The birthday and wedding cakes in the La Villita Bakery window would turn brown over time, and with figurines of bare-breasted mermaids and muscular men, the result was camp (which most in the neighborhood appreciated, or some piqued by). The cakes were made of styrofoam but decorated with meringue and sweet cream. White-haired Alfonso Sosa, the owner of La Villita for 17 years, said he replaced the prop cakes with fresh ones every six months or so.
Patricia Meza, Alfonso’s wife, would be at the grill making egg sandwiches with generous portions of bacon tucked into the fresh breads or croissants made on the premises. Sosa’s sister-in-law, Maribel Meza, an outgoing woman, employed at the bakery for 13 years, managed the customers, took orders, and worked the cash register. My guess is Maribel was teaching Spanish to several dozen regulars, including myself, in short exchanges while buying coffee, pastries, and sandwiches. “I love to talk with people, and to be in the front of the shop,” she said, revealing her ideal job description, as she’ll need a new one soon. Her people skills were widely known and already new job offers are in the works.
