Bagels. Pastry. Coffee. Cookies. Artisan Breads. The new Del Sur Bakery is dream come true for many island residents—including owners Hernan and Victoria Stutzer, Alberto Llano and Lina Bareno. It was during one of the numerous trips between St. Simons Island and Miami during the remodel of their new restaurant, Del Sur Artisan Eats, when the idea for the bakery was born. Victoria says, “I was craving a really good cup of coffee, and thinking about how nice it would be to grab a cup at a bakery, when I turned to Hernan and said, ‘St. Simons doesn’t have a bakery!’ And then the wheels started turning.” She explains that in Miami they’re used to having a bakery/coffee shop with fresh breads and bagels, and cases filled with tempting treats open from morning to night on just about every corner. With a little research, they discovered that no one was really filling that niche here.
And so, less than a year after opening the doors to Del Sur, the Stutzers, with partners Llano and Bareno, are now busy operating a Miami-style bakery built on the same philosophy as their restaurant: unique fresh and flavorful products that are hand-made using high quality ingredients and age-old artisan techniques.
The Del Sur team: Lina Bareno, Alberto Llano, Hernan and Victoria Stutzer
Hernan explains that everything is made from scratch. They have a baker that comes in from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. to make the donuts, breads, and bagels (using what must be the biggest mixer on the island!) and a pastry chef that comes in at 3:00 a.m. to make pastries, sweets, and any special order cakes. The bagels are the real deal: dough is made from scratch and boiled – no frozen dough baked in the oven! The pastry selections in the bakery cases have something for everyone, from profiteroles to red velvet cake, chaja to cheesecake, crème brulée to chocolate chip cookies. There are even chocolate-dipped strawberries! No sweet tooth will go unsatisfied.
If you aren’t in the mood for sweets, however, there are plenty of savory options as well. Empanadas are made fresh daily with the flaky, golden pastry filled with your choice of lamb, chicken, beef, spinach, or ham and cheese. For more sophisticated palates, they try other flavor combinations like brandied onions and pancetta, and leek, cheese, and bacon as well. Hernan says the empanadas are one of the bakery’s best-selling items. There are also sandwiches, roasted vegetables, marinated olives, cous cous, chicken, pasta, and caprese salads, and Spanish tortilla in both potato and spinach versions. If a healthy breakfast is what you need, try the fruit, yogurt and granola parfaits. The flavor-infused water is popular too, with citrus, pineapple, and cucumber basil being some of the available choices.
The Del Sur house brand coffee is something of which the Stutzers and Llano are especially proud. Hernan and Alberto explain they worked with Wake Up Coffee, doing tastings, to find the perfect blend and grind. They chose a mix of Peruvian and Costa Rican beans as the bakery’s exclusive in-house blend. You can enjoy a cup while you sit in the cozy chairs inside the bakery or bask in the sun of their courtyard or you can grab a bag to enjoy at home.
Other Del Sur brand products are available for sale as well, like the decadent Dulce de Leche caramel spread that is a filling in several of the pastries, Chimichurri steak sauce, and Salsa Criolla. You'll also find a selection of Golden Isles Olive Oil and Savannah Bee Company products.
The bakery offers a nice array of wine from small production vineyards as well. For a ready-made romantic picnic at the beach, pick up a bottle, a baguette, some roasted veggies, olives, and your favorite treat for dessert. If you’re planning a party, call the bakery for dessert trays or special order cakes and pastries, and choose some wine when you pick up your order.
Now Victoria has her Miami-style bakery with excellent coffee, and it seems she wasn’t the only one with that dream. The bakery buzzes with customers daily. Alberto says, “We have people who come in here multiple times a day.” That’s understandable; whether you want breakfast, a light lunch or dinner, an after-school treat or dessert, the bakery has selections for every palate. Stop in today, if you haven’t already; you’ll be glad you did.
Del Sur Bakery is located at 539 Ocean Boulevard. They are open 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Visit their website at delsurbakery.com and follow them on Facebook to see daily specials and featured items. For special orders, call 912.638.8080.
