One day last week, Chris Arvanitis told Linda Zimmerman that she's now a baptized Greek.

He wasn't diminishing the holy sacrament or trying to change the religion of the covering-wearing, Conservative Mennonite woman.

He was simply saying that her baklava that day was the best she'd ever made.

Arvanitis said all this behind the Baker's Nook Cafe's deli cases full of her baked goods, near the counters from which she and others are making and serving soup and sandwiches to go along with them.

Zimmerman and her husband, Steven, brought their country bakery to Elkhart. They're selling the items they and their employees make in their bakery east of Goshen. But they're also serving breakfast and lunch in the warm, well-lit spot in Easy Shopping Place.

Arvanitis had retired from operating a Burger Dairy store and adopted the Zimmermans, becoming their agent, promoter and delivery man. He encouraged them to find a place in Elkhart.

"He begged and pleaded 'Please come,'" she said.

His wife, Esther, now works for Zimmerman.

Elkhart has Adam's Cake Shop and John's Bagels. Coffee shops bake some of their own items. Italian restaurants and delis are baking breads. Charlie's Butcher Block makes fine baked goods. Martin's Super Markets has baked goods. But no one in Elkhart had the range of quality items that Baker's Nook has.

Linda Zimmerman started Baker's Nook six years ago and grew the business beyond making pies and bread.

Steven was a professional dairy hoof trimmer. The hooves of cows grow like our toenails and he traveled from farm to farm to trim them for 261/2 years. He'd been trimming since he was a young adolescent on his family's farm. In October 2006, he seriously injured his shoulder and couldn't continue that work.

So he got involved in the bakery business and they looked for ways to grow it.

"We went from wholesale to retail," he said.

He's often at 127 Easy Shopping Place, helping serve breakfast or lunch.

"It's a new life," he said, commenting that he's been surprised how warm and gracious customers have been.

Since opening Aug. 23, they've gained a stable of regulars, but are still introducing themselves and what they do.

In this column last November, I wrote about the holiday cookies, candies and chocolates Zimmerman and her employees were making, in addition to the baklava for the Greek restaurant owners locally, cheesecakes that were a favorite of Truth staffers, and pumpkin roll that made me want to push a pumpkin pie off a holiday table as an excuse to eat that instead.

Breakfast offerings include baked oatmeal, a healthy cake made with oats instead of flour. Biscuits and gravy, egg casserole and cinnamon rolls are on the menu too.

At lunch, the Zimmermans have honed in on soup and sandwiches to be served along with the range of baked desserts.

Two or three soups are available daily. The cream soups are rich and wholesome. The chowders have a good amount of vegetables. And what I like is that a cup is $1.99 and a bowl is $2.99, which seems like the right price for good soup.

The sandwiches are on the soft, wheat bread that Baker's Nook is so good at making. The ham salad is good. The pulled pork sandwich ($3.95) reflects the care of rubbing, roasting and shredding the hunks of pork and combining it with a simple barbecue sauce.

The sloppy joe isn't worth $3.45 at this point. It isn't sloppy, but is bland. Zimmerman said her father, Alvin, has a recipe that's sloppy and she may turn him loose to turn it into something she can make and serve.

The pasta, macaroni and potato salads tend to be sweet, but taste like good homemade versions of them. I'd like to see more nutrient-packed options that rely more on fresh vegetables than on mayonnaise-based dressings, but perhaps that will come with time.

What's nice is the bakery equivalent of a combo meal. A big lunch for $8.95 includes a sandwich, bowl of soup, dessert and drink. It's a lot of food. A smaller version for $6.35 includes a cup of soup, dessert, drink and an adorable mini-sandwich made with a smaller loaf of the bread.

Wraps are selling well at lunch, though I'll stick to the combos. I prefer burritos and tacos to the wraps that bend tortillas to the whims of people trying to avoid both bread and Mexican food.

January and February are usually when she works to develop and test new recipes. That has already happened some for the new cafe, but will likely get turned up even more this winter. I look forward to seeing what comes.

Linda is eager for counsel and often says, "Try this," and while I'm still chewing, says, "Whaddya think?"

Our families have known each other for most of our lives. Now we're two Mennonites who found their way to Elkhart.

Her bakery, which has had a booth at the Goshen Farmers Market, has an outpost in Elkhart.

It offers a bunch of possibilities for that holiday carry-in or a quick, hearty lunch.

Those are both things that put a smile on my face as I chew.

Quick bites

* Spots remain open on the Dining A La King trip to Ireland being planned for May 15 to 23. About half of the 30 or so spots available are filled. The eight-day trip will delve into the country's food traditions, though most people don't think of Ireland as having great cuisine.

I expect to eat well if we go. The country has great ingredients that a number of cooks and chefs are rediscovering in new ways.

Irish food extends beyond potatoes. The fresh salmon and cheese are increasingly used as building blocks for great meals. The Guinness and whisky traditions in the country have created a pub culture that's worth exploring.

For more information, call Sharon Holderman at 534-1521.

* Check out the staff blogs on etruth.com. I post food items as I can, often in advance of the Quick Bites that run here Mondays. Katie Rogers posted an excellent entry on sushi late last week. We'll try to use bytes on bites as we can. There's a button for "staff blogs" on the left side of the Know page.

* The Chief, 502 W. Lincoln Ave., is selling Christmas trees, but more importantly to me, Christmas pints of ice cream. The owners made 1,600 pints to sell along with about 550 trees. Money raised from the trees will help benefit Fairfield Food Pantry and a Goshen family in need. The ice cream and tree stand will usually be open daily from noon to 8 p.m. until the sweets and greens are gone.

* Soup of Success has a variety of soup, cookie and dip mixes that would make excellent holiday gifts. The Elkhart job training program for women is making holiday baskets through Dec. 21. For more information, call Church Community Services at 523-1551 or e-mail soupofsuccess@aol.com.

* Knights of Columbus is planning its monthly all-you-can-eat spaghetti and meatball dinner for Wednesday. The event from 5 to 7 p.m. at 112 E. Lexington Ave., Elkhart, will help benefit people in need in the community. The cost is $6 per adult, $3 for ages 5 to 10, and free for age 4 and under.

* Texas Roadhouse is opening next Monday in South Bend. The restaurant will open at 4635 S. Michigan St. on Dec. 10. The Elkhart location is at 3015 Brittany Court.