing that we don't make. Think about it. It's so demeaning and hurtful to be confronted with this so often. And now since NPR did a program on the doughnuts, some people will come in just to irritate us and play on that whole business. I would like to chat with you about this and talk about what this bakery is really about…."

And she concludes by saying:

"Thanks for listening , Don, I really appreciate it… It means a great deal to know that some people do appreciate what we're about. Ann."

And thank you, Ann, for sharing your thoughts.

Cheers,

Rocks.

Edited April 5, 2004 by DonRocks (log)

[Mark Sommelier]

Possible solutions:

1)Sell the frickin' doughnuts in boxes of 12

2)Install an ATM machine that dispenses fives

3)Get a larger bank in the cash register

4)Accept debit cards

5)Take checks

6)Post a discrete sign on the door requesting small denomination bills

7)Change the name to Amernick's Exact Change Bakery

Edited April 5, 2004 by Mark Sommelier (log)

[SWoodyWhite]

Installing an ATM that dispenses fives won't solve a problem when people are only buying a couple of doughnuts. The bill would still require ones for change, and that is what the bakery cannot keep in supply.

Frankly, the lowest denomination I've ever seen in an ATM is a ten; most dispense twenties, and nothing but.

This is clearly a case of the customer not always being right. Ann A. has the right to conduct business as she sees fit, and I congratulate her for doing so.

[Mark Sommelier]

Here is a perfect case where eGulleters can band together to help a small business and save Ann some angst. I suggest that everyone save their dollar bills all week in a special place and then run, jog, cab, drive or metro over to the bakery on Saturday around doughnut time to help replenish the cash drawer with singles and eat the awesome doughnuts, as well. We could call it "Dollars for Doughnuts"! Whaddya say?

[DonRocks]

I'm thinking that the next eGullet outing should be a tourbus full of people showing up at the bakery at 10:58 AM, everyone waving a $20 bill and ordering a single donut.

[Mark Sommelier]

I'm thinking that the next eGullet outing should be a tourbus full of people showing up at the bakery at 10:58 AM, everyone waving a $20 bill and ordering a single donut.

That would be mean and cruel. Just your style.

[JennyUptown]

I'm thinking that the next eGullet outing should be a tourbus full of people showing up at the bakery at 10:58 AM, everyone waving a $20 bill and ordering a single donut.

Sheesh, I'm in. Ann's attitude, as a businesswoman, confounds me. Fine, she doesn't love selling doughnuts. Wants to differentiate between "true" lovers of her offerings and people who only try them because it's "trendy."

Let her shoot herself in the foot - stop selling the damn doughnuts, Ann.

But to not make change on a $20...? It's not a hundred dollar bill we're talking about.

I guess I don't get the Amernick fuss. Why? Because it's CLOSED every time I try to check it out.

[morela]

Possible solutions:

1)Sell the frickin' doughnuts in boxes of 12

2)Install an ATM machine that dispenses fives

3)Get a larger bank in the cash register

4)Accept debit cards

5)Take checks

6)Post a discrete sign on the door requesting small denomination bills

7)Change the name to Amernick's Exact Change Bakery

Or we could just go to Nam-Viet Pho-79 at 11:30 when they open, have pho, drop a twenty, get back $12 and change after tip...and then go buy the donuts.

[DonRocks]

Ann's attitude, as a businesswoman, confounds me.

I believe Ann is not a businesswoman; she's a woman in business. See also Carole Greenwood and Yannick Cam.

Ann could increase her business by 20% by spending about two hours making changes to the way her wares are displayed. When you go in, the display case is not at all welcoming, and there aren't enough signs describing what is for sale.

I actually like Mark's idea of a dozen (or half-dozen) doughnut minimum.

Her dismissal of The Doughnut Maggots (of which I am sometimes one) notwithstanding, I'll happily choose her crotchety passion over someone elses wan practicality.

There was a little sign up last weekend that said something like "The cost of doughnuts is now $1.25. If you have bought milk or eggs lately, you'll understand why."

It's hard not to like this, and it's evidence that, deep down inside, Ann feels a grudging obligation to satisfy her Doughnut People.

She probably drives a Ford Torus.

[JennyUptown]

I'm hardly advocating that we all skip her doughnuts in favor of what you find at Dunkin Donuts. If Ann's creations are as marvelous as you all say (and I hope to try them one of these days), good for her. But business is business and she's in one. Customer service is one aspect that has to be considered or you can easily find ourself out of said business.

If it's such a problem to make change, prepare accordingly, set minimums, whatever. If you don't like trend-olas buying your doughnuts, don't offer 'em.

Blah. I wish I hadn't read this thread because it's going to be hard for me to cross Amernick's threshhold with a good attitude based on what I've read.

[8Track]

Why does she sell the doughnuts in the first place? Have you asked her that?

If she sells them in order to bring crowds into the bakery (and while they're at it, buy a focaccia or two), then she gets what she asked for. By dumbing down the patisserie in order to attract the riff raff, you can't complain that the riff raff doesn't appreciate your napoleons.

On the other hand, she does it out of some sort of misguided community service (e.g., "I hate doughnuts, but do it because everyone loves them so much"), she should feel free to impose whatever restrictions she wants on their sale, bearing in mind that the level of goodwill she receives from the gesture will be commensurate with the amount of good will she shows in return.

I empathize with her on the change issue, because the woman who complained sounds like a complete jerk. Surely, though, this issue can't be limited to the doughnuts. I'll bet she has cookies for $1.25. The best you can do if you don't have change is to apologize and decline the transaction.

[JPW]

Thank goodness for Spring Break and the holy days, because I have a few moments free at work in the middle of this day. I've been staying out of this thread, because a) I haven't been exactly sure where I would draw the line, b)sad to say, I have not yet been to either Palena or the bakery, c) I wanted to offer a fair and measured thought or two.

However, what I think I am going to end up with my market driven libertarian side spewing out a rant.

I empathize with her desire to have people try more than the doughnuts, she is proud of her work with other items. But this is a freakin' business. She has employees that depend on her baked goods for their livelihoods. If she doesn't want to sell the damn doughnuts then don't do it. Then explain to the employees why they are having their hours cut or are being laid off because she wants to keep away the trendy people.

I mean, Sweet Mother of Christ, you're bitchin' about free ads on NPR? Which happens to have, by the way, listeners who are just about the wealthiest group of consumers around (especially in DC)?

There's no excuse for being a manager/owner and not going to the bank on Friday and getting enough change and small bills for the whole weekend, or at least Saturday since from what I've read the bakery's not open on Sundays (which for a bakery is yet another imbecilic notion). None. No sympathy there at all.

From what people are writing, I am inferring that the bakery takes neither credit cards or debit cards. Is this true? I can understand her not wanting to take credit cards, especially for small purchases,. The leeches at Visa, MC, Amex, Discover take a large enough cut to absolutely kill profit margins at food businesses.

In this day and age not taking debit cards would be the sign of a creature that refuses to evolve and will wither away. People just don't carry cash anymore. And she wonders why she gets all these 20's. Let's just think for a second. I bet most of the people waving double sawbucks at her have not one other penny in their pocket, but do have a walletful of plastic.

Speaking of which -- "I'm xx years old and I'm not going to change." Hmmm.

A list of other things that refused to change -- IBM in the 80s, IT&T, the big 3 in Detroit, most of the American airline industry, the American steel industry,.......

From all of the praise that I've read, I bet that her baked goods are truly spectacular. If, following this rant, I am ever allowed anywhere near Cleveland Park, I'd like to try them. I'm sure that I'd enjoy. I just have no patience for the "tortured artist" syndrome that seems to prevail among a group of DC chefs.

Consider yourself an "artist". Fine. But,

THERE IS NO ART WITHOUT BUSINESS!

[JennyUptown]

Yeah! What he said!

Well-put, JPW.

[morela]

I'll bet she has cookies for $1.25. The best you can do if you don't have change is to apologize and decline the transaction.

You mean those hand-decorated elephants with the long eyelashes might be under $2? Oye Dios Mio.

Hey - - Does anyone to go on a boozey picnic with me in the park this afternoon? It seems like a nice day. Maybe that park over by National Airport...

[iamthestretch]

East Potomac Park? Then it'd have to be a doobie picnic. I run around there fairly often and the rule seems to be: If you're out of the car, you're fishing. If you're in the car, you're smoking a fattie. We're going to need a lot of donuts...

Edited April 6, 2004 by iamthestretch (log)

[morela]

East Potomac Park? Then it'd have to be a doobie picnic. I run around there fairly often and the rule seems to be: If you're out of the car, you're fishing. If you're in the car, you're smoking a fattie. We're going to need a lot of donuts...

Dude, if you're running, you're out of the car, right?

Edited April 6, 2004 by morela (log)

[morela]

As much as cherry blossoms seem nice, I like more the anti-social runner/fisher types...

My vacation starts soon! Taking some spring break with MCPS this year!

[iamthestretch]

"OK brain. You don't like me and I don't like you, but let's just get through this and then I can continue killing you with beer."

Um, pastry for the people? (Digression ends.)

[morela]

So, you're saying if we smoke a lot of pot, we'll eat a lot of donuts...

and save the pinch-hitting business of the bakery? Where do you get your Homer Simpson logic?