Fortune Food's Kitchen

NEW LOCAL BAKERY ~

Brings Good Fortune to Customers & Community

By Natalie Downey

Food and community go hand in hand, and a new bakery is finding ways to support local while striving to create the tastiest breads in town, with the help of a little cosmic intervention.

Fortune Food’s Kitchen is located just north of the Piggly Wiggly on River Road – just look for the “Fresh Bread” sign. Once inside you’ll be met with a robust display of delightful sourdoughs, baguettes, bagels, cinnamon rolls and whatever else the guys dreamt up that morning to delight you, including gluten free items (by request and on Saturdays). After making your choice and after tasting that first bite, you’ll fully understand how passionate Kurt and Adam are about food – and especially about hearty, hand-made bread.

Adam Icard And Kurt Dralle

Photo Taken By Electric City Life

The kitchen was created by Kurt Dralle and Adam Icard, two culinary artists who share an insatiable passion for finding locally sourced ingredients and making mouth-watering delicacies that are always seasonally forward.

The two met while working in the kitchen at a local restaurant. Kurt had been dreaming of opening a bread business, and one day mentioned this to Adam, to which Adam replied, “I love baking bread! It’s my dream.”

At first Kurt and Adam only sold their bread at markets and events, and it soon became popular. Their plan was to just keep selling at markets, until one day it “just kinda fell in our laps,” Adam says. As a storefront location became available in the River Road shopping center, they decided to take the opportunity. As one fortunate event led to another, they completely renovated the space themselves and Fortune Food’s Kitchen was born.

Like the food they make, the naming of the business was chosen with much intention, and a little cosmic intervention. Through the family member of a friend trained in the old-world way of fortune telling – by reading coffee grounds – a fortune was read, for fun. They believe it led them to where they are today. “Whatever happened that day put all this into motion,” Kurt said.

With an appreciation for the fortunate events that led to the realization of their dreams, Kurt and Adam decided it was too much of a coincidence and settled on the name Fortune Food’s Kitchen. With full intent to pay the good fortune forward to all who enter their doors, the name echoes the optimism of the two bread makers who decided to follow their passion and take a leap together.

Both credit their food mentors with teaching them the skills and knowledge they’ve put to work in the bakery. Kurt has more of a background in classical cuisine, and carries a passion for locally sourced, farmto-table ingredients. Adam has run the gamut of the food world, working everything from McDonald’s, to

a bar and grill, to fine dining. “It was the boulangerie work” Adam said, for him, and the realization that he had found something he truly loved that really planted the seeds that would lead to their dreams of opening a bakery. “Our dream has evolved so much as it has grown,” they both said.

They’ve now expanded on their bread making and have included sandwiches to their menu items, opening up a whole new horizon in their vision.

By sourcing their ingredients from regional sources to foster local spirit and support, Kurt and Adam focus on providing the highest quality ingredients to their customers. “People taste the difference when food is made from fresh, local, organic products,” Kurt explains. “In a true kitchen, everybody’s making everything.”

Kurt and Adam’s commitment to making the best product means they consider every ingredient in their food. “If we can’t get it locally,” Kurt says, “We get the best possible quality.”

Since they collaborate with local farms, the ingredients they have to work with vary from season to season, and they always appreciate the challenge of creating something new with the fresh ingredients they get. They remember a time when the only

vegetables they had to work with were cabbage, kale, and collards. “We took those three ingredients and we made about fifteen different products out of them,” Adam chuckles.

Kurt and Adam’s commitment to quality has paid off, setting them apart as culinary professionals whose work tells the story of their persistence and passion. “We love the ability to make pastas, sauces, garnishes and pastries, using the freshest ingredients from just right around the corner,” Adam proudly exclaims. The guys tell stories of people who compare the quality of their food to dishes tasted in Italy, France, and around the world. It’s evident that they love what they do. At the end of the day, for Kurt and Adam, it’s all about the food and community. They wouldn’t be where they are today without their passion for new food experiences and creating an environment that helps all thrive while making the best product possible.

And the magic of good fortune.

Fortune Food’s Kitchen has breakfast and lunch items in addition to freshly baked breads, pastas and pastries. Open Tuesday - Friday 7:00 am - 2:00 pm and Saturday 9:00 am - 2:00 pm (sellout). The restaurant is located at 5156 River Road, you’ll see the sign.