d’Bronx has its own house baker, Alvero Medina

Last month, The Pitch ran a story about how few local restaurants could afford to employ a staff pastry chef, and that many new restaurants bought their desserts from commissary kitchens or big-box stores, like Costco. The dining spot that surprised us for having its own in-house baking program was d’Bronx Authentic Deli and Pizzeria, the locally owned chain of four popular metrowide pizzeria/delicatessens. (The original venue is still at 3904 Bell; the others are at Crown Center, in Mission and in Overland Park.) 

When Don Foringer purchased d’Bronx from its founders, Robert and Janet Bloom, in 2005, he says very few of the signature desserts were made by the culinary staff; the cheesecake and apple pie were made in-house, but some of the sweets were outsourced.

All outsourcing ended, Foringer says, immediately after he opened the Overland Park location at 7010 West 105th Street (in the former Hannah Bistro location) and created a fully equipped house bakery to supply all of the d’Bronx restaurants. To oversee the bakery, Foringer hired longtime Hy-Vee baker Alvero Medina to create a full range of standard desserts (cheesecakes, pies, layer cakes) and seasonal desserts — lemon cookies during the summer and maple sugar cookies or pumpkin bars during autumn, for example.

“Alvero is incredibly talented,” Foringer says. “He understands quality, understands the volume we need to have to keep everyone satisfied, and is the kindest and easiest person to work with. He helps all of us stay centered.”

Medina is best known for his pastries at the four area d’Bronx restaurants — his tart, summery lemon chess pie is one of the most delicious offerings among the current dessert list — but he’s also responsible for making the chicken tortilla soup and clam chowder for the restaurants.

“I was always interested in baking,” Medina says, “for as long as I can remember. I like getting immediate gratification for the work I do.”

“I can’t imagine ever having our desserts made anywhere but here,” Foringer says. “Our brand is to evoke a New York-style delicatessen, and high-quality desserts is part of that perception. It’s part of what keeps d’Bronx a classic.”