Dessert brings Euro panache

Business beat

By Marijke Rowland

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Sample the delicacies of a European bakery without leaving Modesto.

The new bakery Dessert, 3025 McHenry Ave., Suite E, opened in February offering a selection of cakes and pastries from French, Italian, German, Russian and more.

Husband-and-wife owners Vahan Kamalyan and Svetlana Avetisyan emigrated from Armenia seven years ago.

They opened the European bakery, which had a belated grand opening celebration last month, to help bring hard-to-find European desserts to the area.

Vahan Kamalyan ran food businesses, in Armenia and his mother serves as the new shop's head baker.

The bakery has a small seating area where people can order, drink coffee, and eat pastries and tortes.

Customers can special-order cakes and desserts including honey cakes, napoleons, éclairs, cannolis, trifle and more.

"Customers are excited because we are a little different," Avetisyan said. "It is more European; a little less sweet."

Dessert, at Rumble and McHenry behind F&M Bank, is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. For more, call 529-1707.

Elsewhere around the Business Beat:

Enjoy pizza with a Middle Eastern twist at the new Milano Pizza and Greek in north Modesto.

The pizzeria, owned by Sam Waziri and run with his brother Mo, offers pizzas, hot sandwiches, gyros and kabobs.

The brothers emigrated from Afghanistan in 1982. Sam Waziri lived in New York for 20 years and recently moved here.

This is his third Milano Pizza and Greek location. The first was opened in Manteca a year and a half ago with another in Tracy.

They serve traditional and specialty pizzas, including the popular chicken pesto and Afghan style with kabob. All the food is halal, following Islamic law.

Milano Pizza and Greek, 2900 Standiford Ave., No. 13, has dine-in seating, delivery and takeout. It is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday to Saturday.

For more, call 522-5555.

Celebrate 25 years with St. Stan's Brewing Company on Saturday.

The anniversary event will feature an outdoor carnival, live music, lobster feed and brewery tours.

It is also the grand opening of its beer tasting room, dubbed The Cellar.

Owners Jim Nell and Susan Little-Nell said the microbrewery, the seventh-oldest in California, is often confused with the adjoining restaurant, Hero's Sports Bar & Pizza Lounge.

The downtown Modesto brewery recently added an outdoor entrance. There will be no entry from Hero's to St. Stan's during the event.

The event is from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot. Admission is free; lobster tickets are $15.

The Cellar is open 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday through Friday and noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For more, call 606-2337.

And finally, Modesto Exotic Flowers, 3501 McHenry Ave., has expanded its offerings to include sweets.

The north Modesto flower shop carries some 90 kinds of candy and imported chocolates that can be made into gift baskets or included with bouquets.

For more, call 521-3800.

Have an item for Business Beat? Contact Marijke Rowland at The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 5256, Modesto 95352; 578-2284 or mrowland@modbee.com.