Get That Bread
Austin baker behind Michelin-starred Pasta Bar whisks up to-go outpost stocking fine dining favorites
Margarita Kallas-Lee's famous 58-year sourdough loaves will soon be available over-the-counter.
Margarita Kallas-Lee is half of one of Austin's top culinary power couples. She and her husband, Phillip Frankland Lee, run Michelin-starred restaurants Sushi by Scratch and Pasta Bar in California, but clones of both experiences are here (in the Michelin-less no man's land of Texas, where the pair is based).
For the first time in this partnership, Kallas-Lee is going to be the only chef in the spotlight. Wolf and Wheat, a "dessert shop and commissary" coming to East Austin this fall (1009 East 6th Street), takes some of the baker's greatest hits from fine dining restaurants, and brings them together with new recipes in a takeout space.
One of the shop's biggest priorities is making these bakes more accessible, without requiring a multi-course meal. For instance, her perfect sourdough (and we don't use that superlative lightly) is a highlight at Pasta Bar, where it stands as its own course out of 11 with a little scoop of cultured butter.
Earthy and not too sour — despite the 58 years the starter has been fermenting — pillowy inside with a soft, even crust, it is what any Austinite would be lucky to have for breakfast, were it acceptable to show up and beg for it hours before Pasta Bar even opens. When Wolf and Wheat arrives, this star menu item (and the butter, too) will surely be the most obvious draw.
Visitors may also recognize the makrut (lime) ice cream bon bons from Sushi by Scratch, made with roasted white sesame shortbread and a white chocolate and matcha coconut shell. New items include gluten-free buckwheat brownies inspired by Kallas-Lee's childhood in Latvia, and an oolong tiramisu that pays homage to the tea houses the couple visited in Thailand when she was pregnant for the first time.
The personal element is front-and-center in this probably bustling to-go haven. This being the team's main workshop, they'll be doing prep work and baking the goods onsite, as well as testing new recipes. Guests can even watch them work and get to know them when they have a moment to chat.
This is similar to the chef's table-style experience at Sushi by Scratch and Pasta Bar, if much faster paced. Although there won't be any seating, there will be a counter to lean against and to place "goodies" — to use Kallas-Lee's joyful lunchroom word — while chatting and watching the team at work.
While this dedicated bakery will be great for fans of Kallas-Lee's treats, it's not just practicality for customers that drives this new venture. The couple committed to living full-time in Austin in 2020, and this was the baker's chance to bring her team with her.
"I’m most proud to give my team the chance to have their own space to make all of our goods, and a dedicated space for creativity and recipe tasting all together," writes Kallas Lee in an email to CultureMap. "I’m proud to make this fun creative space for my team and myself."
Of course, Frankland Lee is still providing support. His involvement is implied in the name, borrowed from their catering business 12 years ago, Wolf Cuisine.
"Phillip and I work on all of the restaurants and programming together as partners," writes Kallas-Lee. "We are always bouncing ideas back and forth off each other for both the savory and sweet menus at our restaurants."
Check for more information as it becomes available at scratchrestaurants.com. (And don't worry — CultureMap will remind you when it's time to check out the store in person.)
