LOUISE BOLGER | SUN
From left: Lori Howard, Cindy Tutterow and Gretchen VonCloedt
are ready to serve you at Hometown Desserts.
The holidays are over, and you're really trying to fulfil those New Year's resolutions, but I'm here to tell you that you don't have a chance since one of the best bakeries in Manatee County opened a second location.
You may have visited Hometown Desserts on Pine Avenue located in one of Anna Maria City's Green Village shops and fell in love with the variety of baked goods that come out of that little space. Well now you don't have to fight the winter beach traffic out to the Island and pray for a parking spot. If you're craving one of Cindy Tutterow's coconut cakes, you just have to run up Manatee Avenue to 51st Street and park in front of the second Hometown Desserts' location.
Tutterow has been baking since she was a little girl in North Carolina. After a career as a Manatee County school teacher, she had a seven-year home based baking business, which grew into her first location on Anna Maria. After four years on the Island, it was time to expand to be more convenient to non-Island visitors and residents. In July of last year, a shop that was formerly The Cupcake Bakery became available, and Tutterow snapped it up right along with the staff and the cupcake sign on the wall.
Some of Hometown Desserts' menu includes cakes, pies, cupcakes, scones, cookies, brownies and wedding cakes. However, the star of Hometown Desserts are Tutterow's coconut cakes from her grandmother's secret recipe in your choice of chocolate, lemon, red velvet, strawberry and everyone's absolute favorite, key lime. Everything that is offered at the Pine Avenue location is also available on Manatee Avenue, and she will gladly import from or to the Island as needed.
You can also select from other layer cakes which are available in 6-, 8- and 9-inch sizes including carrot, chocolate fudge, chocolate mousse, red velvet and more. She also carries an assortment of pies and cheesecake, as well as a variety of quiches. She has a thriving business baking wedding cakes and now you can design the top of your wedding cake and even have it monogrammed. Hometown also has some of the most creative cookies around packaged in baskets and buckets with a beach, wedding or other specialty theme.
Tutterow and her staff in both locations continue to supply many local restaurants, and the list is growing. They provide catering for office and home breakfast get togethers or parties with bite size sweets for upcoming Super Bowl, Valentine's Day and Easter events or for just about any type of party with just about anything.
So forget those New Year's resolutions, and visit Hometown Desserts on Manatee Avenue. Sit down one morning at one of the bistro tables, have a cup of coffee, a scone, cookie or a slice of cake and leave with a key lime coconut cake. I promise you, you'll be back and back and back.
HOMETOWN DESSERTS
5120 Manatee Ave. W.
Bradenton
941-896-9735
Monday – Saturday: 10a.m. – 6p.m.
Closed Sunday
All major credit cards accepted