Meals That Changed My Life: Christy Augustin of Pint Size Bakery

Like a free dessert on your birthday, meals sometimes come with an unexpected extra. Pint Size Bakery co-owner Christy Augustin’s most memorable dining experiences came with a complimentary side of “Aha!” From staring down sprinkle cookies in Granite City to wiggling her toes in the warm Key West sand, here are the meals that changed her life.

Mrs. Siebold’s Bakery, Wood River, childhood
“The sprinkle cookies were [what] I had to have, always. Every time we’d go in, I’d stare at the case, eye-level with the cookies, and I had to have one. They were the one thing I knew we had to have at Pint Size. That memory of the smell of the bakery and the enjoyment and excitement – I love that. Mrs. Siebold’s is gone now, but I see it as part of Pint Size’s mission to carry on the old-fashioned bakery that welcomes children and makes things for kids or the kid in you.”

Chez Panisse Café, Berkeley, California, 1999
“It is the first time I remember being awakened by flavor. At that time, California cuisine was still getting out there in the world. [My husband Matt and I] had a lasagna that was just sliced tomatoes, pesto and cheese with fresh pasta, and the dessert was an apple or pear lightly cooked with a light syrup. Before I just ate to feed myself, not really for the enjoyment. And I had never thought much about where my food comes from, but here it was part of the conversation, and was even printed on the menus. It completely changed my perspective.”

Blue Heaven, Key West, Florida, 2002
“My husband and I eloped on a sailboat in Key West, and we went that night to a restaurant called Blue Heaven. It wasn’t anything fancy, but there was a swing in a tree and my feet were in the sand and we ate shrimp and crab and Key lime pie. That meal was the start of my life moving forward instead of being a kid and just doing whatever pleased me. I don’t remember much about the food, but it was making a conscious decision that my life was going to mean something.”

Home, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2004
“When Julia Child died, [my friends and I] did an homage to her. We were trying to cook this elaborate meal in her honor using what was seasonal. We made this torte with layers of ham and cheese and peppers and spinach wrapped in puff pastry. We made coq au vin and green beans amandine. Somebody brought profiteroles and we had chocolate mousse and a savory crab soufflé. We thought we were all so fancy. It was the pinnacle of our friendship.”