Bakery

Not even halfway into its premiere season, the reality show Ace of Cakes has been picked up by the Food Network for a second season based on its impressive ratings and appeal of its star, Baltimore cake maker Duff Goldman. The show, which is centered on Goldman's bakery, Charm City Cakes, has become one of the Food Network's top five shows and debuted last month to an audience of 1.7 million viewers. The cable channel has ordered 13 more episodes for a second season to begin in January.

Fisher's Bakery, 8143 Main St., Ellicott City, has changed its name to "Sweet. A bakery & cafe." The bakery will concentrate on custom wedding and other party cakes, catering, and a cafe and deli business for tourists, residents and workers in the historic district. The bakery will remain partially open during the first week of January, when some minor renovations are planned. The Web site, www.fishers bakery.com, will refer customers to a new site, www.sweet bakerycafe.com. 410-461-9275 The owner, Ellicott City resident Christopher J. Sikora, purchased the bakery from the Fisher family about two years ago. Norbel student gets award for collage Mai-Phuong Trinh, a student at Norbel School in Elkridge, was the recipient of the Maryland Art Education Association award for her paper collage.

Ottenberg Bakery President Lee Ottenberg has announced that the 124-year-old family-owned business has purchased a 3 1/2 -acre site at the Eldersburg Business Center adjacent to Route 32.The Washington-based company plans to consolidate its Owings Mills operations into a new 25,000-square-foot building at the Eldersburg site."

In 1960, Heinz Luesse told his wife he'd like to go to the United States "for a couple years, for an adventure" before they settled down in his native Germany.So far, the adventure has lasted 36 years.In the latest chapter, Mr. Luesse is retiring from the bakery he has owned for nearly 24 years at the corner of West Main and John streets in downtown Westminster. He is selling the Hummel figures and Steinbach miniature ornaments and beer steins that have been a sideline. The sign, "Heinz Cake & Gift Haus" will come down.

Here's a list of bread sources food experts recommend. The choices range from bakeries in the Baltimore area to those convenient when visiting Washington or Annapolis.Bakery at the Broadway Market, in Fells Point has a wide selection -- from traditional breads to specialty breads like Mamma Mia bread (sundried tomatoes and mozzarella), and Arista bread (feta cheese and black olives). Open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays and Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays.

In 1960, Heinz Luesse told his wife he'd like to go to the United States "for a couple years, for an adventure" before they settled down in his native Germany.So far, the adventure has lasted 36 years.In the latest chapter, Mr. Luesse is retiring from the bakery he has owned for nearly 24 years at the corner of West Main and John streets in downtown Westminster. He is selling the Hummel figures and Steinbach miniature ornaments and beer steins that have been a sideline. The sign, "Heinz Cake & Gift Haus" will come down.

Once again, the back room of the Catonsville Bakery & Delicatessen is alive with the sugary business of sweets. Sacks of flour line the walls, and nimble hands knead bowls of smooth dough until fruit-filled pinwheels and other pastries take shape.Fourteen months after an electrical fire devastated the 50-year-old western Edmondson Avenue landmark, the bakery will reopen tomorrow.The long road back -- marked by a bitter feud with insurance adjusters -- has taken a toll on the small bakery's owners.

Harry J. Herman Sr., a Southeast Baltimore baker who expanded a corner Canton shop into a business with more than $2 million in annual sales, died of cancer Friday at the Gilchrist Center for Hospice Care in Towson. The Homeland resident was 85. He was known for his variation on strawberry shortcake, in which he broke with custom and substituted a sweet yellow layer cake for traditional shortcake. His version caught on, as did his belief in bakery branches in neighborhoods -- and later shopping malls -- where he saw his customers moving.

Leidig's, a popular county bakery for 45 years, filed last week for bankruptcy protection to restructure its debt.The bakery plans to close its Columbia store in the Long Reach Village Center at the end of this month. But company president Dan D'Alonzo said he hopes to transfer the store's six employees to the Main Street bakery in Ellicott City.D'Alonzo said the company has no plans to close down or start cutting corners."We're not going anywhere, Leidig's has been around for a lot of years and we intend to stay here," D'Alonzo said.

EVEN AS John Paterakis Sr. continues to build his Inner Harbor East dream around the new Marriott hotel, he is preparing for the next chapter: Relocation of his H&S Bakery Inc. from his increasingly valuable land near the waterfront. That's what the hectic construction at 3800 E. Baltimore St. is all about. A new $18 million roll bakery is rising on a 13-acre parcel once occupied by the Esskay meat processing plant. Eventually, the H&S distribution center also will move there from Fleet St. and Central Ave. The bread man wants to build a new office high-rise on that prime piece of real estate, too. "It's incredible how fast this thing came out of ground," marvels Robert N. Santoni Sr., who watches construction from his supermarket next door.