Sherry Yard Leaves Spago to Open Epic Bakery W/ S. Yoon

Sherry Yard, executive pastry chef of Wolfgang Puck's dining group, reigning queen of Los Angeles desserts and all around sweetheart, is leaving Spago to open her own bakery, reports the Los Angeles Times. What's most interesting about this news is that Yard is partnering with Sang Yoon (Father's Office, Lukshon) to re-invent the old Helm's Bakery in Culver City, which closed its bakery operations in 1969. Apparently, Sang has been wanting to open a bakery in the complex (which now sells mostly furniture) for years. When he heard that Yard was interested in opening her own bakeshop, he pounced on the opportunity to work with her.

Yard tells the LA Times, "He just grabbed my arm and said, 'Oh my god, I've had plans to do a bakery there for the last two years and just couldn't find the right partner. You were at the top of my list but I never dreamed you'd be interested.'" The 10,000-square-foot bakery will sell a full line of pastries and breads and will also house a cafe that will serve breakfast and lunch. The first stage of the pair's plan is to start serving some of the breakfast items at Father's Office in Culver City early next year. Yard doesn't expect the bakery to open until next September at the earliest. It is not clear whether the new bakery will be called Helm's or not. After 19 years at Spago, Yard leaves Puck's dessert menu in the hands of Della Gossett (Charlie Trotter's).
·Sherry Yard gets her own bakery [LAT]
·All Sang Yoon Coverage [~ELA~]