A New Cambridge Bakery Is Serving Chili Crisp Cookies and Gochujang Citrus Sticky Buns
Marissa Ferola has a fail-safe test when creating Korean-American confections for her newly opened cafe Nine Winters Bakery in Cambridge.
'If my kids won't eat it, it's not coming here,' she says. 'My kids are very sweet with their critiques but they certainly have them.'
Family is at the heart of Nine Winters. Ferola began experimenting with Korean flavors after her daughters were born, as a way to reconnect with her roots and pass that heritage on. Adopted as a child, she wanted her kids to grow up with a strong cultural foundation — and food became one of the most meaningful ways to build it.
The result is a deeply personal and playful menu: gochujang citrus sticky buns, doenjang brown sugar oatmeal, and peanut butter chili crisp cookies. Savory options include egg bread, deviled mayak gyeran (Korean marinated eggs), and a gochujang Bolognese. A trio of milk bread sandwiches — perfect for tea parties — was inspired by ones she shared at home with her daughters.
Deviled mayak gyeran and gochujang Bolognese are on the menu. Nine Winters Bakery
The drinks menu reads more like a cocktail bar than a bakery counter — but it's designed for early morning buzzes rather than late-night pours. There's the Jeju Island, a salted coffee tonic with orange marmalade, and the Galbi, a fat-washed medium roast with apple and ginger, served in a smoked glass. Even a regular cup of coffee can be dressed up with doenjang caramel or perilla syrup.
Before opening the shop, Ferola sold her baked goods at pop-ups hosted by Honeycomb Creamery. Now, she's excited to host pop-ups in her own space. On August 1 and 2, Providence-based chef Jose Rodrigo will serve a four-course prix-fixe dinner highlighting Latin flavors.
'I'm really excited to learn about other people's cultures and how they share and connect with folks through their food,' says Ferola.
Community is also baked into the space. Ferola's menu is served on handmade ceramics by local Korean-American artist Ki Wan Sim and Seoul-based small business Zedo Ceramics and guests are greeted by a mural from artist Astro Wongsarak, depicting Ferola's daughters Janine and Winter and the family cat Clammy going on fantastical adventures. Ferola hopes to host a wide spectrum of community-oriented events in time, everything from adoptee connection opportunities to cross-cultural children's story hour.
'It feels like an extension of my family's table,' says Ferola. 'I want people to feel represented and happy and celebrated whenever they step inside.'
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On day two of the cruise, I won a lip sync contest on the lido deck, and spent the next five days doing interviews and performing." "Once, when I worked on a Hawaiian cruise, we had to kick two younger guys off the ship and leave them on an island because they snuck into the crew areas and tried to put notes on doors, slide things under doors, etc. They walked all over the crew decks with no ID and tried to wreak havoc." "It was hilarious because they got stranded and left behind on their family trip. EVERY crew member who passed by them and didn't stop or report them was fired. We have to wear visible IDs, so the guys should have been caught beforehand."—liftoff_linaya "During our cruise, my sister decided to stay up late one night while my mom, my nephew, and I went to bed. We were all in the captain's suite when she heard someone say her name from outside the room. She walked out and asked, 'What?' When no one answered, she went back to bed, put her AirPods in, and then heard my mom, who was lying right next to her, say 'Hey,' but my mom was sound asleep. She freaked out about it, and we all thought it was weird." "The next day, she was taking a shower while my mom, my nephew, and I were out on the lido deck. She said she heard my nephew banging on the door, yelling 'Mama, Mama,' which wasn't possible as we were on the other side of the boat. At dinner later that day, it was announced that we had been in the Bermuda Triangle."—allidarlin "I was on a cruise with horrible food, so I only ate cheese and cold cuts. One night, there was no cheese, and I cried at the buffet, so a waiter got me a little bowl of cheese." "The first and only cruise I ever went on was a year ago: I sat in a hot tub with my husband and another couple, just shooting the breeze. The woman claimed to be a bit of a psychic and said I had a strong energy. I entertained it, and she told me to expect a promotion in the near future." "When I returned to work, I was called into a surprise meeting where I was offered a position to oversee all of marketing throughout our company."—kayakdollparts "I went on a cruise this month and watched a lady shave her bikini line while sitting on the edge of the ship's hot tub." "While on an Alaskan cruise, we hit an iceberg. Everyone casually gathered their life jackets while waiting for the damage assessment, then went back to gambling, eating, and watching shows while wearing their vests." "The band played the Titanic theme song, and the photographers took this time to utilize the bow backdrop, where hundreds of passengers did the famous 'Jack and Rose' pose."—brandeesummers Did any of these stories surprise you? Have you ever been on a chaotic cruise? Tell us in the comments or answer anonymously using the form below!
