Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
THE NEWS
Although it’s easy to miss, this spot in South City serves up some of the St. Louis area’s very best baked goods.
CHEF'S CREDS
Christy Augustin trained in pastry at Florida Culinary Institute (now Lincoln Culinary Institute) and recently taught patisserie at Le Cordon Bleu here in St. Peters.
SPECIALTIES
Pint Size makes savory scones, hearty breakfast cookies, salted caramel croissants, oatmeal cream pies, BLT savory muffins, frangipane tea cakes… About those croissants: The dough is rolled by hand and folded with sea salt and sugar that caramelizes as it bakes. There’s a Saturday-morning queue out the door when they are made.
THE MOTTO
“Small batch—from scratch—fresh daily” means go early. While baking goes on all day, once a product is sold out, it’s gone. And don’t forget that all large orders need to be called in ahead of pickup time.
STAFF
There are three full-time bakers, with a smattering of part-time counter help.
THE CHEF SPEAKS
“You always wonder how fresh things are if they are always available,” Augustin says. “And when people come in and get the last cupcake, they feel lucky. It keeps things special.”
DETAILS
3825 Watson, 314-645-7142, pintsizebakery.com.
8 a.m.–3 p.m. Sat, 7 a.m.–3 p.m. Tue–Fri.
FROM PIZZA TO PASTRY
Pint Size shares a parking lot with Pietro’s, but the building has a long and storied restaurant history, starting as the Sure-way drive-in before turning into one of the area’s first pizza places, owned and run by the Ranzini family. Then it was a Cecil Whittaker’s Pizza before becoming Bono’s. Once you’re inside Pint Size, take note of the counter, made out of recycled bowling-alley lanes, and the pendant lights, made out of vintage blue glass half-gallon Ball Mason jars. —C.M.
