Nolita Bakery, known for its wedding cakes and king cakes, has been delighting Mid City pastry lovers for nearly two years. As we head into the latter part of the year, owner Martha Gilreath is whipping up treats perfect for the Saints’ season and holidays.
Gilreath began working her way through the restaurant ranks at sixteen. She developed an interest in cake decorating in 2018, but it wasn’t until 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, that she began baking.
“Four months into Covid I decided that if I’m going to do this, I’m going to have to do it right, so I applied to NOCHI (New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute) nine months into the pandemic,” Gilreath explains.
Gilreath got her start in the bakery world with a king cake pop-up. The king cake she makes is what she calls a traditional “McKenzie’s grown-up” cake made with satsuma and sugar cane syrup. It’s available seasonally between January 6 and Mardi Gras day at Nolita Bakery. The cake is popular: last year, Nolita sold 4,000 king cakes from its storefront.
Nolita Bakery opened on January 6, 2024, serving cupcakes, cookies, croissants, custom cakes, wedding cakes, and more at its kid- and dog-friendly location at 3201 Orleans Ave.
Gilreath enjoys creating themed menus around the holidays and during the LSU and Saints seasons. The menu changes every Sunday, but the purple-and-gold theme for LSU and the black-and-gold theme for the Saints is a constant.
Gilreath says, “We try not to just use chocolate for the black in the black and gold. We use poppyseeds, brownies, hazelnut tarts, and butterscotch for the gold. We try to mix it up.”
Offerings include the Dark Chocolate Who Dat Croissant with a salted caramel filling, topped with white “gold” chocolate ganache; the Black and Gold Chocolate Amaretto Sparkle Tart; and the Butterscotch and Poppyseed Saints Sunday Cookie.
One of Nolita’s specialties is its croissants, which come in a variety of flavors, including cereal milk, brownie, and cheesecake. An indulgence for the Halloween season is a cake based on the ingredients that were available in Salem during the witch trials; the spiced rye is topped with a goat cheese frosting. In addition, Gilreath is adding a black sesame and pecan Rice Krispies treat to her Halloween menu.
For those craving Nolita’s pastries in Metairie, select offerings can be found at Moxie Coffee and Espresso at 3101 Metairie Rd. Some exclusive confections include a carrot cake muffin and a brown sugar syrup croissant roll, known as a Moxie roll.
In addition, to give back to the community, Gilreath accepts clothing donations at Nolita for the recovery and homeless community.
Nolita Bakery is open Wednesday through Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
