It’s been two years since husband-and-wife chefs Sarah Mironczuk and Kirk Skorlinski established Bakehouse 23 – initially from a commercial kitchen space in Racine and now from their current South Milwaukee location, 1309 Milwaukee Ave.
“Everyone in Racine was very supportive and welcoming, but ultimately we wanted to put our roots down in South Milwaukee because this is where we live, this is our community,” says Mironczuk.
Since moving to South Milwaukee sales have been swift enough for Skorlinski to leave his "day job" to focus solely on the family business. Mironczuk, an accomplished pastry chef, creates the sweet treats and Skorlinski is at the helm of the savory stuff.
“Basically we like to make playful and creative things you can't find in other bakeries,” says Mironczuk. "Everything is 100 percent made from scratch. Nothing comes out of a bucket.”
Bakehouse 23 has all the sugary staples: cookies, breads, pies, rolls and cakes, along with truly unique items like Mironczuk’s version of Little Debbie “Cosmic Brownies,” oatmeal creme pies and Hostess Ho-Hos.
“I’m all about the nostalgia, but without the preservatives and BS that’s in those,” says Mironczuk, who also makes vegan and gluten-free baked goods.
But experimentation and creativity are at the heart of everything the couple whips up. Whether it’s a food they sample in another city or a trending recipe on TikTok or something they completely invent in their own minds, they'll try it, play around with it and see what customers think of it.
“We don’t have a set menu. You tell me what you want and I bake it,” says Mironczuk. “A customer asked me if I could make a cotton candy cake, and it turns out, I can.”
Other unique items that are in rotation at Bakehouse include brioche breads and “bombs” (during our visit we sampled an extraordinary goat cheese and roasted tomato bomb), bars of all kinds, uncommon soups like cheeseburger, dill pickle and pizza, banh mi sandwiches, Korean sweet bread, Spam puffs and more.
"Everything keeps evolving," says Skorlinski. "We like to see how far we can push things. But most of all, everything's gotta be really good."
The couple is also attentive to their customers' input and the open concept of the space makes it easy for conversations to take place.
Bakehouse 23 also wholesales to numerous restaurants like Swinging Door Exchange and Wonderland, bakes for private events and hosts pop-ups.
Nostalgia is not only prevalent in some of Bakehouse 23’s food, it’s also visible on the walls which are adorned with images of Captain Kirk, The Avengers, GI Joe, Looney Tunes characters and more. There’s a VCR that often plays vintage shows and a solid collection of lunchboxes from the 80s and 90s.
“Everything in here is overflow from what’s in our house,” says Skorlinski. “I’m basically a sci-fi/fantasy nerd.”
Although the couple is comfortable with the size, pace and success of their current business, they have considered expanding into the space directly behind them to create a sit-down-and-hang-out cafe, reminiscent of a speak-easy and the original Fuel Cafe in Riverwest where Skorlinski worked in the ‘90s.
“We want it to feel like you’re in your parent's '80s basement playing Duck Hunt,” says Mironczuk. "If we're going to be here all the time it might as well reflect who we are as people."
Bakehouse 23 is open Thursday and Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hours may change after Labor Day weekend.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
