Burbank has no shortage of baked goods. But few bakeries can hope to match the heart, soul, and time-tested passion of Camille’s Culinary Creations. But to be fair, Camille’s is not just a bakery. Blending a bakery and catering service, this black-owned, women-owned business, led by a dynamic mother-daughter partnership, has been making a name for itself with its diverse, ever-changing menu that finds influence from all corners of the world. We caught up with the minds behind Camille’s Culinary Creations ahead of their appearance at LA’s Black Restaurant Week to discuss businesses without borders, the relationship between flavor and culture, and life beyond dessert.
Learning to Guac
Camille Napolitano is the name and creative drive behind Camille’s Culinary Creations. Hailing from Burbank, the young entrepreneur has been working closely with her mother and business partner, Judy Napolitano, since 2007. A former baker, Judy admits that she enjoys managing the business side of their joint operation because it allows her to engage with people more frequently.
It also opens the floor for Camille to be as creative as she’d like. And it’s a creativity that’s been brewing from a young age. “My parents like to tell the story that the first thing that I ever made was guacamole at 18 months old,” she recounts while flashing her contagious smile. “And I’ve kind of pretty much been cooking ever since.”
No Storefront? No Problem.
You won’t find a storefront for Camille’s Culinary Creations. They’ve just never really needed one. Rather, they’ve built a solid word-of-mouth reputation that’s sustained them for well over a decade from farmer’s market to soiree to filming location. It’s poetic that such an adaptable business was born from a sudden need for adaptability. Camille’s Culinary Creations was started shortly after both Camille and Judy lost their jobs during the Great Recession.
Since Judy had been making ends meet as a baker, her natural inclination was to use her skills in a more freelance capacity. Enlisting the talents of her daughter, the duo started to make appearances at holiday fairs and then farmer’s markets. “We were everywhere from Pasadena to Westwood and everything in between, selling cookies, brownies, and signature bars,” remembers Camille. But she knew so much more than desserts and longed to reach beyond the confectionary curtain.
Camille’s Culinary Creations Branches Into Catering
Initially, Camille tried to get the word out with a photo shoot in which she incorporated several savory dishes in a banner that would hang behind her and Judy at their various appearances. She hoped that the banner would open the door to catering inquiries, another avenue of creative exploration beyond the constraints of fairs and farmer’s markets. “People would order cakes from us but then, you know, I had this beautiful grilled shrimp and they were like, ‘Wait, I want that’,” explains Camille. And thus, from one savory dish to the next, the catering side of Camille’s Culinary Creations rose to prominence.
Moving outside of the shadow of baked sweets, Camille finally felt like she had the creative freedom she needed to rise to her own concepts. It’s helped create a menu with a certain diversity that’s become an unofficial trademark of the Camille’s experience. Judy puts it best when she says, “You’ll never get the same meal twice because Camille takes your palate around the world.”
Going Hollywood
It was through catering that Camille’s Culinary Creations truly hit its zenith. Several years ago, while working the farmer’s market circuit, Camille was spending her free time training for the LA Marathon. Her coach happened to own a catering company that was hired for a film production but was short-staffed. He wondered if Camille might be able to lend a hand.
“After two days of helping him, it then turned into, ‘You tell me what to make’ because the people were loving the new recipe ideas that I had come in with and he kind of handed over the meal scheduling to me,” she smiles. Two weeks after production had wrapped on that project, Camille’s coach got a call with an opportunity to cater a music video shoot. But when the client, who had been part of the previous production, raved about the food, the coach simply replied, “You don’t want me. You want Camille.” Since then, Camille’s has been a regular presence on film productions across the Greater Los Angeles area.
Married Cultures and Flavors
Camille credits her mixed racial and cultural background as integral in bringing her innovative recipes to life. “Having a mixed heritage does also have a lot to do with my food,” she explains. “My mom being Mexican-Italian, my dad being Black, that shapes the… that has shaped my palate really. And all of that reflects in my food.” It also serves as a mirror to the rich cultural blend nurtured by the Greater Los Angeles area where Camille was raised. You can taste it in the welcoming, comforting, and inspiring flavors of Camille’s Culinary Creations.
“The culture of Los Angeles and the little neighborhoods and corners that we have of different cultures and cuisines; that, like, flows through me,” she admits. “So, to be able to pick through the cultures that I am and that I grew up around and (then) putting them into menus is just the most natural thing.”
