Several parking spaces in downtown Greensboro are painted with one sweet word in all capital letters, “CHEESECAKES.” The parking lot is just off South Elm Street, next to the patio of Cheesecakes by Alex. Inside the small store, tables and a glowing fish tank adorn one side; the kitchen and glass cases full of cakes line the other. Here, customers file in as early as 7:30 a.m. and as late as 11 p.m. on the weekends for a view of the different cheesecakes — also macaroons, bagels, muffins, and sticky buns — while smells of coffee, caramel, and cinnamon fill the space. A customer orders a build-your-own-cheesecake — which is 12 slices of whatever you want — and starts by selecting a slice each of crème brûlée and bananas foster cheesecakes. Meanwhile, Alex Amoroso, who has lived in Greensboro most of his life, has the young staff laughing again. He’s the big personality and baker behind the treats, and he’s known for his endless new recipes and promotions. “I’m looking for beta testers for this idea I have for a bake-at-home crumb cake,” he says to a group of customers. “Any takers?”
Cheesecakes by Alex
315 South Elm Street, Greensboro, N.C. 27401
(336) 273-0970
cheesecakesbyalex.com
Visit the rest of the delectable independent, local bakeries in Our State‘s North Carolina dessert tour:
The Sisters McMullen
Mountain Pie Company
Jimmie’s Sweets
Rosebriar
Hayes Barton Café & Dessertery
Bread of Heaven Bakery
Paul’s Pastry Shop
Seaside Cheesecake Dessert Shoppe
Savannah Red
Bailey Café
The Bakehouse
Sugar on Front Street
To commemorate our 90th anniversary, we’ve compiled a time line that highlights the stories, contributors, and themes that have shaped this magazine — and your view of the Old North State — using nine decades of our own words.
From its northernmost point in Corolla to its southern terminus on Cedar Island, this scenic byway — bound between sound and sea — links the islands and communities of the Outer Banks.
Us? An icon? Well, after 90 years and more than 2,000 issues celebrating North Carolina from mountains to coast, we hope you’ll agree that we’ve earned the title.
After nearly a century — or just a couple of years — these seafood restaurants have become coastal icons, the places we know, love, and return to again and again.
