northwest gabby
I believe that almost anything can be inherited when a loved one dies. Real estate, Porsches, pets, and a ridiculous amount of money.
All Andria Canella’s grandmother left behind for her relatives was a tangible expression of love: her recipes.
Housed in a charmingly well-worn sage green notebook is Sweet Patricia’s namesake home-cooked catalog, a collection of hand-me-down dishes that are the backbone of this neighborhood restaurant’s origin story. It’s something.
“This was the best thing she did for our family,” said Andria Cannella, holding a binder of cookbooks. “She had pancreatic cancer. She was diagnosed with stage 4, so she knew it.”
“She fought for a year and a half,” Richelle Canela said of her grandmother-in-law, Patricia Tonus.
“We received cards in the mail that said, ‘Thinking of you,’ and there were 20 of them,” she explained of how the recipes flowed. You’ll also get the next set. ”
“There are some handwritten ones that are really special,” Richelle Canela said. “This was her legacy.”
Andria Cannella says “the majority” of the dishes she currently makes for bimonthly Friday dinners at Sweet Patricia’s come from the little green cookbook.
“I serve you as my grandmother served you at home,” she said. She said, “The food was good and she felt welcomed. That was her low point.”
If the bubbles run out at first…
In the summer of 2023, the Canella family started offering Friday night dinners to see if they would sell out, and it quickly became a weekly event.
“Originally it was meant to be a source of nutrition,” Richelle Canela said. “During the summer we got really slow, SCAD [students] Gone, we had to survive. ”
“The fact is that the first year in business is very difficult and challenging, so we were not sure whether we would be able to survive the summer,” confessed Andria Canella.
But due to the timing of the hot months, she said, that effort “kind of fizzled out,” and she and her wife quickly realized that the four weekend events a month were draining their supplies and their energy. I noticed that.
The couple “hit the brakes” and resumed having dinner as the calendar turned to 2024. “Since then, it’s really picked up steam.”
Resuming as a once-a-month meal, the meals became bi-monthly in March and were quickly booked up, mostly by repeat customers.
“If you get five hours of sleep twice a month, you’ll be fine,” Andria Canella said with a smile. She said, “I can’t do it every week.”
“What we’ve noticed is that people come in, eat, and then before they leave, they want to know when their next slot is,” she explained. “Right now, I think we have a total of three tables available for May.”
“For us, we know that summer is coming again, so this is a good way to ensure business,” continued the restaurant’s chef and main baker.
“Thankfully, we were able to get through the first year. These have been a lifeline for us in many ways, guaranteeing additional income,” said Richelle Canela.
The first few seats were priced at $60 per person, but last month the seat price increased to $70. The Canellas expect further growth due to the quality of the food, the volume of the courses and the popularity of the event, which can accommodate a total of 30 guests to be seated and served at the same time.
“Without a doubt, the food we serve is worth it and we feel like we’re serving people really high-quality food. It’s nothing fancy,” said Andria Cannella.
Actual Fridays are scheduled on the fly and mainly depend on the holidays on the calendar and the meaning of the month.
Authentic home-cooked 4-course meal
Dinner at Sweet Patricia’s always offers a four-course option, but the exact menu isn’t announced until a week in advance, so don’t let that deter you from dinner in the slightest.
There are usually two, sometimes three, entrees, with dinners before featuring homemade ravioli, Italian sausage, lemon ricotta dumplings, pork belly, porchetta, and roasted chicken. There is always a vegetarian option on the menu and from the start he has 4 courses and the only dish that remains the same is his second course choice.
“Everyone loves tomato bisque soup, so we make it every night,” says Andria Canella. “Our regular customers say that’s one of the reasons they keep coming back.”
“Of course, if we skip six months, it could happen again,” Richelle Canela added. “But we never do the same thing back to back.”
Remembering her heritage, Andria Canella collects Sicilian cookbooks to supplement her grandmother’s recipes. About two weeks before your next dinner, do your R&D and always start “from scratch” to plan your appetizers.
“All the time,” she said of how often she thinks of her grandmother, especially at dinner. “I think she’s most proud of this environment.”
“She was one of the most sophisticated people I’ve ever met, but at the same time you could see her out in the garden every day picking her own weeds. Because it was something,” she said.
“I’m trying to create that kind of family environment,” Andria Canella said. “When I come here, I feel welcomed.”
One evening, a bicycle club occupied the ten tops, and for the first event in March, two separate parties of 10 and 8 people created a lively atmosphere, while other tables were occupied by date night duos. I was there.
“It’s great to have a group of people here who want to come together,” she said of the friend and family reunion atmosphere that was so important to her grandmother. “I think she would be proud of the food we make, but she really thinks the heart of the dish is what we make.”
Mr. and Mrs. Cannella were present throughout the evening. Richelle takes her four-course order all at once so Andria can prepare it accordingly in the kitchen. They and their servers visit with each guest. People are more in their lovely homes than in restaurants.
bakery etc.
The couple is in the process of redesigning the logo to show that Sweet Patricia’s is more of a “restaurant” than just a “bakery” as the original sign suggested.
“It’s not because we’re producing less baked goods, it’s because we’re producing more,” reasoned Andria Canella. It’s a way to expand our horizons a little. ”
They are also working on getting a beer and wine license, but the Kanejas don’t have the time. Because they built everything from scratch with the help of Sweet Patricia’s “OG” server, Mo, and Olivia, and provide everything. , I’m working on a rotation of Friday night events.
All in good time. For the time being, it will be a Thomas Square bakery during the day and a Homespun trattoria twice a month on Fridays.
When you go, ask Mr. and Mrs. Canela to show you Grandma Patricia’s recipe book. They proudly share it and tell us the story between the ingredients. You might even see a recipe for what you’re eating that night.
Sweet Patricia’s (1722 Habersham Street) is open Tuesday through Sunday (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and also hosts bimonthly Friday dinner events by reservation.
