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The French phrase "aux delices" translates to "all the wonderful things in life." Which is exactly what Debra Ponzek and her husband, Gregory Addonzio, had in mind when they opened Aux Delices in 1995 to share their love of food with their customers.
Ponzek, an internationally acclaimed chef and cookbook author, also wanted to give adults and children an outlet for their culinary creativity and opened the Aux Delices Cooking School at their main bakery in Stamford. "People are always looking for another venue for their kids to do something, and cooking is just like anything else," Ponzek said. "Parents want their kids to learn piano and art, and cooking class is a great place for kids to have fun and make a mess."
Ponzek, who balances three stores and three children, said she is always going through the checks and balances of the quality of their food. "We wanted to bring interesting things to our customers, but not something that is so far out there like chestnut jam," Ponzek said. "Over the years we have changed the mix a little bit to get things that are a little bit unique. I think we now suit what everyone is looking for."
Aux Delices recently celebrated its 15-year anniversary of selling finely crafted specialty foods and freshly baked desserts. "I always wanted to open a prepared food store. The natural step for most chefs in New York was to open their own restaurants, and it just didn't seem like the right thing to do for me," Ponzek said.
As far as expanding beyond the three stores in Greenwich Riverside and Darien and their catering, Ponzek said they are casually looking for new opportunities but are not under pressure to start something.
For more information about the cooking classes, email Lynn Manheim at lynn.manheim@auxdelicesfoods.com or visit the website.
Have ever taken a cooking class with Aux Delices? Tell us below what it is like!
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