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A new bakery and sweets shop from the ownership group behind Ted’s Bulletin is weeks away from opening in Arlington’s Ballston Quarter development.
Salis Holdings announced today that a new brand dubbed Sidekick will showcase boundary-pushing baked goods (sweet and savory), confections, and frozen treats from an accomplished new hire. It’s expected to open Monday, June 10, at 4238 Wilson Boulevard Suite 1130 SK.
Steve Salis, the &pizza co-founder who acquired Ted’s, Kramerbooks, and Federalist Pig, has brought on pastry chef Vincent Griffith, who rose through two of Chicago’s top kitchens and has been recognized by Forbes. Griffith got his start at Charlie Trotter’s, rated as one of the best restaurants in the world, before moving on to the modernist kitchen at Moto. Both restaurants held Michelin stars, but both are now defunct. Griffith then went to Cleveland, where he was named to Forbes’s “30 under 30” for excellence and innovation in baking while working at the Greenhouse Tavern in 2015. He most recently worked at the Inn at Dos Brisas, a luxury resort outside of Houston.
According to cleveland.com, at that time Griffith was concocting desserts such as a pumpkin funnel cake with torched cinnamon and dulce de leche and a buttered popcorn pot de creme.
In a release announcing Sidekick, Salis says the new shop will find the “sweet spot throughout the day for those seeking the familiar, the unusual, and that ‘hits the spot’ experience.”
Although Sidekick will stand alone from Ted’s Bulletin, Griffith will also oversee pastry operations at the local chain known for Pop-Tart dopplegangers and humongous cakes. Sidekick’s beverage program isn’t expected to include alcohol, but it will serve coffee and tea. A new Ted’s Bulletin will open next-door to Sidekick soon after the bakery opens its doors.
The name Sidekick winks at the notion that a dessert might be a customer’s best friend, with the release referencing the shop as customer’s “cure to kale” and “version of self-care.”
Sidekick sounds an awful lot like Milk Bar, but Christina Tosi’s chain of all-American sweets won’t be too close of a competitor because all three of its local locations are inside District lines.
In addition to introducing Sidekick, Salis is also working with pitmaster Rob Sonderman on building a bigger, better Federalist Pig out in Hyattsville.
