Customers going crazy over new bakery in South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - It's a dream come true for Christine Smith.

Christine and her husband Williams have opened Crazy Good Bakery and Cafe inside the old Grass Roots Natural Foods store and the community response has been, well, crazy.

The life-long visitor to Lake Tahoe moved from Pacifica, California to South Lake Tahoe seven years ago with her husband and took the leap to open a bakery six months ago when they signed the lease at the building at the "Y" at 2040 Dunlap Drive.

Since that date they have been hard at work on creating a homey atmosphere inside, just like grandma's kitchen, which was their goal. It hasn't been an easy journey, from the major repairs and cleanup required when the last tenants moved out (cut electrical lines, mounds of trash and a destroyed interior).

When one walks in they will benefit from the hard work, from the shabby chic window menus, horizontal wood planks along the walls, plenty of seating, a shop with vintage kitchen gifts and logo coffee mugs, and the smells of grandma's kitchen.

After a year of perfecting recipes for high-altitude baking, the Smiths opened the doors on September 28, 2018.

"It's been amazing," said Christine. "We are much busier than expected."

Customers are raving over her special gourmet doughnuts which are only available Fridays through Sundays at this time (and get there early, the normally sell out by noon). They are also big fans of the quiche, frittata, muffins, bagels and pies available all six days they are open.

Christine has shared the special ingredient of her doughnuts - sweet potatoes. This wasn't added to make sure customers get their daily dose of vegetables but she found it the key to keeping them moist at high altitude.

She has spent 30 years in food service, setting up and managing deli's for Safeway, as well as using her love for baking on a daily basis.

Crazy Good will be adding items to their menu and they have future plans to open in the evenings as a stop for dessert. There is also a space at the back of the shop that Christine would like to turn into a party area for kids, brides-to-be, anyone with a goal of satisfying a sweet tooth with good ole' country charm. They are also looking to add meat pies in the near future.

Christine comes from a Hungarian background so she'll continue to add recipes she great up with along with holiday features. She also uses all local fruits and vegetables (Farmer's Market and El Dorado county), so fans can look forward to what is to come.

Gluten-free options are available on pre-orders, but not as a daily offering, yet.

Many customers of Crazy Good became fond of the bakery through their booths at Farmer's Market and the Flea Market all summer. Many of them have already been to their permanent location now that they no longer have to reply on market days.

The Smiths said they have appreciated the help from local businesses in getting to the finish line.

At this time, Crazy Good Bakery and Cafe is open Wednesday through Monday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

They can be found on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/crazygooddough/, through their website - https://crazygooddoughnuts.com/, Twitter - https://twitter.com/crazygooddough, and Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/crazygooddoughnutsand/.