Paul Rutigliano or Paulie as he’s affectionately known has been baking specialty cakes for Key Westers since 2001. “It all started with my love of cooking passed on by my Italian family in New York,” he says with a smile. While attending the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Paulie worked an externship at the Pier House Resort. After graduating, he decided to make Key West his home. He adds, “I had made such great friends here, I just couldn’t go back.” Rutigliano took a job as a line cook at the Hyatt and after four years took on their desserts and wedding cakes. Rutigliano finally decided that he should branch out on his own. He met Steven Sassano, his friend and business partner, in 2002. “I couldn’t have expanded the business without him,” says Rutigliano, “He takes such great care with our clients, attending to every detail.”
Key West Cakes moved out of the house and into their first retail location in 2006. They had two employees and could barely keep up with the ever expanding Keys wedding market. They grew out of that space and moved to their present location in 2010. The extra room allowed them to expand their offerings to include at least ten varieties of homemade butter cookies such as, coconut shortbread dipped in chocolate and tea cookies shaped like little tea pots and topped with walnuts…let’s not forget their key lime starfish. Above the long row of glass cookie jars are jumbo filled cup cakes, such as Oreo, rainbow sprinkle and key lime mouse. There’s a constant flow of people coming in to order custom cakes for everything from weddings to birthdays. “We have some of the best decorators in the business, there’s a ton of photos on our Face book page,” says Sassano. And there’s more, each Tuesday is chicken pot pie day; homemade flaky crust and creamy filling with tender chicken, peas and carrots for $9.50. Wednesday is shepherd’s pie day; seasoned beef with mixed vegetables topped with browned mashed potatoes for $10.25. Both come out of the oven at 4:30pm and are sold first come, first serve. Located at 1014 White Street. Open10:30am – 7pm, Monday – Saturday. 305-296-4162. Free parking.
