'Cake Boss' at Westbury theater, says LI bakery 'in the works'
Jessica Greenbaum, 12, of East Northport, has been a fan of Carlo's Bakery since before "Cake Boss" aired on TLC. Her aunt took her to the Hoboken bakery and she was inspired by baker Buddy Valastro's creations. "I'm a baker, and I have all his books," Greenbaum said. (Nov. 10, 2013) Credit: Mary Kate Mahoney
Jessica Greenbaum, 12, of East Northport, has been a fan of the "Cake Boss," Buddy Valastro, since long before his TV show pushed his family owned Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, N.J., into the limelight.
Her aunt took her to Carlo’s several years ago, and Jessica said she immediately developed a love for baking and cake decorating. She even bought a white bakery coat to showcase her commitment.
“I’m a baker, and I have all his books,” Jessica said. “I copied some of his recipes. I thought they were really good.”
Jessica was one of hundreds of aspiring bakers that crowded the NYCB Theatre at Westbury on Sunday for a chance to see Valastro demonstrate his famous cake decorating techniques during the Cake Boss Family Celebrations tour. During the live show, Valastro demonstrated tips, techniques and even announced his hope for a Carlo's location on Long Island.
Leemor Selitto, of Bayside, brought her daughter, Terry, 9, who has seen all six seasons of “Cake Boss,” reality show as a surprise.
But, it wasn’t the first time she’s seen Valastro in person. “We went to the bakery last year,” Selitto said. “We waited in line in December; it was worth it though.”
Sunday marked the second time Valastro has brought his live show to Long Island. Hailing from New Jersey and having family on Long Island, Valastro repeatedly said he felt a deep connection with this audience.
“It makes me proud to be from this area because I’m showing people that this area is about great families, great food and great values,” Valastro said.
Family was an ongoing theme throughout the live show, which included several onstage competitions pitting kids against kids in a hula hoop contest and moms against moms in a cannoli filling challenge. The grand prize for each competition was a confection decorated by Valastro during the show. All the other competitors received a copy of his new book, “Family Celebrations with the Cake Boss,” or cake-decorating tools from his Cake Boss line.
In between the games, Valastro shared techniques for crafting buttercream frosting and using decorating tools properly. He also encouraged the audience to try fondant, a style of frosting used in his more elaborate creations.
The show’s grand finale had two families compete in a four-person relay to fill, decorate, package, unwrap and eat a pie. Audience members were standing in their chairs and cheering on the Schwartz family of Roslyn, as the dad finished his last bite of pie in 1 minute and 11 seconds.
The crowd’s enthusiasm reached an even higher level when Valastro hinted that he has plans to open a Carlo’s Bakery on Long Island in the near future.
“It’s in the works,” Valastro said about a potential Long Island bakery.
