Christina Sava bring a taste of their native Moldova to Springfield, Missouri. “She is a lot more intuitive, which is what helps
“Bread is Christina’s obsession,” says Komodi.
when you work with things like dough and yeast,”
“It was clear that no matter the cost, we were
Komodi says of Sava. “You kind of have to learn
going to make proper bread in-house.”
it and feel it. Every day is different. I am very logical in my ways. I develop a technique. It’s
Everything at the brunch spot is made in-house
perfect. It works every time. I am very precise
though – even the yogurt, mayonnaise, ricotta
when it comes to my technique, so it drives me
and chicken stock. Sava spent many late nights
crazy when she just adds a pinch of something.”
in the kitchen perfecting the challah French toast and focaccia, in particular, and Komodi
“I’m like, ‘Just relax, just relax,’” Sava chimes in
used her penchant for sugar to create the
with a laugh, “and then, she’s like, ‘How does
sweet side of the menu, with offerings such as
your cake even turn out?’ To me, everything
strawberry and cream pancakes with whipped
comes down to a really well-rounded technique.”
vanilla mascarpone, macerated strawberries and strawberry dust.
Komodi and Sava work in silos in the kitchen, leading separate teams. “She trains her
“I think successful businesses don’t stop
own people and I train my own,” says Sava.
growing and don’t stop adding on,” says Sava.
“Whenever I hire people, I’m like, ‘How do you
“We have an amazing customer base now, so
bake? How do you like baking? What’s your
we could be very content and sit back and just
passion for it?’ And if they answer, ‘Well, I’ll
let it happen as is, but we understand that we
figure it out if the dough doesn’t look right,’ I’m
also have a responsibility to them. We gained
like, ‘OK, great. I need a person who will figure it
their trust, and they’re with us because of how
out.’ A lot of the baking I do is about figuring it
amazing it is. We build these relationships with
out; it’s not based on a recipe.”
them, and we’re part of their weddings or baby showers at some point. So now, we get to see
When European Café’s neighboring business,
them come in with their babies, and we want to
Queen City Wine Dive, closed during the
grow with them. We want to continue to offer
COVID-19 pandemic, the sisters were
them services and things that inspire them and
presented with the opportunity to finally open
make them feel at home.”
the second concept they had been dreaming about for three years. Specifically, they wanted their new concept to bring big city vibes to Springfield, offer unique food with a few familiar dishes and showcase local farmers and local produce. But opening Rise has also allowed the pair to utilize their talents in an croissant. In particular, the cherry and cream cheese kolaches connect the sisters to their roots.
entirely new way.
“Over time, we’ve developed and trained with modern techniques, as we love to grow within our
“Rise is our dream
industry and always keep up with the latest trends,” says Sava, “but we always draw inspiration
come true,” says
from our childhood. Something you’ll often see on our menu is Amarena cherries – we love this
Sava. “We’re always
sweet and sour cherry that adds so much brightness to any pastry. When we were young, we had a
joking that unlike
cherry tree of our own, and every year, Mom would preserve the cherries for winter baking.”
most people, we travel for food.
Sava and Komodi’s confections are classically European but with a southern Missouri flair. They
It’s our absolute
use quality European ingredients such as Belgian chocolate and French preserves alongside
obsession and
locally sourced ingredients such as grass-fed milk from Edgewood Creamery, apples from A & A
life’s work.”
Orchard and sausage from Circle B Ranch for their quiche. A few things on “We really want to support smaller local farms, too. We were smaller guys at one point, and people
the menu, including
had to support us and believe in us. It’s important to not just support local in general but [to] also
the Belgian yeast
give people a chance to do very well. You get to become part of their success story. I think you’ll
waffles and ricotta
find us at the farmers’ market every Saturday,” says Komodi. “It is a lifestyle for us,” adds Sava.
pancakes, are recipes that they
Although they were slow to embrace a future in baking, with eight years in business on the table
have been working
now, both sisters have discovered their niches. Komodi focuses on the scientific side of things,
on for years,
such as finicky chocolates, mousses and cakes, while Sava is in charge of all things yeast and
making them two of
dough, such as croissants and bread for Rise, the new brunch concept the pair opened in February.
their favorites. / may 2 02 1
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