Daughter, mother open Cielo Bakery on NW Blvd.

Thu., March 9, 2006

By Lisa Leinberger lisal@spokesman.com (509) 459-5449

Tucked away on Northwest Boulevard near a tire store and a tax preparation place, you’ll find a little slice of heaven.

Cielo Bakery, which means “sky” or “heaven” in Spanish, has been serving the neighborhood cookies, cakes and whoopie pies since it opened Jan. 3.

Owners Erica Teague and her mother, Sue Teague, are second- and third-generation bakery owners. Sue’s parents own the Donut Parade on North Hamilton Street.

The two have always seen food as a gift and enjoy making friends and family happy by cooking for them.

“We love to bake so much at home,” said Sue.

That love turned into Cielo, 1908 W. Northwest Blvd., after Erica, a graduate of Whitworth College with a degree in Spanish, decided to attend the Culinary Institute of America in California’s Napa Valley.

“I never thought I could bake professionally,” Erica said.

Erica took the school’s 30-week baking and pastry program that included a three-week crash course in business.

When she returned to Spokane, she and her mother began scouting out locations.

Now the two are working 10- to 15-hour days and employ three people. They don’t skimp on the ingredients and use real butter and Belgian chocolate.

“We eat a lot of it,” said Sue.

Erica comes in early to bake the muffins and scones and usually saves the afternoon for making brownies and her favorite item on the menu, key lime bars.

The bakery, which also serves muffin tops, peanut butter and jelly bars, cinnamon rolls and fruit-filled “Kringles,” brews Doma Coffee and Mighty Leaf Tea. One of the store’s top sellers is the whoopie pie, kind of a chocolate cookie sandwich filled with marshmallow cream.

Blue and gold star-studded tables fill the seating area, and suns and moons reflect the bakery’s name. There also is seating outside the front doors in case dog walkers stop by for a coffee.

“It’s the best coffee place on the North Side,” said regular customer Jason Soucinek.

Cielo Bakery is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

It can be reached at 327-1429.

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