Four Inane Questions with Morning Rounds Bakery’s Andrea Rainey
Photo Courtesy of Andrea Rainey
Andrea Rainey has spent nearly 20 years as a critical care RN, which basically makes her a professional adrenaline junkie. Now, she gets her kicks from something a little sweeter: dough that rises, butter that browns, and pastries that disappear faster than an ER doc can yell, “Stat!”
The Kansas City native (and self-proclaimed smart-mouth) just opened Morning Rounds Bakery last month. With its Crossroads-ish/Downtown-ish locale, it’s safe to say the city is now better for it.
Baking has always been her therapy—a way to breathe after long nights in the ICU. “Being a nurse has really defined me,” she says. “My closest friends are all nurses who I’ve been through hell and back with.” Now, she’s bringing that same grit—and a healthy dose of humor—to a space full of butter, frosting, and dreams finally coming true. (Order the cinnamon bliss-kit. Thank us later.)
As she mentions, her partner-in-crime is Remi, her 10-pound cavapoo. Her vibe? Equal parts meticulous and procrastinator. And her mission? To fill KC with flaky, glazed, unapologetically handmade pastries and gourmet coffee drinks.
We caught up with the maven of flour power to barrage her with our bonkers questionnaire. We also inhaled a still-warm ham and gruyere croissant that was to die for. (Uh, figuratively… not literally, healthcare professionals. Bless.)
Photo Courtesy of Andrea Rainey
The Pitch: What’s your all-time favorite Saturday Night Live sketch?
Andrea Rainey: Kristen Wiig’s tiny hands skit. Her character Dooneese makes me so damn uncomfortable, but I honestly can’t quit laughing either. Sometimes my friend will reenact it with my dog’s tiny paws just to see me squirm… and crack up!
If you were a jelly/jam flavor, what jelly/jam flavor would you be?
Probably some kind of classic fruit flavor mixed with an interesting herb or spice—like, say, strawberry basil. You can never go wrong with classic, but adding a little twist, a little something that feels “fancy,” takes it over the top. I like to think I’m a pretty lowkey person who can be fancy on occasion.
Shhhh… tell no one… but what’s your favorite secret skincare/beauty essential?
Butter & flour! Nah, I think staying hydrated and getting enough rest is huge! Since I don’t really do either of those things lately, I’m leaning into retinol and hyaluronic acid.
You’re writing a memoir. What’s a title that would get readers to buy your book?
Dough Not Resuscitate! Okay, okay… I ChatGPT’d some options, but I think this one is great. You get a behind-the-scenes view of some of the crazy, wild, unbelievable things I’ve experienced throughout my nursing career. That has led me to some rather dark humor at times and the realization that I needed a more lighthearted career path to transition to.
Bonus 5th Question: You can banish one karaoke song off the earth. What are ya choosin’?
Personally, I’d be OK if they banished karaoke itself off the earth. I’m certainly no good at it. Watching other people do it makes me pretty uncomfortable—and not in a funny-ha-ha, Kristin Wiig-kind of way.
