Finding the sweet spot

Greer Wylder

Mark Stark can talk cinnamon rolls all day long. There’s the critical

blending of custom cinnamon sugar. Flaky verses soft rolls. What

makes the center so warm, gooey and moist. Chemical reactions that

caramelize sugar, and principles behind various icings. Stark won’t

divulge the magic formula of cinnamon sugar and icing that he says

makes Cinnamon Roll Faire’s buns so spectacular. Yet as terrific as

those buns are, Balboa Island’s cognoscenti aren’t lured into this

tiny bakery just by the aroma of fresh baked cinnamon rolls wafting

down Marine Avenue. They’re there for an array of warm baked

delights.

Stark, a master baker, trained at the California Culinary Academy

in San Francisco and then was a pastry chef for Wolfgang Puck at the

original Spago in Hollywood. He’s also trained with French pastry

chef Michele Richard at his patisserie on South Robertson in Los

Angeles and helped open the cafe Barney Greengrass at Barneys New

York in Beverly Hills. Even before the Getty Center opened, he was

hired as the head pastry chef, a job that required Stark to oversee

the bakery side of the Getty’s five restaurants.

Five years ago Stark bought Cinnamon Roll Faire on Balboa Island.

The established bakery chain once had 14 locations; now there’s only

one other independently owned location on Maui. Stark carries on the

former owners’ time-tested cinnamon roll recipes -- six varieties,

including hard-to-tell-they’re-fat-free cinnamon rolls, old fashioned

pecan cinnamon rolls, original cinnamon rolls, raisin cinnamon, and

sounds-slightly-sickening strawberry cinnamon rolls. The prices range

from $3.25 to $3.75. There are even cinnamon roll chips, and

take-and-bake rolls. And Stark expanded his repertoire of recipes

with about every sweet, delicious pastry imaginable.

Stark bakes small, crisp ginger snaps, made with fresh ginger. At

the Orange County Fair they placed first in the cookie contest and

received a blue ribbon (four for $1). He makes the East Coast classic

black-and-white cookie, delicately frosted half-chocolate and

half-vanilla (two for $1). His incredible sweet cream cheese pocket

($2) recipe came from a San Francisco pastry chef. His walnut-orange

biscotti are a Hungarian recipe (two for $1). Other specialties

include flaky cinnamon and chocolate twists ($1.75); gingerbread boys

and girls ($1.25); fresh coconut and chocolate-dipped macaroons

($1.25); large peanut butter cookies made with fresh chunky peanuts

and fresh peanut butter ($1.25); and chocolate chip cookies (four for

$1). Custom wedding and party cakes, pies and tarts are also

available.

The bakery is Stark’s one-man show. He’s the only employee. He

arrives at 4 a.m., preparing for an 7 a.m. opening, five days a week.

His galley kitchen fits inside a claustrophobic 500-square-foot shop.

The cramped space doesn’t bother Stark. “Pastry chefs are used to not

having enough space in kitchens.” Stark adores baking, and as with

most bakers, he can’t cook -- he has no interest and can’t stand the

thought of touching uncooked meats. “I love baking,” says Stark.

“Creating, making something somebody enjoys and working with raw

ingredients.” Stark admits that measuring ingredients by weights,

rather than cups, is one edge professional bakers have over home

bakers. And that patience is a necessity.

Cinnamon Roll Faire offers the best home-made cinnamon rolls and

other delicious treats. It’s an island treasure thanks to its gifted

baker, Mark Stark.

The Faire serves Diedrich coffee and espresso drinks.

* BEST BITES runs every Friday. Greer Wylder can be reached at

[email protected]; at 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; or by

fax at (949) 646-4170.