It’s official. Following a Wednesday soft opening for family and friends, Matilda Bakehouse will open its doors to the public at 7 a.m. on Friday, April 12 at the Fox Point Shops at 6874 N. Santa Monica Blvd.
The bakery, operated by the mother-daughter duo Pastry Chef Allie Fisher and Julie Howard, is a dream come true for the duo who launched the bakery as a cottage business in 2020, gleaning exposure with online sales and appearances at local farmers markets and pop-ups. [Read more]
Four years later, the two have created a welcoming shop where guests can pop in for a cup of coffee and a pastry or purchase both individually sized treats or full-sized pies, cakes, and other items to enjoy at home.
The bakery is welcoming and bright with sage-toned walls, black accents, hints of rustic charm and (on a wall just beyond the bakery case) a series of whimsical croissants painted by Fisher herself.
A spacious seating area, equipped with both traditional tables and soft lounge-style seating – allows guests to enjoy their purchased treats and socialize with friends.
Fisher says that, moving forward, she’ll also be excited to debut a large painted wall canvas created by Nate Knuth and fellow pastry chef Sarah Kellery. The painting, she says, will be a whimsical work depicting origin story of the bakery.
On the menu
This weekend, guests can expect the bakery to be stocked with customer favorites including plain, almond and “Everything” croissants; pan au chocolat; cinnamon knots; strawberry rolls; orange-spiced monkey bread and fruit-based Danish. Even more, there will be steaming cups of Anodyne coffee, espresso-based drinks and cold brew to enjoy alongside.
“I’m so excited to have refrigeration! And a pastry case! It makes me feel like I’m a pastry chef again,” says Fisher as she describes the opening slate of offerings at the new bakery.
“We’ll have all sorts of good things for people to try,” she says, “But I’m really the most excited about some of the ‘extra good’ things.”
Those ‘extra good’ things include offerings like individual chocolate caramel and lemon meringue tarts and carrot cake, available by the slice or as a whole cake.
She says she’s also excited about several items that are gluten-free friendly, including 4” filled vanilla and raspberry macarons; passionfruit pots de creme and chocolate mousse cake featuring a base of flourless chocolate cake with chocolate mousse and chocolate ganache.
“This is all so surreal,” Fisher says. “I’m nervous and terrified, but also really excited. I’m also really proud of us… We’ve worked really hard for the last several years, and so it feels really good to know we made it.”
Beginning on Friday, April 12, Matilda Bakehouse will be open Wednesday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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