SAN ANTONIO — Amber Gonzalez said she could not find a Mickey Mouse cake for her son’s first birthday party. Primarily a self-taught baker, she pulled together a cake for her oldest boy.
“I started doing wedding cakes, birthday cakes for other people as a hobby,” she said.
Gonzalez’ cakes are unique, eye-catching and downright lifelike. Her team whips up Harry Potter cakes, school mascots cakes, wonderful wedding cakes, and even naughty cakes.
“We had some adult versions of things we’ve done that have been kind of interesting,” she laughed without giving details.
Right now, they are trying to figure out how to do a fire breathing dragon cake.
“We haven’t quite figured out how to do it without melting the icing,” Gonzalez said.
The great search for her son’s Mickey Mouse cake was in the 80s. By 2011, Gonzalez opened a full-time bakery with help from her mother. Last summer she moved Meemo's Bakery & Cafe to 2611 Wagon Wheel Street.
Meemo’s new location came with enough kitchen space to open a café. Gonzalez convinced her husband to quit his job and become the executive chef.
They’ve been able to roll out a robust breakfast and lunch menu. Salads, sandwiches, cakes, pies, and pastries galore.
Neighborhood Eats wanted to see what the chef and the baker had to offer. They provided us with a sampler starting with Chef Drew’s Special eggs: Fluffy biscuits made from scratch, breakfast meat, eggs and a slice tomato covered in sausage gravy. Fantastic!
Next, they served a Croque Madame. It’s a grilled ham and cheese sandwich on fresh bread from the Meemo bakery. The sandwich is dipped in French toast batter, tossed on a grill, covered with hollandaise sauce and crowned with an egg sunny side. This comes paired with homestyle potatoes. Awesome!
Meemo’s Reuben sandwich is pretty good. Corned beef on Meemo bread, house-made sauerkraut, swiss cheese, house made dressing, served with chips and a pickle.
Neighborhood Eats' absolute favorite picks are the cinnamon rolls. Gonzalez uses her grandmother’s recipe. These are the best cinnamon rolls ever!
Overall: Meemo’s Bakery & Café is a good breakfast and lunch place on the city’s northeast side. Who doesn’t love the smell of freshly baked breads and sweets? The aroma is heavenly to take in as you chow down on a hefty menu that concentrates on fresh food. There’s enough space to eat comfortably. The cakes show true craftsmanship. Gonzalez said if you have the budget she can make your dreams come right out of her oven. I’m going back for a cinnamon roll for sure!
Give Marvin your review of Meemo’s Bakery & Café. If you have a restaurant or food truck suggestion for Marvin send him an email (Mhurst@kens5.com), tweet (@Mhurstkens5) or post it on his Facebook page. #KENS5EATS