There’s a new chef in town who has taken over one of the city’s most iconic bakeries. Open since last month, Pinkerton’s is located in the historic building, 8 Fair St., that for 23 years housed Cake Box. Immediately floored by the space’s rich history, pastry chef and restaurateur Angela Pinkerton saw it as the perfect location to build her first solo-owned bakeshop in the Hudson Valley.

“[Former Cake Box owner Walter Swarthout] had left such a legacy in this space for 23 years. We just wanted to keep it a bakery and continue that for the neighborhood. It just seemed kind of like kismet,” said Pinkerton. The bakery is the cross-country transition of Pinkerton’s successful San Francisco-based pie shop Pie Society to a Hudson Valley storefront.

Pie Society started as an online retail store during the height of the pandemic as Pinkerton’s attempt to provide something sweet to residents of the Bay Area during an exceedingly bitter time. After nearly a decade of building her career on the West Coast, Pinkerton convinced her partner to move back to the East Coast, which housed many fond memories from her time training as a pastry chef in New York.

“I lived in New York City for eight years, and so I still have a lot of friends that I consider family that live in and close to the city,” says Pinkerton. “When I lived in New York City, I used to come up to the Hudson Valley, and as somebody who grew up in a very rural environment, have always wanted to move back into that type of area and buy a home and settle down.” Originally from northeastern Ohio, Pinkerton said Kingston reminds her of the small town she grew up in and wants to build a space that locals from all ends can enjoy.

“We're not coming in trying to charge you $20 for a breakfast sandwich. We're really trying to keep our prices reasonable and deliver a really awesome product and make a warm space,” Pinkerton said. “A lot of people think we're from San Francisco, but we're not. We grew up in a place like this, and so for us, it's kind of coming back so we want to come in and become part of the town.”

Staying true to her roots, Pinkerton’s is currently serving up a delectable line of fresh pies, including Pie Society’s best-seller, the passion fruit meringue — a passion fruit custard over homemade graham cracker crust, with a bay leaf-infused cream and toasted meringue “It's the gateway drug,” Pinkerton laughs. For a heartier option, consider the scallion biscuit chicken pot pie, with homemade stock and chicken gravy. Other favorites on the menu include the “somewhat elusive” breakfast sandwich — a homemade English muffin with scrambled eggs, Cabot cheddar, and tarragon mayonnaise — which has sold out every day since opening.

Pinkerton has a knack for incorporating savory flavors into traditionally sweet pastries, drawing inspiration from the fine-dining establishments like Eleven Madison Park that she built her career in. Having worked in kitchens where guests would have 15 to 20 courses before making it to her pastries, Pinkerton learned to craft dishes that were balanced in flavor and kept the “tired palate” wanting more, she explains. “I still have that quality, even if I'm just making a slice of pie or an English muffin breakfast sandwich,” she says. “We're always tweaking the items to be balanced and bright and not heavy and quietly sweet.” Other classics include croissants and cheese danishes; a lunch menu is coming soon. Pinkerton’s Bakery, 8 Fair St. is open Monday and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, visit https://www.pinkertonsbakery.com/