Lulu's Bakery & Pantry: A Scrumptious Salem Site

Corn bread and cupcakes, biscuits and croissants, chocolate desserts and pepperoni rolls, an epic Whoopie Pie, and so much more! 

In February, Lulu’s Bakery and Pantry opened at 285 Derby Street in Salem, close to Pickering Wharf, and it's open every day from 7am-7pm. This new bakery is owned by Nikki and Jim Economides, both who have been involved in the food and restaurant industry for many years. I was initially invited to visit the bakery as a media guest, and I've also returned two more times to buy and taste more of their baked goods and desserts. I plan to return there often as I've impressed with their delicious products.

Nikki is originally from West Virginia, and the bakery pays homage to her roots in a number of ways, while Jim is from Ipswich. Nikki graduated from Johnson & Wales, worked for the Finale Restaurant Group, and eventually launched her own confectionary, Fixx Chocolates. Jim graduated from the New England Culinary Institute, worked at a number of Boston area restaurants, and co-founded the All Star Sandwich Bar.  

Nikki and Jim initially wanted to open a candy shop, to sell the Fixx chocolates, but that concept evolved over time, as they decided to enlarge the scope of their endeavor. Around 2019, they opted to open a bakery and as they worked toward that goal, the pandemic struck, causing all sorts of difficulty. They persevered though, battling the significant obstacles that arose, trying to make their dreams a reality. In January 2021, they finally found the Salem location, and decided that it would fit all their needs. 

The location required plenty of work to make it business ready, and Nikki and Jim ended up doing a significant amount of work on their own, from painting to laying down the floor. High construction costs and the unavailability of contractors were still obstacles they had to overcome. They had originally hoped to open prior to Thanksgiving, but were delayed until this past February. Opening any food service business during the pandemic is a risky proposition, but Nikki and Jim wanted to see their dream come true. 

On my first visit to the bakery, I spoke with Nikki and found her to be personable, passionate and down-to-earth. I've also met Jim and he seems just as nice. Nikki grew up on farms in West Virginia, and there are numerous aspects of the bakery which pay homage to these roots, from pepperoni rolls to the decor. Some of those touches are more subtle, but add to the overall ambience. Nikki's objective with the bakery was to make it a comfortable and approachable place, less fancy than the former Finale's Desserterie. 

All of the recipes in the bakery are Nikki's, some inspired by recipes from her grandmother. Nikki has a myriad of new baked goods and desserts, such as more cakes with a Southern influence, she wants to create and try out, but she's had to restrain her desires a bit. As they have only been open a couple months, adding many more items to their menu would make it tough on the staff, who would have to learn how to prepare all of those new items. It's still too soon to add too many new products, so, additional items will be added, but more slowly over time, to ease the learning curve for her staff. 

If you examine their displays, you'll find they already offer a wide variety of items, so there's no immediate need to add a large number of additional items. Everyone who stops at the bakery should find plenty of tempting treats. Your biggest problem might be trying to decide which items to buy, but that just means you'll need to return to buy different items on future trips. I'll also note that if you purchase 6 or more items, you get a discount of 10% off your order. And it's easy to find six items you'll want to try.

 

Have you ever had a Pepperoni Roll? It's an iconic West Virginia food, available in nearly every gas station and convenience store in West Virginia. It's alleged that the pepperoni roll was invented by Giuseppe Argiro at the Country Club Bakery in Fairmont, West Virginia, in 1927. They became a common lunch option for coal-miners, especially as they didn't require refrigeration. It's a relatively simple dish, a soft roll with a layer of pepperoni baked inside. They are usually eaten as is, although sometimes they are topped with a tomato sauce with roasted peppers. 

The bakery sells Pepperoni Rolls, Pepperoni & Cheese Rolls, and Vegetarian Rolls ($1.95 each). I've tasted the first two, and enjoyed the soft, fresh rolls and the thin layer of slightly spicy pepperoni, with some of the oil soaked into the interior of the bread. They are fine as is, although I've also warmed them up and that's tasty as well. A very good value for a easy snack.

Corn bread and Biscuits! The Corn Bread is made with creamed corn and cheddar, and is a little sweeter than many other Southern versions. I found it very moist, with little pieces of corn adding a nice textural element, and it wasn't overly sweet. It had a rich corn flavor, and adding some butter atop it was absolutely delicious. I've gotten some corn bread on each of my visits. 

The Biscuits are light and fluffy, and not as brittle as some biscuits, so they should hold up better in their Biscuit sandwiches. A Biscuit can be ordered with Lulu's Jam, Honey & Sea Salt, Apple Butter or Molasses Butter. The Apple Butter, which is made on the premises (and can be purchased by the jar), was an excellent topping for a Biscuit, with a rich apple flavor and a balanced sweetness. 

They also sell Biscuit Egg Sandwiches, starting at $4, and to which you can add meat, cheeses, and/or veggies. If you don't want a biscuit, they have other bread options like a croissant, hot roll, wheat bread, or crusty sourdough. Other breakfast options include a Yogurt Bowl and Oatmeal. 

 

Their Cinnamon Rolls are based on a recipe from Nikki's grandmother, and they have that home-made vibe. With lots of cinnamon, a soft roll, and a creamy frosting, it's all well-balanced and delicious, especially when warmed. These are a fine comfort treat, perfect for breakfast or an after-dinner snack. 

 

I was thoroughly impressed with their Whoopie Pies, one of the best I've ever tasted. The chocolate was essentially a moist and rich brownie, a great choice. The creamy filling was also quite tasty, not overly sweet, and well complemented the taste of the brownie. It's very large as well, big enough that two people could easily share it, unless one person was especially hungry. I can't wait to return to buy more Whoopie Pies. Highly recommended!

They sell a variety of Muffins, such as Blueberry Crumble, Apricot Ginger and Banana Nut. 

There's also numerous Cookies available, including Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, Peanut Butter, Double Chocolate, and Butter Pecan. The types of muffins and cookies that are available are likely to change day to day, dependent on ingredient availability and seasonality. 

For example, check out these Shamrock Sugar Cookies for St. Patrick's Day.

A couple varieties of Scones: Roasted Pepper & Feta and Mixed Berry & Chocolate Chip. These aren't the usual type of scones you find at many other bakeries.

Croissants and Fruit Tarts. They also sell some other breads, including Whole Wheat Loaf, Sourdough Loaf, Hot Rolls, and Gluten-Free Focacia Rolls. The Sourdough is an excellent choice, with large slices with a crusty exterior and soft, flavorful interior. Great for toast or sandwiches, and I used a couple slices for a cheeseburger. I definitely will be buying more sourdough in the near future.

The Macaroons are either covered with milk chocolate or dark chocolate, and my preference is dark chocolate. The moist, coconut-rich macaroons were enhanced by the dark chocolate, with its slight bitter edge counteracting the sweetness of the coconut. 

The case of chocolate and other desserts is visually appealing, offering much more to tempt your palate, such as the chocolate Indulgence cake. They also make cakes and cupcakes to order, and have even recently created a wedding cake for a customer. Need a birthday cake? Consider ordering one here.

Individual Chocolate Cream and Creme Brulee. If you're making dinner at home, you could pick up some of these for dessert. 

Coconut Creme. This is one of the items I'll order on my new visit.

They sell a variety of Cupcakes, including a selection of Vegan ones.

Fruit Tarts and individual chocolate Indulgences. 

You can buy jars of their Butters and Jellies, including their Hot Pepper Butter, which in West Virginia is often used as a spread on sandwiches.

Some of Nikki's Fixx chocolates are also available. In general, her Fixx chocolates business has been largely on pause as they establish the new bakery.

As I mentioned, there are numerous nods to West Virginia at the bakery, including their Potato Chips. They sell Mister Bee Potato Chips, which are made in from West Virginia. Local people may not be familiar with this brand, and may not realize their origin.

For lunch or dinner, you can also order a variety of Sandwiches, generally either half or full-sized, and priced from $4-$9.50. Some of the options include Tuna Salad, Hot Dog, PB&J, Ham & Cheese, and Falafel Burger. There are also Salads, Soups, and Sides. Their Chili is based on a recipe from Nikki's grandmother, although with some changes. For example, her grandmother's chili used venison and didn't have beans. Nikki doesn't use venison and does add beans. 

There's also a lengthy list of Drinks available, from various kinds of Coffee to Tea, Hot Chocolate to Juice. Their unsweetened Iced Tea is very good. 

Against the front windows is a wooden pew, in front of a couple tables, and that pew actually came from a church in West Virginia. 

On the back wall are a number of cooking pans, including some family pans from West Virginia. It's cool to see all of these subtle nods to Nikki's heritage, and it adds to the homey vibe of the bakery. 

Nikki's sister sells painted shells, which are displayed at the bakery. You can also buy a Lulu's Bakery t-shirt. 

 

In addition, they sell Roughly a Cup, by Aunt Chelle, which is their family cookbook.

The bakery has been busy since its opening, and they have already been receiving catering orders. Their current top three best sellers have been Biscuits, Fruit Twists, and the Everything Bagel Croissant (available only on the weekend). They have also been selling many cupcakes, and recently added vegan cupcakes to their line-up. On all my visits, the bakery was doing a very steady business. It's easy to understand all their customers due to the quality of their food.

Overall, I'm very impressed with Lulu’s Bakery and Pantry, and each visit I've tried something new, as well as buying some favorites. Their food is fresh, often amply sized, visually appealing, and delicious. I love all the nods to Nikki's West Virginia background, and that adds a unique flair to the bakery. The bakery is dynamic, adding new items on a regular basis, and it will be fascinating to watch its slow evolution. This bakery will be a regular stop for me anytime I'm in the Salem area, and I highly recommend that my readers check it out as well.