July 12, 2007 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

Great dining options expand on the Avenue
by KRISTIN PAZULSKI

If Chestnut Hillers think there is a lack of restaurants in the upper part of the Avenue, they might be pleased to know that two new projects — which aren’t bringing new eateries to the Avenue but are expanding two present businesses — will enhance dining options on the Avenue by the end of the summer.

Cake, the bakery/luncheon bistro formerly located off Highland Avenue, next to the Top of the Hill Market, has been closed for a few months in preparation for its move to the former Robertson’s Flowers nursery, a glass conservatory situated behind the flower shop at 8501 Germantown Avenue.

The new Cake will continue its usual line of baked goods, but with the addition of chef Joan Gigliotti, the menu is expanding to include breakfasts as simple as granola with yogurt to gourmet lunches such as Smoked Salmnon BLT. Gigliotti comes to Cake from Cresheim Cottage, and she’s worked at numerous restaurants downtown, such as Judy’s Café and Magnolia Café.

“We were not able to do a huge amount of food in the other place,” said Grey Heck, Cake’s owner, as she took a break from painting a wall of the conservatory last week. “This place allows for us to do more.”

Heck, who opened Cake as a bakery in 2000 and added lunch and breakfast in 2001, described the new menu as having a “French Mediterranean flair.”

While there are no plans for dinner hours yet, Grey said that dinner is likely for Cake’s future. For now, the conservatory/Cake dining area will be available for rent in the evenings.

Even without the finishing touches, the room hints at a unique and beautiful dining area.

The glass-paned walls and ceiling, partially covered with paper to hide the construction inside, still allow natural light to stream in and warm and light the place (although a huge, industrial strength air conditioning and heating system was added to control the temperature all year long).

The fountain, situated in the middle of the former nursery, will remain, as will the brick and slate flooring.

“It’s beautiful as is, so we don’t have to do a whole lot to it,” Heck said.

A whole new kitchen was added to one side of the area, leaving plenty of room for diners, and Heck hinted to future plans for outdoor dining.

Robertson’s and Cake have been working together professionally for a few years. Heck said she gets all her flowers for her wedding cakes from Robertson’s.

The flower shop, which has been considering converting the conservatory into a café rather than continuing its use as a nursery, approached Heck with the idea or moving Cake to the building.

Chris Weidenhammer, Robertson’s general manager, said he has been thinking about it for a while.

“We’re able to still keep the integrity of the beauty of the conservatory, then have this amazing restaurant,” he said. “It’s the best thing that’s happened to Chestnut Hill in 30 years.”

“It’s truly a partnership with Robertson’s,” Heck said, adding that the restaurant will be decorated with the shop’s flowers.

Heck said she thought the conversion would have been quicker and originally had planned to open in November, but city planning and health department processes took longer than she expected. The opening goal is July 17, she said last week, and she plans to have a grand opening in the fall.

Cake’s baking operation has been moved to a kitchen in Wyndmoor, which offers another expansion opportunity for Heck, who said she can now do more wholesale baking for other restaurants and cafés.

The vacancy that Cake left off Highland Avenue didn’t last long. It is already being prepared for another eatery — a deli/café by Top of the Hill Market.

Currently, Top of the Hill offers a range of sandwiches, soups, salads, quesadillas and more for lunch in its deli-like counter behind its produce market.

The current space barely has room for the long line of patrons ordering lunch during the week. The line usually snakes down the stairs and into the produce counter in the front. And there is barely any seating — only a few tables outside which offer no seating in inclement weather.

“We need the space, we’re bumping into each other,” said Bill Markloff, Top of the Hill owner.

When Cake left, Markloff decided to take over the bakery’s former space, brighten it up a bit (it has since been repainted bright red, yellow and orange) and move its lunch business over there.

The new café will have seating for about 20.

“I’ve wanted that for a long time,” Markloff said.

There will also be a coffee bar with coffee provided by the Bucks County Coffee Co. The café is expected to open in by the end of July.

With the extra room left by moving the lunch business, Top of the Hill is adding a fish market, which, according to Markloff, will open a week after the café.

The seafood will be supplied by Philadelphia-based E. Frank Hopkins Co.

Neither expansion was expanding to fill a perceived void that came with the loss of Wawa in May, but Heck said it’s a convenient opportunity for both businesses.

“We have so many more things to offer, and it’s definitely trying to fill in that void of restaurants on the Avenue,” Heck said.