It has been a busy week with Isabel, so not a lot of time to write. However, I have been eager to tell you about a great discovery.
One afternoon Bill and I were walking along Main Street in lovely Old St. Charles
when we glanced up to see this sign.
Perfect!
Isabel's nursing staff at her new St. Charles residence had been particularly helpful and I'd been trying to think of a way to thank them.
As soon as we walked in the door, I knew we could find the perfect gift among all this yumminess.
What to choose?
Cake?
 |
Pie?
Fresh Italian cookies?
Hand dipped chocolates?
Everything made right here on site.
I liked Noto's right away: Italian Opera playing quietly in the background,
family pictures on the wall
in an old building in an historic part of town.
With scenes of Italy all around Bill and I talked about Isabel's progress over a cup of tea and some dainty cookies.
We even talked with J. Noto himself.
What a great story: When Mr. Noto was 20 years old he decided to open a bakery. His sister, Janice, decorated cakes, why not buy a bakery?
(I love that sort of energetic optimism.)
So they bought a little place called Spanish Lake Donuts on Bellefontaine Rd. in North County.
"But you were 20 years old....how did you know what to do?!", I queried. Some great St. Louis bakers like Mr. Bommarito and Werner Knoll came along side this young man and taught him all he needed to know. They came to his kitchen and shared their many secrets of great Italian and German baking.
A few years and a lot of learning later the Notos moved to Florissant as a full service bakery with all manner of breads as well as donuts, cakes and cookies.
Everything was great until the late 70's when supermarkets opened bakeries within their stores.
The convenience was irresistible for many of us and these small bakeries were forced to close their doors one by one. For the Notos life was in one of those sad times, Janice had been very sick with Lupus and had died a few years earlier. Without a loyal customer base in their neighborhood, it was time to put this dream to rest for a while.
But the good news for us is Jasper Noto tried again. He opened a specialty bakery in 1997 on Main Street in St. Charles.
Now he works with his Mother and lovely daughters. The chocolates are created by Courtney and Kendele has continued her aunt's tradition by decorating amazing cakes.
His mother, Florence, is there to help out wherever needed.
The Notos have always been active in support of various community needs. From the earliest days they made hundreds of loaves of bread to give the Church to be blessed for St. Joseph's feast day. Now they donate baked goods to help raise funds for Lydia House and a shelter for abused children in St. Charles.
What a day! We had met a great family, enjoyed a perfectly delicate cookie and found a beautiful tray of cookies to thank Isabel's hard working staff.
Several of us have been back to J Noto's since that first visit. Each time we return Jasper greets us warmly, inquires about Isabel and asks about the play Will, Lindi and Micha were practicing.
We are touched by his thoughtfulness and remember again the advantage of kindness that comes with shopping local.
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