By Kate Bartlett
Cupcaked is excited to welcome Michael Byerley, owner of Chef’s Corner to join their team, offering rotating lunch specials including gourmet sandwiches, soups, grain bowls, salads and homegrown microgreens. The menu will be offered Wednesdays-Saturdays from 11-4 and feature local farm fresh dishes inspired by seasonal ingredients.
When Anne Coe opened the doors of Cupcaked 7 years ago, she imagined someday offering a gourmet soup and sandwich shop. “I knew I wanted to offer these lunch specials, I was just waiting for the right person to make the dream become a reality.”
Similarly, Michael always wanted to have a small creative outlet to showcase his passion and skill set. Having grown up on a farm in Cuba, NY, farm fresh ingredients are at the core of Micheals’ seasonal dishes. He grows his own microgreens, which offer a fresh, crisp element to all his soups, salads and sandwiches.
Micheal attended Paul Smith school in the Adirondacks for Culinary Arts, and has worked in many high-end restaurants in the Adirondacks as well as the Western New York region. He moved back to the area to be closer to family, and brings his culinary expertise to the village of Ellicottville.
Anne and Michael focus on utilizing local products, and plan to frequent area farmers’ markets for their menu items. “Not only is it important to us to support area farmers in our community, but farm fresh ingredients have always been my inspiration,” says Michael. “The menu will rotate based on what items are fresh and seasonally available.” Each week will feature 3 sandwiches, 1 grain bowl, 1 salad and 2 choices of homemade soups.
Chef’s Corner officially launched last Wednesday, July 24th, and was well received by the community. Their grand opening menu included a lobster roll, sriracha maple BLT, and Cuban sandwich with choices of French onion or white cheddar broccoli soup. “We are off to a great start,” says Anne. “We’re pleased with the amount of people who stopped by and hope it grows a bite more every week.”
The café offers limited indoor seating, but customers can also place takeout orders by phone, online, or in house. Cupcaked continues to offer a wide variety of gourmet cupcakes, cake pops, cookie cups and other delectable desserts along with soft serve ice cream and milkshakes.
Chef’s Corner and Cupcaked will both be participating in the many upcoming events in Ellicottville. Michael and Anne are looking forward to sharing their specialties with the community. “They’re so many fun events right here in the village, and we’re excited to be a part of them,” says Anne.
Follow on Instagram and Facebook @chefscornerellicottville for the weekly rotating menu.