This is your last chance to get holiday pies from the Pinay Pie Lady
Take home Pinoy holiday pies from Sweet Condesa or the Pinay Pie Lady (for the last time) | Photos from Sweet Condesa’s official website
For folks who flew out of their childhood homes despite the challenges that come with it, homesickness can become a persistently lingering shadow. This becomes more obvious during the holidays, when people grow a greater urge to get together with loved ones.
In a sea of coping mechanisms, food can do a good job at trumping this unpleasant feeling. Whether it’s reliving your lola’s cooking at the nearest Filipino carinderia or remaking your all-time favorite local dessert in your kitchen using Asian mart-bought ingredients, a dish can fill up the distance in the middle of everyone’s festive mood.
And if you’re a Filipino in the community-rich Bay Area of San Francisco, you’ve probably done the same through Sweet Condesa’s holiday pies.
The bake shop-slash-catering company, which was founded in 2017, houses an array of desserts and pastries like shortbread bars, cookies, and tartlets. But apart from its offerings that would catch the attention of anyone with a sweet tooth, Sweet Condesa is also popularly known as the brainchild of self-taught baker Melody Lorenzo, a Filipino immigrant dubbed the “Pinay Pie Lady.”
A tray of Filipino-inspired pies from the Pinay Pie Lady
If you’ve ever tried these creations and had a nostalgic flashback, it’s no surprise because of their origin story. “Melody’s desserts are influenced by growing up in the Philippines,” says Sweet Condesa’s official page.
The bakery’s Pasko Pie collection, in particular, features flavors like bibingka, queso de bola, puto bumbong, and ube. (There’s also space for cookie lovers; you can choose from ube pie, tsokolate chunk, and ginger mango molasses.)
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The Filipino-inspired pies have been a staple, especially as the year closes. However, this might be your last chance to call dibs on your go-to treat—Sweet Condesa will have its final Christmas bake sale this month, as reported by KQED.
In the article, it has been revealed that Lorenzo’s business hasn’t been exactly smooth sailing in recent years. Sales are down, and she also planned to put up an actual storefront, but the city inspectors were reportedly obstacles to this. Despite pouring efforts on the business’ other side—which is focused on catering services—things haven’t been looking up.
Is this the end of Sweet Condesa?
With a final Christmas bake sale in tow, does this mean we’re witnessing Sweet Condesa’s final bow? Not really.
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In the same KQED article, Lorenzo clarified that the business will enter its “resource” era, which includes focusing on consulting, mentorship, and workshops, lending a hand to “aspiring small business owners, especially folks of color.”
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The value of taking risks
It looks like this isn’t the first time that Sweet Condesa showed its brave experimental spirit. In an Eater San Francisco article published 2022, it was reported that Lorenzo wanted to try something different for her goodies during Thanksgiving, where apple and pumpkin pies are dominant.
“If I’m going to do pies, it has to represent my heritage—the flavors I grew up with and the people I grew up with,” she said.
Aside from ube, in this year’s Thanksgiving lineup, the bakery was able to showcase pies in familiar Filipino flavors of kamote, tsokolate cream, calamansi, and turon.
Pre-orders are ongoing for Sweet Condesa’s last Christmas bake sale, and pickup will begin on Dec. 22 to 23. The holiday shop also serves non-food items, from towels to tote bags.
