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    bruce almighty

    Viral British baker pops up in Houston this weekend serving decadent desserts

    Eric Sandler
    Mar 3, 2022 | 10:31 am
    Get Baked Bruce chocolate cake
    Grab a slice of Bruce this week at Fluff Bake Bar.
    Get Baked/Facebook

    The British baker behind the viral Sprinklegate affair will host a pop-up in Houston this weekend. Rich Myers, chef-owner of Get Baked bakery in Leeds, will serve some of his signature items at Fluff Bake Bar in The Heights this Saturday and Sunday.

    For those who may have missed the initial controversy, NPR reports that Myers ran afoul of the West Yorkshire Trading Standards agency for using decorative sprinkles that contained a red dye that’s permitted in the U.S. but not in the U.K. His profanity-filled social media posts about the fiasco caught the attention of Fluff Bake Bar chef-owner Rebecca Masson, who immediately reached out to Myers. ​​

    “I don’t think it’s the story so much as how he handled it that got me,” Masson tells CultureMap. “If you look at his posts, he’s pretty snarky. He’s the snarky I’d like to be able to get away with, but I can’t.”

    A plan to bring Myers to Houston came together relatively quickly. Working with Masson, he’s created a special menu that includes two of her signature cookies transformed into British-style pies, three Get Baked original pies, and Bruce, an absurdly decadent, 24-layer chocolate cake that consists of 12 layers of cake and 12 layers of ganache. Myers explains that’s the cake’s bulk gives it some unusual characteristics.

    “It’s a very rare cake in the respect that normally a layer cake will take some time to set before you slice it,” he says. “Because Bruce is so dense, we can build a Bruce and slice Bruce straight away. It’s a cool thing to watch somebody build a 24-layer cake in front of you and slice it in front of you.”

    Masson adds that she expects to serve at least 100 total slices of Bruce over the two day pop-up, which will take place from 10 am-6 pm on Saturday, March 5 and 12-6 pm on Sunday.

    Some of the other treats will be pies inspired by Masson’s Coach Potato cookie (potato chips, cornflakes, pretzel, marshmallow, and chocolate) and by her One Night Stand snack (waffle cone, salted caramel, brownie, chocolate chip cookie dough, marshmallow). Myers will also prepare three of his original creations: the Pietro, a pie inspired by Ferrero Rocher candy; Mr Pistachio; and Tea and Toast, which replaces a standard pie crust with toasted bread along with layers of raspberry jam and a Yorkshire tea-infused custard.

    “It’s cool because it tastes kind of breakfast-y,” Myers explains. “You taste the bread in an unusual way, but it’s obviously a dessert.”

    Americans who are used to simple fruit pies may be surprised by how differently the term is used in England. Then again, fans of the Great British Baking Show may already possess that knowledge.

    “When we say pie, we think apple pie or pecan pie,” Masson says. “These are more of a casual entremet; there’s layers, four or five different components, and crunchy and creamy [textures].”

    Myers has achieved sufficient celebrity that Masson’s heard from people who are planning to drive as many as five hours to attend the pop-up. Others are contemplating camping out overnight in order to ensure they can sample the full menu. She appreciates the fervor but thinks such extreme endeavors will be unnecessary.

    “I need people to understand that we’ll be open from 10 am-6 pm, and we plan on making a shit-ton of stuff. If you come in at 3 pm, maybe there won’t be any Bruce, but there will be pie,” she says. “If you come Sunday at noon, you’ll have the same selection as Saturday morning.”

    When Myers and Masson aren’t baking, they’ll be dining around Houston. The visitor has a couple ideas about what he wants to sample during his first visit to Texas.

    “I’m interested in going to as many good barbecue restaurants as possible,” he explains. “I’ve probably never had proper barbecue. In the U.K., it doesn't really exist. I’m very excited for that.”

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    Coming soon to Fredericksburg

    Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

    Brandon Watson
    Dec 26, 2025 | 3:30 pm
    Bottega Salaria Fredericksburg
    Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria
    Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

    Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

    But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

    Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

    “[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

    The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

    Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

    “I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

    The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

    Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

    Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

    After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

    Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

    The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

    "We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

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