The pop-up bakery café at Culinary Institute of America’s Savor offers a compelling menu and pitch: Come try a pastry prepared by a future top chef.
From the almond raspberry croissant to the empanada with manchego cheese and guava, the bakery serves a delectable array of sweet and savory treats, all produced by student-chefs, brimming with award-winning promise.
Consider Sofia Tejeda, a 2018 graduate of CIA’s bakery program. In 2022, she earned a James Beard nomination. In 2022 and 2023, the Texas Chefs Association named her the state’s Pastry Chef of the Year.
“The CIA taught me all the fundamentals I needed to succeed in the industry,” said Tejeda, executive pastry chef at InterContinental San Antonio Riverwalk. “They teach you the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ behind every ingredient and technique so you can tackle any issue in the kitchen.”
Under the supervision of top flight instructors, such as master baker Alain Dubernard, the CIA bakery opens for a limited time each spring. Student chefs are serving Tuesday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. through April 16.
The bakery’s top-seller is the croissant breakfast sandwich, a tasty offering of thick cut bacon, smoked tomato jam, soft scrambled eggs and baby kale with saffron aioli, served with breakfast potatoes.
“Even though it is closed most of the year, the CIA bakery café has a long and loyal customer list,” said Jose Frade, CIA’s associate dean of degree programs. “The spring semester is considered the sweetest time at the CIA San Antonio campus.”
Tejeda landed her first job with James Beard nominated chef Andrew Weissman before even graduating from the CIA. A server at a Weissman-run restaurant recognized Tejeda as she celebrated a birthday dinner. The server shared Tejeda’s Instagram profile with the sous chef, who dropped off dessert and asked Tejeda if she’d be interested in the lead pastry position.
“I had an interview the next day,” Tejeda said, “and got the job.”
Other CIA bakery alumni include Grecia Ramos, pastry chef at 2M Smokehouse and her own boutique bakery Baked in Castroville, Felicia Miranda, pastry chef at Cakes by Felicia, and Diana Nadira, co-owner at Passiflora Cakes & Cookies in Houston.
Tejeda is perhaps the most decorated graduate of the CIA baking program. In 2023, she was named a UNESCO chef ambassador. Grateful for her schooling, she returns to the CIA to observe and try new and old offerings.
“I just love going back and tasting the things we used to make in culinary school,” Tejeda said. “It’s one of the best culinary schools in the world.”
