FEATURE | RAF'S
Every bite tells a story
AT RAF’S, BAKED GOODS ARE A DIALOGUE BETWEEN CULTURES.
FRENCH TECHNIQUE, ITALIAN TRADITION, AND THE HISTORICAL INFLUENCE OF NORTH AFRICA COME TOGETHER UNDER THE HANDS OF CAMARI MICK, A LAUDED PASTRY CHEF EXPERIMENTING WITH INNOVATION ON ELIZABETH STREET.
By day, Raf’s operates as a hybrid of a bakery and café, serving rustic breads and refined pastries that can be enjoyed on-site or taken to go. As evening falls, the space transforms into a lively bistro, where bread plays an integral role in the dinner menu. From crispy slices of focaccia to sourdough tartines topped with ricotta and oyster mushrooms, Raf’s brings the spirit of its bakery into a sophisticated dining experience.
At the helm of both the pastry and the bakery programs is chef Camari Mick, who teamed up with chef Mary Attea to open Raf’s in 2023. Equal parts chef and historian, Mick aims to move pastry beyond traditional laminated techniques. Instead, she uses her craft to delve into the complexity of European baking traditions, aiming to educate both guests and her team about global culinary influences.
AN EARLY START
Mick’s passion for baking began early. As a child, she was captivated by the technical aspects of baking, selling homemade muffins and cakes to her classmates. Despite growing up near a WonderBread factory in Pennsylvania, Mick’s childhood was defined not by mass-produced loaves, but by the staples of her father’s Jamaica, like hard dough and cocoa bread. “When I was seven, my parents got me an Easy-Bake oven,” she recalls. “And at 11, they gave me my first KitchenAid. I still use it today.”
Initially, she planned to become a forensic pathologist, but a conversation with her father changed everything. “He told me, ‘Whatever you do in life, it doesn’t just need to make you money—it needs to make you happy,’” Mick explains. That advice led her to culinary school—and ultimately, into some of the most acclaimed kitchens in the country.
After training at Morimoto and Zahav in Philadelphia, Mick worked on Nantucket before joining the team at the Musket Room in Manhattan and becoming executive pastry chef. “There’s been a whole shift,” Mick says, reflecting on her seven years in the city. “Before the pandemic, bread wasn’t as coveted here. It was an afterthought in restaurants. Now, you have to make sure your bread is good—it has to differ in some way.”
I want my team to learn about somebody else’s culture and have fun with it.
CAMARI MICK, RAF'S
PASTRY AS HISTORY
It is that pursuit of distinction that has made Mick the subject of industry attention. In the Raf’s bakery, baked goods are dialogue, history, and art, showcasing the influence that varied cultures have had on European baking traditions. Mick notes that the cultural links between Italy and North Africa are crucial to what comes out of the oven: “We are changing our menu to reflect the Moorish influence on Sicily; they occupied the island for hundreds of years.”
Now in its second year, Raf’s seasonal “Croissant Club” is an initiative where Mick works with chefs from around the world to develop new, inventive bakes. This project aims to push the boundaries of a pastry most consider ultra-traditional, creating “dream croissants” that showcase unique flavors found in kitchens ranging from Somalia to the Philippines.
“You’re always going to have a plain croissant, you’re always going to have a chocolate croissant,” she says sternly. “I want my team to learn about somebody else’s culture and have fun with it.” Mick is dedicated to broadening her team's culinary perspectives and fostering a dynamic, creative environment in the kitchen.
That same philosophy comes through in Raf’s permanent pastry program, where tradition meets playfulness. Crunchy pignoli sit alongside baci di dama and rosemary chocolate chip cookies, an American classic with a Mediterranean twist.
That subtle herbal note hints at Mick's meticulous attention to detail, a trait evident when she discusses her laminated pastries. “Our croissants take three days to make,” she says, “and sometimes we can only make 20 of something. That’s okay with me.” She pulls out her phone to open a group chat with her baking team. “I’m a stickler,” Mick says with a smile. “I can tell from this photo that the sticky buns are a hair too light. I asked them to taste it because it might not be perfect.”
IN PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE
Some innovations still have a way to go. Mick describes her attempts at a buckwheat flour croissant as a work in progress. “It’s kind of like trying to make fetch happen,” she chuckles. “It did not work.” The young pastry chef aims to continue her craft, evolving beyond what’s expected in a continental European bakery. “There’s so much to focus on. There are so many different techniques and cuisines. I want my team to hone in on educating ourselves.”
Part of that development means standing up for new ideas in the culinary world. “For so long, I was just a cook, and was just treated like a cook,” Mick recalls. Her advice to young bakers? “Don’t let old ideas keep you from developing new ones. Don’t let your boyfriend stop you from finding your husband.”
Mick laughs and quickly adds, “I don’t believe in cheating. I do believe in finding different techniques, different cuisines, different ways of doing things. Just because you’re happy with what you have now doesn’t mean you can’t learn something new.”
At Raf’s, traditional pastry isn’t afraid to flirt with innovation—and each bite reminds us that the best recipes are open relationships.
Raf's
290 Elizabeth St,
New York, NY 10012
