What better way for Mani Niall to mark the opening of his new Sweet Bar Bakery in Oakland than with a flash mob doing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”? Jackson’s former chef has plenty to celebrate. Not only has Niall taken this Uptown neighborhood by storm — or rather, by sweet pastry whirlwind — he has a new cookbook out, dubbed “Good Morning Baking! Delicious Recipes to Start the Day.”
Naturally, we had questions.
Q Sweet Bar may have bakery in its name, but the place is much more than a cupcake shop, right?
A We do savory things, too: bacon-gorgonzola scones, frittatas, salad bowls with organic greens and pumpkin seeds and quinoa. But the salad leaves room for a cupcake.
Q Tell us about that flash mob. Was that a surprise?
A I befriended the founder of the flash mob after the tragic death of Michael Jackson. They do everyone from Lady Gaga to Michael Jackson. I used to cook for him (Jackson) back in the day, and they heard about me and said, “We want to do a flash mob at the bakery.” Well, the thing about flash mobs is, it’s supposed to be a surprise. I had to tell people you better be there at 2, or you’ll regret it!
Q How did you meet Jackson in the first place?
AI met him at a health food restaurant — my very first job — in the early ’80s in L.A. It was always amusing to us, the celebrities who came in. He got busy and called and said, “Can someone bring me some food?” And they handed it to me. It was a real easy comfort level. I didn’t react to his celebrity-ness, and I didn’t act like a jerk around his famous friends. I started cooking for him and cooked on the tour after the “Thriller” album. It’s odd to me now, the difference between L.A. and other parts of the country. It’s a hard thing to get over. I almost didn’t have it on my résumé — but here it’s what everyone wants to talk about.
Q Well, let’s talk about it. What was it like cooking for him, touring with him?
A It was a phenomenal experience. I had so much fun. He was so generous, so creative, so talented and warm. He brought out the best in his people, his dancers, his sound engineers. I was motivated to work hard for him. Now Michael’s giving me this other gift — giving me this publicity for Sweet Bar and the book.
Q What brought you from L.A. to the Bay Area?
A I had a bakery, Mani’s Bakery. I was bought out, and, as sad as it was for me, I’ve always loved the Bay Area. There’s so much culinary energy here, and the bar is set very high. You gotta be on your game! I was going to help Andronico’s open a commissary, but the project got delayed, so I started doing product development work, traveling and teaching courses
Source: MercuryNews / MJ-Upbeat.com
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