64 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM a very devoted following of local enthusiasts. Even if Cherith might be a leading cheesecake expert now, she didn’t start baking by way of culinary school or even, in her parents’ opinion, baking pretty much anywhere. “I joked with my parents and said, ‘I’m going to open up a bakery.’ And then my parents were like, ‘Do you even know how to bake?!’” Cherith credits the Carrubas family—known for local restaurants like Osteria and Caffe Riace—for providing pivotal support. “They really took me under their wing and showed me the ropes on how to get started. It was because of them that I ended up finding this location.” Initially a skeptic due to her lack of baking experience, Cherith’s father Don also jumped in to help when she launched Namesake Cheesecake in 2012. Although retired now from making deliveries, today at age 92, he still bikes from Palo Alto to the shop to assist his daughter and her small team. “It’s been fun,” Cherith reflects. “It’s been fun not only challenging myself, but also really trying to keep myself on my toes. Everything is a learning experience for me.” Cherith clearly learned the cheesecake intricacies from Rickey and now has command of this tricky recipe that relies as much on an elegant, delicate texture as it does on flavor: “Our cheesecake has three layers and each individual layer has to have a bake and chill process. It’s very different from other styles where you kind of just mix {food coloring}
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