SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The pandemic changed life for many, and for many, a new way of life rose from that change.
Sebastiani "Bubba" Romagnolo was living in New York when coronavirus took hold of a city used to being a thriving center of culture, entertainment, commerce and international business.
The South Lake Tahoe native moved back home to the lake in December, leaving New York behind, for now. Growing up in South Lake Tahoe Bubba was deeply involved in theater and dance, passions that took took the 2007 South Tahoe High graduate to New York University and ultimately Broadway. After his 2011 graduation from NYU, Romagnolo went on to work in shows from small regional theaters to Broadway and the Lincoln Center. He has been a part of about 40 shows in six states, including doing choreography for the production of Sponge Bob Square Pants.
All of that shut down with COVID-19 and he headed back to Lake Tahoe where his parents are still living.
Bubba did what many started doing during the pandemic...baking bread, and he started learning to make sourdough.
"I was failing miserably at the beginning and started studying during the pandemic," said the 31-year-old Romagnolo of his quest for the perfect bread.
He'd been a line cook in New York restaurants and around food service all his life with his parent's catering company, so cooking and baking weren't strangers to him though bread and sourdough were new.
Once he perfected a recipe, Bubba said he couldn't stop baking. His parents were the recipients of all the baked creations but told him they couldn't possibly eat all that he was baking.
"I said to myself, there is something I need to do with this," said Bubba.
He remembered walking to the grocery store while still in New York, seeing lines of people blocks long waiting for food donations. Romagnolo has a job at this time working in contact tracing for people diagnosed with COVID-19, and while driving to work one day he got the idea of selling bread as a way to help the community. He was hearing about the reality of coronavirus and knew he had to participate.
Those thought have turned into Uprise Bread.
He takes orders for Classic Dough and Olive Herb and Nut until Thursday, creates the doughs on Friday, bakes the breads on Saturday morning, and delivers the loaves that afternoon. At this time he is planning on doing two baking weekends a month and sales are going swiftly. There is already a legion of fans that follow the Uprise Bread Facebook page and order through the website, https://www.uprisebread.com/.
All proceeds from the bread go back to nonprofits helping the South Lake Tahoe community. Currently the beneficiaries are Bread & Broth, the Family Resource Center, the food bank at Lake Tahoe Community College, El Dorado County's Sonido Milagroso, and Tahoe Magic.
In just two baking weekends Romagnolo has made 68 loaves, providing 623 meals through the $991 earned so far. He had thought that first weekend would only have about eight or ten orders, he ended up with 34. The second baking ended up just as many orders.
Even with all the fun he is having baking, Romagnolo said his favorite part is delivering the bread. He talks to customers and hears their stories.
When his job contact tracing ends in August Bubba doesn't know his next steps but for the time being, its
Bubba is working on perfecting a gluten free bread, but that is still in the works. To order (deadlines are at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday if capacity hasn't been met), visit HERE. Donations for his endeavor to help those in need are also accepted.
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Breaking bread with the community, one loaf at a time - South Tahoe Now
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