Sweet Chef Southern Styles Bakery

Profile

Amadou Diakite, known by his childhood nickname Jackie to regulars at his shop, became a fixture in Washington Heights when he opened his tiny storefront in 1996, almost ten years after leaving the Ivory Coast (and his executive-chef position at Hotel Ivoire) behind for the States. Yet his bakery, Sweet Chef, is best known for its flaky-crusted, cream-filled pies and other all-American favorites like buttery cookies and crumbly cobblers. Regarding similarities between the familial cooking he learned on the African coast and the southern-style his current store espouses, Diakite insists, "Many of the spices and ingredients are the same, but the tastes are different." Wholesale clients like Harlem's Amy Ruth's and Spoonbread indicate he's clearly made a smooth transition. — Alexandra Vallis

Chef Diakite's pies are also available at Fairway supermarkets.