A Progressive Bakery, Café, and Caterer Based in Old School Values

July 5, 2017, South Norwalk, CT: It is 2:00 AM. As South Norwalk revelers and restaurant owners shut down for the night, the loading dock door rolls up on the 3600 square foot former warehouse, which has been the home of SoNo Baking Company since 2005. The owner, Baker, and Chef John Barricelli begins his work day, attending to the doughs that have been proofing since he left the bakery just mere hours ago. And so the day begins.
 
Brought up in the family business, dating back to his great grandfather’s panetteria in Brooklyn, NY, John expanded upon his culinary prowess, attending the prestigious Culinary Institute of America.  Upon graduating, John worked at such renowned New York City restaurants as The River Café and the Four Seasons Restaurant, ultimately relocating to Connecticut to cook at the popular The Elms Restaurant & Tavern in Ridgefield. And the rest is history, as this gifted young chef and bread maker began a career with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, both behind the scenes and on camera, leading to his own PBS show Every Day Baking.
 
SoNo Baking Company & Café embodies the authenticity of an artisanal bakery, the warmth of a neighborhoodcoffee house and eatery, and the sophistication of a from-scratch quality kitchen that offers exceptional catering.  John personally designed the open kitchen and bakery, which provides a view of hearth bread being baked in a deck oven imported from Italy, gorgeous cakes being decorated, and delicate pastries being carefully constructed - all on display for guests to see. 

 
In 2011, former Wall Street exec turned pastry chef Patti Jonker joined the SoNo Baking Company team. Patti was trained in baking, pastry arts, and cake decorating at the Culinary Institute of America and the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. In 2009 Patti opened Amore Baking Company in Fairfield, and while sourcing additional product for her business, she met John. The two passionate and goal-oriented entrepreneurs combined talents, with Patti managing both front and back of the house operations for SoNo Baking Company, (and lending her cake decorating skills) while looking to the future of the SoNo Baking Company brand. 

In 2014 SoNo Baking Company added a second café in Darien.  Both cafés features specialty coffee drinks and a seasonal breakfast and lunch menu which includes; Connecticut farm fresh egg omelets; brioche French toast stuffed with vanilla pastry cream; grilled all natural chicken panini with bûcheron goat cheese, spinach, sundried tomatoes, olive tapenade, on country white bread; SoNo B.L.T. club with roast turkey, all-natural baked ham, avocado, all-natural bacon, lettuce, tomato, mustard mayo, served on SoNo sourdough bread; and a fresh seared tuna niçoise salad tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, roasted peppers, romaine, French beans, hard-boiled egg, olives and anchovy with a caper vinaigrette.
 
Catering from SoNo Baking Company reflects John’s extensive culinary background. A global and seasonal menu of hors d’oeuvres, entrees, and side dishes, as well as an extensive corporate catering menu of specialty sandwiches, salads, and dessert platters, is a large part of Sono Baking Company’s offerings.
 
But there's no denying the freshly baked bread that fills the café (and the neighborhood) with intoxicating aromas. Crunchy and light as air organic baguette, chewy seeded rye, olive sourdough loaves, pain au levain , scrumptious cranberry pecan bread, and a hearty multi-grain bread are just a handful of standouts.
 
SoNo Baking Company is a strong supporter and fixture on the local Famers' Market scene and their bread and pastries can also be enjoyed at Fairfield County’s finest restaurants and markets.  John shares his recipes which tell the story of growing up in a bakery family and his years of experience in food business in both of his cookbooks; The SoNo Baking Company Cookbook: The Best Sweet and Savory Recipes for Every Occasion (2010 Crown Publishing Group); and The Seasonal Baker: Easy Recipes from My Home Kitchen to Make Year-Round (2012 Crown Publishing Group).

https://www.sonobaking.com/
South Norwalk, CT, 101 Water Street, 203.847.7666
Darien, CT, 49 Tokeneke Rd, 203.309.5401