When I was a boy, it was a big deal to stop by Punta Clara Kitchen and buy some fudge and pralines. It was a special treat, made me happy, and I thought it was a pretty cool place. They moved the kitchen while I was in college, but it was still close, so I didn’t mind.

The Punta Clara Kitchen in Point Clear started in 1952 when Dorothy Pacey began baking cakes to supplement the family's income. Dorothy was the granddaughter of Edward and Rosina Brodbeck, who immigrated from Germany in 1897 and built the house where Punta Clara Kitchen is now. I visited with Paul Pacey, Dorothy’s son, and Kim Clay, her granddaughter, a week ago and it was a thoroughly enjoyable history lesson. 

Paul and his wife, Susan, are now the patriarch and matriarch of the family business. All the grandchildren have worked in the business at one time or another. Paul says, “Each one of them learned how to get out of bed and work a schedule, scrub floors, whatever job needed to be done.” But Paul is quick to point out that his daughter, Kim, a registered dietician, is the head honcho.

Through the years, Paul says the business has grown a lot. It’s a family-owned, closely held business. “The goal is to make more money than we spend,” he says. Kim says, “So far, the only downturns we’ve had were  Hurricane Katrina and the  BP oil spill.”  In the case of no power, a small generator kept one room in the old house cool enough so that the chocolates didn’t melt.

Punta Clara had adjusted hours during Covid but never closed  That year, they made Chocolate Bunnies with masks for Easter and people went crazy for them. Kim says, “Our sales were significantly higher after Covid. People even told us they were spending their Covid relief funds to support us after Hurricane Sally. That’s just how people are around here.”

Punta Clara Kitchen doesn’t advertise. “It’s all word of mouth,” Paul says. “The Grand Hotel sends people down here all the time.” They will do a few Studio 10 shows in the Fall, which will boost their Holiday sales. “About a third of our business is during the Holidays,” says Paul. Easter is also big for chocolate and Panoramic Eggs. The new Punta Clara Kitchen catalog is at the printer now and will be mailed to over 2500 addresses in mid-October.  

The praline recipe was developed by Paul’s dad in 1950. Paul’s favorite cake is the Golden Layer Cake with lemon filling and 7-minute “fluffy” icing. He is also a fan of the Carrot Cake and the Devil’s Food Cake with Peppermint. My favorite is the Caramel Cake. It’s fantastic. All cakes are by special order and Punta Clara needs two-days advance notice.

Fruit Cakes are popular and sell out quickly. They had just baked 128 pounds when I visited. The cakes have to sit for a while before they are ready to sell. With supply chain issues, some items like jars for jellies and preserves, candied pineapple for fruit cake, and even fruit cake mixes have been difficult to get. “We bought 300 pounds six months in advance this year.” Prices for ingredients have increased 60% to 70% in the last two years.

The fig preserves are truly special.  Paul said he used to be able to buy figs, but now he has to know someone locally that grows them. “We have a list of people, and we pick them in mid-June and July.” Watermelons are ready in May. “We use the whole watermelon for watermelon rind pickles and watermelon jelly. “I don’t know anyone else that sells watermelon rind pickles.” They are pretty tasty and go well in chicken salad.

Punta Clara has many gourmet preserves, jams, and jellies to choose from.  They offer a wide variety of homemade sweets and candied nuts, as well.  Get your Holiday gift list together and Punta Clara Kitchen will do all the work for you including shipping. Your friends, family, and clients will love you for it!

When I moved back to Point Clear in my 50s, I met a guy who lives in Daphne who has one of the most remarkable sports memorabilia collections I have ever seen. I took a few people by to see his collection and he told us how he acquired each item. He has a signed baseball from every single Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, Muhammad Ali’s full boxing attire set with gloves, shoes, and cape, and an original framed Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue of Tyra Bank’s cover photo.. signed!  

His secret to building his collection? My new friend told me he got to know every major sports team's equipment manager and coach’s assistant. He sent each of them a box of Punta Clara Kitchen chocolates, pralines, and candies. They would, in turn, get him signed jerseys, helmets, gloves, and bathing suits. Pretty clever!  

Drop by and pick up a catalog, sample a few sweets they have for tasting, or, better yet, get on their mailing list to stay up to date. You can order online at www.puntaclara.com or call 1-800-437-8477. Everything they make is delicious.!