Aunt, Niece Serving Up Homemade Dishes, Homespun Conversation At Orinda Bakery

The slogan at the Heaven Sent Bakery & Cafe in Orinda is a simple one.

It says, "Just the way Grandma used to make."

Carol Heath is the co-owner and she is grandmother.

However, she doesn't do the cooking. Her niece, Michelle Meyn, is back in the kitchen, putting together original recipes with fresh ingredients.

"She loves the kitchen and the kitchen loves her," said Heath.

Heath and Meyn have been a compatible pair ever since Meyn was a little girl.

Heath said she was the classic aunt that her niece could talk to when nobody else would listen.

So, it was natural when Meyn was operating six drive-through expresso cafes in the 1990s that her aunt would join her in business.

The two eventually gave up those franchises and started a catering business together in San Diego.

That was successful, but it got to be a little hectic. Plus, Meyn missed her three children who lived in the Bay Area and Heath missed her grandkids who were also here.

"In this business you can burn out really fast," said Heath, "so we decided to take it a little easy."

So, they opened a small bakery in Orinda with what Heath describes as "fresh, homemade comfort food."

"We felt the people here would appreciate what we were trying to do," said Heath.

The pair bought out a sandwich shop owner in the small center across Orinda Way from City Hall.

Heath is the upfront person, taking customers' orders and chatting it up with them.

Meyn stays in the kitchen, where she cooks up recipes she learned from her grandfather and thinks up new ones of her own.

Both appreciate what the other does.

"She allows me to stay in back and she's one of my biggest fans," said Meyn. "Cooking is my way to stay connected with my granddaddy."

Heaven Sent is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Its breakfast menu includes the eggs, pancakes, French toast, bagels, scones, croissants and breakfast burritos.

The lunch menu contains sandwiches, soups and salads. For dessert, there's also pies and cakes.

Heath said her niece uses only fresh ingredients and they even smoke their own meat.

"Pretty much nothing comes out of a box or can," said Heath. "She's a stickler for fresh."

Meyn also has a knack for combining ingredients you might not think go together. For example, one of her specialities is a lemon basil cake.

"You're not going to just get a cake here," said Heath.

The other key ingredient to the shop's success is the special relationship the aunt and niece have.

They have to. They live together in Alamo and work together in Orinda.

"It makes it easy that way. We have a special relationship," said Heath. "So far, I haven't tried to kill her and she's only tried to kill me a couple times."