Cake By The Ocean

Tracy Obolsky, Chef/Owner, Rockaway Beach Bakery

It’s the end of an era in Rockaway Beach, New York City. The go-to spot for savory Everything Ham and Swiss Croissants and delicious Grandma Helen’s plum cake recently shut its doors at 87-10 Rockaway Beach Blvd, pulling down the iconic Gone Surfing door for the last time. In NYC, it’s common to lose favorite spots, coffee shops, restaurants, and the list goes on. It’s part of the norm. But losing a place like this that feels intimate and is an integral part of the Rockaway community hits hard. Rockaway Beach Bakery is, or was, the kind of place that makes living in Rockaway so special. It will be missed.

Tracy and I have been friends for years, and I’ve photographed her in and out of the water since 2018. I have hundreds of photos of her surfing. Even though she works hard, she makes surfing a priority in her life. When you see her out there, you notice how at home she looks out in the ocean. We finally made official plans, creating a fun photo shoot and an interview back in May of 2024. Life got busy and crazy, and I never posted the interview and the photos. I actually took a pause from social media, from work, all the things. A few days ago, I started dipping my toe, cautiously, back in the social waters, and the first thing I see is Tracy’s post about the bakery closing. I reached out immediately to check on her. Cool things happening behind the scenes, and something new is in the works. But that’s all I know! We’ll have to wait and see, but in the meantime, I wanted to pull all of our photos and our conversations together and make this Wild interview happen.

Tracy’s one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met. A Pratt Institute Grad, she earned a BFA in Illustration. She planned on becoming an illustrator or a snowboarder, which if you know Tracy, that dichotomy fits. Inspired by crazy cake competition shows, Tracy enrolled in pastry school. At twenty-six, she became an Executive Pastry Chef at Esca, then North End Grill, and Cookshop. Her skills in the kitchen and the unique recipes she created made her sought after and kept her at the top of her game. Through the years, I’ve questioned how someone who works that hard and gets up that early always has a smile on her face and endless energy. I can tell you now, that is not how I handle stress. I’m guessing it’s her time in Manhattan that helped form her mastery of work, stress, and success. If she could make it there, she could make it anywhere. She talks more about that part of her career in our interview, giving insight into what actually lured her away from the city and out to Queens. Her next chapter will be no less than spectacular. As we all await the unveiling, I hope you’ll take a moment to read our interview. Of course, I didn’t expect anything less than fun and laughs—she has such good energy. Tracy was up for anything! So she brought out her famous pastries and cookies. She took them for a walk on the beach and of course out for a little surf. Congratulations on all of your success at the Blvd, Tracy, and cheers to this exciting next chapter.

Tracy, when did you start surfing?

TO: I started surfing consistently about nine years ago when I moved to Rockaway. I took a lesson in Costa Rica about twelve years ago and was hooked. I’d always wanted to surf growing up while spending summers at the New Jersey Shore. Unfortunately, my parents weren’t too keen on the idea. I was forced to stick to bodyboarding until I was an adult.

You have an iconic Gone Surfing graphic on your door that comes down when you’re closed. Sometimes during the summer, the bakery closes and that sign is up. How do you balance your love of surfing and your business? Why was it important to you to bring surfing into your work?

TO: Once in a while I would close early or close for the day to go surfing, for sure. But now I have an amazing staff that can run the bakery when I’m not there (which took five years). I try to balance my work with surfing by checking the surf forecast. Sometimes I have time to surf before work. Sometimes I can surf after work for sunset. And sometimes I’m lucky to catch both, getting to see sunrise and sunset from my board in the same day. There are definitely times where I miss out on waves, but at least I get to feed the hungry surfers that were lucky enough to score some waves. My logo, a woman surfing a croissant, was a fun, playful idea to bring surfing into the bakery. It just kind of came natural. I’m located at the beach, open year round, and love feeding the surf community, as well as the non surfing community. I love when the bakery is full, post surf session: everyone has wet hair, and they’re talking about their waves of the day.

What does surfing add to your life?

TO: Surfing adds so much to my life. I love surfing, because it is one of the only things I can do that can take my mind off anything and everything that may be bothering me. I’m forced to focus on the ocean and the beautiful surroundings. It’s super fun, challenging, and a great workout. There’s nothing like that feeling you get after a great session in the water.

Do you prefer surfing solo or with a friend(s)?

TO: I love surfing solo and also appreciate surfing with friends. Even if I end up paddling out alone, I usually end up seeing friends or acquaintances once I’m out there. Surfing solo is a great way to clear your mind and really engulfs you with the nature around you.

Are most of your friends surfers? What do you value most about the surf community? (locally & as a whole)

TO: I would say that fifty percent of my friends are surfers. I love how supportive the surf community is. Everyone is ready to clean up the beach or donate their time or product when there is a subject in need. Everyone is out for the same goal—to have fun and share the stoke while protecting what Mother Nature has gifted us.

Why Rockaway Beach? And how long have you been here?

TO: I ended up in Rockaway Beach after moving here to not only surf more and live near the ocean, but also to feel some sort of separation once I left my high paced, stressful Fine Dining Executive Pastry Chef job in Manhattan for my workweek. It was still right off the A train so I was able to commute to the city and live full time a block away from the ocean, a dream I’ve always had. I would come out here before work with one of my best friends and I would hang my wetsuit in the office to dry and the GM would always complain about the sand on the carpet. Rockaway is still technically NYC and you can get there easily but it’s also far enough away and a very drastic different beach town feel to it.

There’s obvious things about Rockaway that make it special like the beach, surfing, nature, small town community, but there’s also something about it that’s youthful. Rockaway makes me feel like a kid that’s actually a grown woman that rides her bike everywhere. It’s just so fun and nostalgic, reminds me of summer at the Jersey shore but I somehow made it my life lol.

You have a background as a pastry chef in Manhattan. That seems like such a drastic change to bakery shop owner in Rockaway. Could you explain that evolution?

TO: It was a drastic change from commuting to the city as a Pastry Chef to opening a small bakery in a beach town. I was so burnt out I was trying to figure out a way to spend more time on and enjoy this beautiful peninsula I moved to. I was always working, crazy hours too. I got stuck during a blizzard one winter and couldn’t get back to Rockaway, and that was the last straw. I thought to myself what if I started a small bakery. There’s not a lot of offerings like that out here. I bravely quit my job and started slinging pastries and coffee out of a shack at a small marina in Arverne to the local fishermen and old timers. The croissants ended up being the favorite, especially the Everything Ham and Swiss croissant which I am known for. Word traveled fast about the “secret bakery.” I sold out of anything and everything I made daily. I eventually set up a brick and mortar shop almost 9 years ago and luckily it all worked out well.

How did it feel those first few weeks and months after leaving your pastry chef career behind? I mean that's a dream job for a lot of people.

TO: It was terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time. I was fed up with my life style and the long hours and sacrifices. I was ready to start something completely new and my own, from scratch. I felt a lot of guilt too—the owners and chefs at my job kept trying to make me stay, and I felt bad for leaving—they were all great owners, chefs, and peers. I felt bad because I know my family thought I was crazy and maybe still think I am. I mean, I had it all and was only climbing up . . . apparently it wasn’t making me as happy as it used to, and I was completely burnt out and miserable. It was a new welcomed scary, exciting beginning of a whole new chapter in my life. And I’ll never forget my last train ride home from that job in Chelsea. I didn’t realize I was on a Lefferts train and it took me twice as long to get home. First time I did that too. 

Have you ever missed it?

TO: I have moments when I do miss it but try to remind myself of what an awesome life I’ve created for myself here and to be proud that I started something from nothing all myself. It’s easy to romanticize about the fun great moments, but I have to remind myself of how I felt the rest of the time. I work even harder now than when I worked in fine dining, but now I’m doing it for myself.  

What’s it like to own a bakery?

TO: It’s pretty great owning a bakery but it’s also a ton of work. There’s always fires to put out, problems to solve and deal with and I usually have five thousand things going through my mind at any given moment. It’s nice having full creative freedom and being able to offer this service to the community and mentor my staff to enable them to do anything they wish to do in their careers. I love seeing everyone that comes in and talking with them. I love this bubble of a life I’ve created, where I live right by the beach with my husband and dog, ride my bike on the boardwalk to and from work year round, bake beautiful delicious food, and surf as much as I can. I pinch myself sometimes. I am very lucky.

Grandma Helen's Plum Cake is a menu favorite. It's so moist and delicious with the perfect amount of sweetness--let's just say I've ordered it more than once over the years. Who is Grandma Helen? 

TO: Grandma Helen was my mom’s mom—she passed away when I was a baby so I didn’t really know her but heard a lot about her and her baking skills. I have a lot of her recipes, which are really unique and retro. Anything that has “Grandma Helen” in the name of the pastry is one of her recipes that I’ve tweaked over the years. The recipes are typed on the typewriter or hand written which is cool too.

You also travel often to Costa Rica. Is that your go to adventure surf locale? And why? What’s special about Costa Rica?

TO: I love Costa Rica and travel there every chance I get! I love the surf, the wildlife, the people. It’s absolutely beautiful and extremely diverse. I go to a certain area so much that I have friends there and regular bars and restaurants that I frequent. I feel at home when I’m there.

Summer surf? Or winter surf?

TO: I love surfing in the summer because there are many more hours of daylight to take advantage of so I get to surf more, but the waves tend to be smaller and the lineups more crowded. I love winter surfing, but I definitely don’t love the extra time it takes me to put on all the extra rubber or the extra weight it puts on you when you're out there. I also get too cold after about forty-five minutes to an hour at most. So my time is limited out there, but it’s absolutely better than not surfing at all!

Favorite Board? How many boards do you own?

TO: It's a hard decision but the board I end up using most of the time is my McTavish Sumo 7’6” cause it can get into anything, which is great when there’s not a lot of power but can still perform well when there is more size. I currently own five boards but am always looking to add to the collection.

What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

TO: I think something that people would be surprised to know about me is that I eat a TON—-everyone sees a skinny bakery owner and thinks I don’t eat my own product, but that’s not true at all. I am gifted with the fastest metabolism known to man and am extremely active. You will rarely see me sitting still unless it’s to watch a New York Rangers game. I also really enjoy singing karaoke, lol.

My time on the Blvd has come to an end, but fret not bakery friends, new things are in the works. So stay tuned! What a wild decade this has been! So thankful for my amazing staff, family, friends, and this Rockaway community. Damn, I love this town! Until then, catch you in the surf! ~ Tracy Obolsky

Zen Life

Takashi Yamada

51

Japanese Fashion Company Director, Model, Surfer

West Chester, New York

How were you introduced to surfing?

I surfed for the first time when I was 20 years old. At that time some of my friends had already started surfing together. Short board surfing was very challenging to me, and I didn’t enjoy it much. Longboard surfing was a game changer. 

Do you prefer surfing solo or with a friend(s)?

I usually surf with friends. If it’s Rockaway, I don’t mind going by myself, because there are always some familiar faces in the lineup. 

Surfing and Travel tend to go hand in hand. Where are the places you’ve surfed?

California, Barbados, Costa Rica, Maui, Oahu in Hawaii, and Bali, Indonesia. I enjoy surfing locally to avoid too much work for traveling. 

Are most of your friends surfers? What do you value most about the surf community? (locally & as a whole) 

Yes, most of my close friends are surfers. Respect is most important. We share the waves, and I do not say how they surf. But I’m always open to hearing advice from good surfers. 

Surfers usually have an ever growing collection of boards. Do you have a collection? What’s your favorite surfboard that you own? And why is it your favorite?

I’m not a collector. I have only 3 longboards, 1 mid length, a shortboard, and now a fish.

My Takayama longboard is my favorite because this is the first board I bought when I moved to NYC, and it's a really easy board. 

How has surfing changed you? What does surfing add to your life?

It’s a lot. I try to be healthy because I surf. Surfing is not easy. That's why I always try to improve with kook spirit! 

Can you put into words the feeling you have out in the water, riding a wave?

I feel a sense of unity with nature. It's Zen for me. 

I always find it so interesting to learn more about a surfer's background. You and I  recently did a photo shoot, and you talked about how you began modeling. I especially love stories about people doing new things later in their lives and careers. Could you talk about how you started modeling?

I started professional modeling several years ago. One of our clients asked me to model for them. Other customers saw me modeling and started asking me. Even Esquire Magazine reached out to me. Since then I model several times per season. To be honest, I was really surprised to become a model in my late forties. 

What are 2 or 3 things you know for sure?

*Surfing makes a healthy body and life.

*Surfing is the best tool to make friends. 

*Surfing releases stress, relieves anxiety, and brings clarity to the mind and the heart.

How can I stop surfing?