Little more than five months after opening Aroa Fine Chocolate, which he often described as the fulfillment of a lifelong dream, Alejandro Luna has abruptly left the shop. Not surprisingly, it doesn’t sound like a friendly split. Store manager Brittany Hagan confirmed Luna’s departure, stating, “Alejandro was offered a job and is leaving the country for it.”

“Not really, no,” says Luna, when contacted about Hagan’s statement. “It was a series of unfortunate events. I worked really hard to put the business together and me and my business partners had, I guess you could say a ‘difference of opinion.’ So I decided to part ways.” (more…)

Two good reasons why you should be glad to be living in Boston this week (aside from the fact that it’s been, what, five days since the last thunderstorm?):

1) Yesterday marked the opening of Ana Sortun and Maureen Kilpatrick’s long-awaited bakery/cafe Sofra (the name in both Turkish and Arabic, signifies a picnic or a sort of communal table) on the Cambridge/Belmont/Watertown line.

The concept had us from the start: The same Greek/Turkish/Lebanese flavors of Sortun’s award-winning Oleana (where Kilpatrick—also a repeat winner—is pastry chef), only with a more casual spin. And maybe less trouble nabbing a table?

Fat chance. (more…)

While Boston editors hail from all over, a disproportionate number of us seem to reside in JP. Land of ridiculously cheap, absurdly good Latin food, sustainably cool vegetarian-ish eateries, the Sam Adams brewery, several legendary Irish pubs, mysterious chicken smells, and perhaps the coolest indie grocery store around: That JP. But few people realize that the neighborhood plays host to another little gem: Ula Cafe, located in the Brewery loft complex on Amory Street.

Working as a freelance writer, I spent the good part of 2007 using Ula as my office. (Thanks for the free WiFi, guys!). I’ve eaten practically every pastry they make (though they’re always coming up with seasonal additions, like fresh strawberry scones) and devoured every sandwich on the menu. Let’s just say that after a few months of this, I had to buy new clothes—and a scale.

So, when managing editor and fellow Chowder blogger Jenn Johnson mentioned last week that she’d dropped by for the first time, I just about screeched, “You’re just learning about this now??” Consider yourself informed. (more…)

When Tatte Fine Cookies & Cakes took over the former Savoy French Bakery spot on Beacon Street this spring, neighbors had to wonder about the void left by beloved baguettes. Turns out, it’s a void best filled with nuts—pecans, hazelnuts, pistachios, almonds, and cashews, to be precise.

They’re the backbone of owner Tzurit Or’s upscale butter cookies, biscotti, brioches, and tarts, a lineup inspired by her mother Tatte’s family recipes. If only we’d grown up eating sweets like this. (more…)

On Saturday morning, I’m going to wake up at the crack of dawn, pack a bag with a brunch-appropriate get-up, and jump on the 8:15 Acela train from Back Bay to Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station. Then hitch a ride back to Boston Sunday night. All for—you guessed it—my mom.

Because, in case you’ve forgotten, Sunday is Mother’s Day. And even living 300 miles away doesn’t excuse you from the responsibilities that come with the ultimate of Gold Crown holidays.

But, if for some reason you can’t make it home, there is a more convenient alternative: sending sugary wishes via the Harvard Sweet Boutique. Created by Harvard resident Sue George, this e-bakery will craft mom the melt-in-your-mouth cookies, brownies, and toffee you wish you had time to make yourself—then wrap them in adorable packaging and ship them off in less time than it will take you to travel home and back. (more…)

I love bran muffins. I always have. But all bran muffins are not created equal. Many are too sugary, and most are too dense. So when I moved to the South End and adopted Flour Bakery as my cafeteria a year and a half ago, it was love at first bite between me and their seed-covered bran offerings. They were light but hearty, with raisins inside, and a mix of seeds on top, which lent additional earthiness to the recipe. Even when it was snowing, I woke up early and trekked the four blocks to Flour to get my hands on a lovely bran muffin before they sold out—yes, they were very hot items.

But one day, I arrived at the bakery before 9 a.m., and not a single muffin was in sight. The bran fell off the map, only to be replaced by a cheap, less healthy substitute that tasted more like carrot cake and was called the Morning Glory. For a full year, I asked, I begged, I pleaded to the staff to please bring back the bran.

(more…)