bowling green scene

T h e B o w l i n g G r e e n S c e n e

Happening Hamlet in the Heart of Caroline Co.

By amy bayne

Bowling Green residents are familiar with Angela Smith's mouthwatering daily menus posted on social media. Smith is the owner and baker at Your Just Desserts Bowling Green, a delectable eatery that offers fresh light food and desserts during the work week. With just 600 square feet, Smith's shop proves great things can come in small packages.

Your Just Desserts Bowling Green is relatively new to the scene (May 2022 will mark three years for the business), but Smith has been a lifelong resident of Bowling Green. When asked what her favorite dessert is to bake, Smith says she loves them all.

"It's like kids. I can't pick a favorite," she says. "I know certain customers gravitate toward certain things. I will tell you that when I was growing up my father loved French Apple Pie. If you have never had one, there are raisins in it and butter cream frosting on top. As a child, I thought that was strange, but it was a treat for him. Now I like to make them because they remind me of my parents, and they are something you don't find everywhere. He's not the only person in Bowling Green and Caroline that loves them too."

Smith says she has customers from Richmond and Fredericksburg who know that Your Just Desserts Bowling Green is the place to go for French Apple Pie.

"I've lived here all my life," Smith says, "but my career took me out of town for most of it, so I've felt like a visitor at times. Baking cakes, pies, and desserts was a stress-reliever for me, and I started doing the farmer's market in town. When I retired from my full-time job, my side hustle became my hustle."

When a prime corner spot on Main Street became available just a year after she retired, Smith contacted the owner. He gave her carte blanche to work her magic in the space.

"I went in and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with the space. I knew we couldn't just have desserts, so we started thinking about food. I knew I wanted to make everything like I made my desserts with fresh, healthy ingredients and no added sugars. Everything is made in small quantities daily. There are no preservatives, no premade food; everything is made from scratch. The only thing I don't make is the bread for the sandwiches, but I do make the cornbread and quick breads."

Additionally, Smith sells art made by local artisans and children. She says, "It all started with having children's art. I told the teachers that I would only do it if we could put a price on it. Many children are discouraged from becoming artists because people tell them there is no money in it. I want them to see that art can sell. I did it to encourage them to go after their dreams."

Smith echoes many of the new Main Street shops featured in this column when she says she's been supported by the community in Bowling Green and throughout Caroline County. Covid forced her business model to change during 2020, and she moved to the popular curbside pick-up model to keep the community and her employees safe. She's now back to being open daily and says she appreciates the community support that helped her stay open during the peak of the pandemic. "I honestly believe that everyone in the community sees the businesses downtown as theirs too. We don't feel like we're in this by ourselves. That's really special," Smith says.

Visit Your Just Desserts, located at 120 N. Main Street, Bowling Green, VA, 22427, Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. -3 3 p.m. Follow them on Facebook @YourJustDessertsBowlingGreen to see a daily sandwich board menu of freshly made food ready to pick up for lunch.

Amy Bayne is a writer, artist, and educator who lives in Bowling Green with her wife Leah, stepson Atticus, and a menagerie of cuddly four-footed beasts.

December Events in Bowling Green Saturday, December 4, 12 p.m.: Make a Holiday Wreath (2hrs; $45), The Painted Horse Gallery, 114 N. Main Street; register@thepaintedhorse.org/workshop -registration. Friday, December 10, after dark: Bowling Green Christmas Lights Contest - Drive around and check out the houses in the contest on and after this date. Residents within the town limits of Bowling Green are eligible. Register with Susan Sili (susan_sili@msn.com). Saturday, December 11, 5 p.m.: 2021 Bowling Green Christmas Parade of Lights - Businesses reveal their holiday light displays and the town enjoys a light-inspired parade. Sunday, December 12, 2 p.m.: Make a Holiday Table Arrangement (2hrs; $45), The Painted Horse Gallery, 114 N. Main @thepaintedhorse.org/workshopregistration.