Upper Crust Baking

For over 50 years, the Kalisky Family has been baking bread in Davis, Ca. It started as a hobby with Trudy and Mo Kalisky making bread as UC Davis graduate students. From there it turned into a successful baking enterprise that served farmer’s markets throughout the Sacramento region. Now, with Trudy and Mo retired and their son Lorin at the helm, Upper Crust Baking has grown to include retail locations in Davis and Winters.

As a teen, Lorin helped with the bakery. But the world was calling, and he had the desire to forge his own path which led him away from the bakery business.

His first stop was to study journalism at Boston University. Then it was off to Paris for 3 1/2 years where he worked for publications such as Paris City Magazine and Agence France-Presse (AFP).

From Paris, it was back to Davis and San Francisco where he worked in the tech industry.

Then, it was back to Paris for 11 years. During this time, he met his wife to be, Edith, and started a family. Then it was to Berkeley, CA for a brief time and finally landing back in Davis in 2015.

Upon his return to Davis, Lorin began helping at the bakery his parents had started. “My parents were getting older, and the bakery had gone through a lot of incarnations by that time.”

But this time, the bakery business appeared differently to Lorin. “I got back involved with the bakery to help them out. Try to get things in order and try to get the business to a point where maybe they could sell it or something like that. And the more I got involved, the more interesting it became. The business really kind of appealed to me in a lot of ways. I have always had a very entrepreneurial streak in my personality and my talents.”

With the plans for selling the business shrinking in the rear-view mirror, Lorin applied his entrepreneurial spirit towards growing the bakery business. “They [Trudy and Mo] were doing something like 20 farmers markets every week in the summertime. And after I got involved, we built that up and we were doing like 30 or 35 a week or even more.”

Serving that many farmers markets became a logistical challenge for the growing business. Thoughts changed from expanding the farmers market footprint to opening a retail storefront. “We were kind of at an inflection point for the business. Retail was really what I had always wanted to do. And so, we were just looking around town and we had our eyes open for commercial spaces.”

Fortunately, that perfect location became available, the former Radio Shack space on G Street. “I had kind of had the space in the back of my mind for a long time. And when it finally came up as available, I jumped on it.”

The new retail space has allowed Upper Crust Baking to expand upon their selection of delicious breads and pastries. At the Davis location, you can find a wide variety of hearth breads, bagels, pan breads, East Coast dessert delicacies, and French dessert specialties. You can also enjoy your favorite baked goods with a cup of gourmet coffee or a splash of wine. Be sure to try the Sarmentine baguettes. They may be a bit funny looking, but they are delicious.

Upper Crust Baking has become more than just your local bakery. In addition to having wonderful food, the cozy indoor seating and a spacious outdoor patio has allowed Upper Crust Baking to become a place where the community can gather while spending time with family and friends. Stop by Upper Crust Baking for Wednesday Pizza Night, spend a morning playing chess on the patio with friends, or simply get a cup of coffee and pastry and enjoy the scene.

Upper Crust Baking is certainly a family affair. While Lorin handles the day-to-day operations, Edith, serves a vital role in the success of the business. “She’s our de facto QA manager because she’s our French person. When the baguettes or the croissants are not up to par, she lets us know.”

Lorin also includes his daughters, Tess and Scarlett, in the family business. When things are busy or if short-handed, the daughters get the call to lend a hand. Tess particularly enjoys working on pizza nights and on Saturdays. Scarlett helps with front-of-house duties when needed.

After spending several years away, Lorin is glad to be home in Davis and the many things that it offers. “My feeling about Davis and my feeling about the region really changed and I felt much more connected. I really wanted to learn again about all the assets that we have in this community and in this region.”

By reconnecting with and learning about his community, Lorin has found that Yolo County has a remarkable story to tell. He serves on the board of the Yolo County Visitors Bureau to promote the beauty and diversity that is found from the farms in the Capay Valley to the shores of the Delta.

Lorin loves the many things that make Davis unique. “My favorite event in Davis is the whole Earth Festival. I just love the feeling of it and the vibe and seeing all the crafts and the music and the people dressed in tie-dye.”

If you don’t find Lorin at the Whole Earth Festival, you may find him and his family at Yolo Berry Yogurt. “I think my daughter is probably one of the biggest benefactors to Yolo Berry. Loves Yolo Berry.”

When it comes to giving back to the community, Upper Crust Baking steps up. “As a bakery, we say yes to everything we’re asked, in terms of donations. Whenever a local school, non-profit, organization gets in touch with us and says, ‘Hey, can you Donate something to our auction, or to our event, or for this?’ Whatever it is, we do it.”

Lorin’s generosity and community giving goes well beyond the confines of Upper Crust Baking. Lorin also serves on the board of Short-Term Emergency Aid Committee (STEAC) which provides emergency support for Yolo County families and individuals in need of food, clothing and shelter assistance.

Upper Crust Baking creates delicious food at two locations: downtown Davis at 634 G Street (next to the Davis Food Co-op) and in Winters at 606 Railroad Avenue.