WATERFORD — With the return of sunshine comes the excitement to go on a local adventure. Often that drives locals to take a “Sunday Drive” out around Norfolk County where they often end up in the town of Waterford.
The community has just 3000 residents and a thriving small business community with excellent foot traffic and tons of free parking.
One of the sparkling gems nestled in the open doorways of Alice Street is Ritzy Cakes and Eatery. The ultra femme pink and black decor boasts big city style, something surprising for such a small town. And the food, according to the happy eaters gathered over the weekend, is absolutely holding it’s own and bringing people back and bringing new customers in every day.
The restaurant began as a “wouldn’t it be great if” dream between owner Robin Reitz and her mom.
The pair took cake decorating classes together that blossomed a love in Robin and showcased she had a unique talent for making spectacular cakes.
It was a few posts on social media that led to more and more people asking her to make specialty cakes for her. Eventually those requests were getting to be more than just a side job.
“It was literally taking over my kitchen,” said Robin. That was the moment Reitz said she noticed the fork in the road.
“My husband and I used to sit across the street. And this place was vacant for number of years. And we would sit and look at it and go, ‘Should we? Could we?’,” said Robin.
The then financial advisor made the decision along with her husband Micheal in 2011 to take the plunge and since it’s opening the demand for her baked goods, cakes and catering has skyrocketed.
Fast forward to 2018 and her son, Micheal, fresh out of Niagara College’s Culinary School, joined the team to start offering breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Now – the eatery is known as a go-to spot in Norfolk County not only for custom ordered and ready made cakes and sweets, but for it’s homemade daily soups and specials.
The restaurant boasts a classic breakfast menu, and one of the best cups of coffee in the whole county.
For lunch the renowned item is the Corned Beef and Swiss sandwich, with a house made dill pickle mayo. An all-inclusive menu has a Roasted Sweet Potato wrap with feta, dates, and a tahini dressing for a non-meat option.
The Autumn Cobb Salad is a crowd favourite — featuring mixed greens, sweet potato crunch, cranberries, pickled apples, egg, grilled chicken and a house Dijon-Maple vinaigrette.
When warm weather comes around you can also pop in for an ice cream cone as you walk through the village and enjoy your day.
Ritzy Cakes also does wedding cakes and catering throughout the year. They have a fabulous Instagram to check out as well at RitzyCakesEatery.
While you’re in the village, hop across the street and check out Nifty Gifty. This is a sister business to Ritzy Cakes and Eatery, showcasing gifts and art from over 20 local artisans as well as some giftware. This is a great place to pick up a Mother’s Day gift, or to get some nice handmade decor to freshen up the house for spring. All in all, both locations make for a nice trip to Waterford that is worth the drive and a good option for what to do in Norfolk County.
