Three's Company

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“Memory Makers Who Happen to Be Bakers,” is the phrase the team over at Three Brothers Bakery likes to say of their five-generation-old (hey, you don’t look a day over 20!) bakery. They’re not focused on trends here in the Houston staple, the bakers are doing things the way they were done more than 60 years ago. And it’s working for them.




With a history that traces back to World War II-era Poland, Three Brothers Bakery has been making and baking memories using cherished family recipes that survived even through the Holocaust. The European era of the family bakery ended when Sigmund and Sol (two of the three brothers) were 19 years old, and in 1941,  the family was sent to Nazi concentration camps. On Liberation Day, Sigmund, Sol, Max and their sister were lucky survivors of a reign of brutality. And in May of 1949, after moving to the States, the brothers followed in their roots and opened Three Brothers Bakery in Houston, Texas.

From creative, custom cakes and award-winning pies—we tried a decadent apple pie, but more on that later—to bread, danishes and pastries, Three Brothers stays true to their roots, scratch-baking products daily using high-quality, flavorful ingredients. And although we’re gawking at the sweet American treats like the cakes, cookies and pies, Three Brothers really excels with their European baked goods such as challah, Kaiser rolls, rye bread and more.

But back to the apple pie. Theirs is filled with homemade cinnamon apples and features a beautiful lattice work top that’s sprinkled with crystallized sugar for a delicious, crunchy finish. The flaky crust is super indulgent and buttery, and I will make it a point to stop in for another slice (or two, or just a whole pie) next time I’m in the Lone Star State.
 

So you can’t make it to Houston? No worries—although they cannot ship obvious sweets like highly decorated cakes and tiered cakes, much of their menu is available to be shipped across the country with over night delivery.   
-Megan O'Neill
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Bartender's Corner: A look into the beer and spirit industry

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[Trademasters] 
Profiling the leaders of the pack

By Sam Ujvary
Meredith Barry | Ombra

Every once in a while, a bartender comes along who just really knows their stuff. In this case, it's Meredith Barry from Ombra in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood. With an extensive history in the hospitality industry, she's worked every iteration of a bar—from country to night clubs, working her way over to Ombra. Currently, not only does she conceptualize the creative drink menu, but she perpetually impresses customers. So much so, that she's getting recognition and her own reviews on the restaurant's Yelp page.
"I believe in the following: you can work a job, or immerse yourself in a passion—I follow my passions," she says. She's inspired by a great bar selection, and has developed a cocktail based on a salad she read about with artichokes, mint, lemon and pistachios. The Eva d'Bronte was created from the idea of that salad, and named after her Sicilian great-grandmother (Eva) and an area in Sicily where pistachios are grown (Bronte).
Together with her desire to excel in craft cocktail-making, her knowledge of the business and professional peers to motivate her, Meredith is quickly establishing her valuable place in the industry.


Eva d’ Bronte:

2 ounces Dumante Pistachio Liqueur
1 ounce Cynar
1 ounce lemon juice
4 to 5 mint leaves

Gently muddle mint. Place all ingredients in Shaker with ice. Roll cocktail. Strain into rocks glass with ice. Garnish with lemon twist and mint sprig.

Here's to you.
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