Today we’d like to introduce you to Bianca Vallone.
Bianca, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I like to say my story as a chef started in the womb. My mom is a wonderful cook, and she has always made all our meals. When I was little everything happened in the kitchen. We did homework, made dinner, holiday feasts, scrumptious desserts, talked about our day, and even the occasional being “grounded” Does that even happen anymore?!
Moving on… During High School Senior year, I wasn’t sure where my life would take me, and honestly never really thought about Culinary being my path. I always thought of cooking as more of a hobby. But since I wasn’t really a school person, I discovered I could take my love of food, and being in the kitchen and get graded on it. I FELL IN ABSOLUTE LOVE with Culinary School. Up at 5 am every day, kitchen for 4 hours, class work, and then off to work. Repeat.
In order to graduate Culinary Arts (From Le Cordon Bleu Chicago), we needed to complete 3 months of an internship. I found my perfect spot, at The Clubhouse in Oak Brook. Working there was what really solidified my love for the kitchen, and that this is the career path for me. I was 19 when I started working, turned 20-4 months later, continued on after my internship and the following month I was the Opening Sous Chef.
Big responsibility for a 20-year-old, and on top of that the only female Sous chef there. I continued on at the Clubhouse and decided to go back to Le Cordon Bleu for a Baking and Pastry Certificate. I would work at the Clubhouse from 5am-9am for prep work, go to class from 10-2pm, head to my second job at Nick’s Fish Market in The Merchandise Mart head home and repeat. (A theme in my life). I kept adding jobs to the mix, A Country Club, and then a European Bakery in Lake Forest.
Unfortunately, I had come down with the Shingles in 2013 and was out for about 2 months. It was the lowest of lows for myself. I was basically losing my mind, having to stay in the house with basically no contact with anyone. Once I was finally cleared, I had no job. Weird feeling for someone that has always had at least 2 jobs since I was 15.
That is when I decided maybe it was time to open my own place?? I worked at Boston Fish Market in the front counter area when they first opened the kitchen. After work, I would head to the bakery and check in every day to see progress. I opened B’s Sweet Bites November 17, 2013. I then expanded and opened B’s Sweet Bites in the Park Ridge Metra Train Station in October 2015.
Lastly, in May 2017 I added a full breakfast and lunch diner to the bakery in Des Plaines. It has been 1 year, and it has been glorious! In January 2018, I was on Windy City Live, and won the Best Chef on the Block Competition for Chicago, with my B’s Ballin’ Lasagna (on our daily menu). I then advanced to The Chew in NYC February 2018. I did not win that competition, however, it has been hands down the Best experience of my life. I was privileged to cook with my Favorite chef Michael Symon. I have some more future plans, I want to keep B’s growing.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think any business owner has ever had a smooth road. There will always be obstacles. We like to say at the bakery “that’s what keeps life interesting…” when something goes array, which more often then not something always does. Being the owner, everything falls back on you, the staff doesn’t show, run out of ingredients, opening and closing etc..
An easy-smooth road doesn’t keep you working as hard in my opinion. When things happen, it really tests you as a business owner, tests how you can handle it, how you move forward, and how to let it not happen again. Bumps, give us the good stories, makes you know you worked for what you have, and where you have gotten.
Please tell us about B’s Sweet Bites.
B’s Sweet Bites is a scratch made everything Bakery, as well as Breakfast and Lunch Diner. The menu I have created is all your favorites, that I have a small twist. Simple food at it’s best is as good as it gets. All the bread for toasts, French toast etc.. all made in the bakery and can be bought to take home. Nothing comes sourced somewhere else, or from a can.
All the pastries we have in our cold pastry case is seasonal. We use less sugar than most, not for health reason- but because we would rather highlight the pastry with fruit, or dark chocolate, then mask it in “sugar goop” You will not find Apple Slices here, instead, you will find an individual size Apple Galette. Basically the same thing, just different look (No Sugar goop glaze). We are also known for our individual size pastries in the case, serving for 1 or 2. Carrot cake, assorted cheesecakes, assorted mini cakes, a few gluten-free items, however, we also have 2 Chocolate Flourless Cakes in the case, fresh Apple Pie and another seasonal pie.
In the Dry case, you can find Danish, Doughnuts, Scones, Assorted Scones, Brownies, Pecan Bars, Assorted full pound cakes, Cinnamon rolls, sticky pecan buns, “duffins” (Doughnut muffins in cinnamon sugar), and the best… Homemade Assorted Poptarts! You will never buy the store bought ones again when you try ours! I am proud, how hard we all work, how much effort we put into making our customers happy, and how creative we get with our desserts.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
As a child, my parents owned their own business in Chicago. It was a party favor store called, Loretta’s Gifts and Cards. That is where my brother and I would spend every day as kids, and when we were in school, we were there on weekends and summers. I know that is where our hardworking skills came from. It was a really creative business, so that is where I learned my creative skills, and my people skills. We worked behind the register, selling greeting cards, gifts, taking party favor orders, balloon orders etc.
It was quite a large business, and it had a full kitchen. A few of the women that worked there were basically my grandmas, and we would cook daily in that kitchen. We made Italian sugo to jar for the season, make lunch. We had guided freedom. I say that because we were watched, trained, and sculpted to know what to do, but our parents also let us “do what we wanted” Create the display windows, place all the different party favors out on the tables, make the “Bomboniere” out of netting, Jordan almonds, ribbon, flowers and a tag.
At the time, I found the place to be boring sometimes, because I wanted to be with my friends, but looking back it is what set me up for my future success!
Contact Info:
- Address: 1641 Oakton Place Des Plaines, IL 60018
- Website: Www.Bssweetbites.com
- Phone: 8477950743
- Email: classycakes27@gmail.com
- Instagram: Bssweetbites
- Facebook: Http://m.facebook.com/Bs-Sweet-Bites
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