April Ray Flores

A sign hanging on the door of Odd Cookie Bakery Cafe & Bar at 1015 9th Street reads “Come In, We’re Open and Awesome,” and many visitors can attest that the sign rings true. The counter features a prominent glass case stocked with freshly-made colorful and delectable baked goods and most times the friendly face of General Manager April Ray Flores is standing behind it ready to offer a quick-witted suggestion. “Look at how cute this cupcake is; how many do you want today?” she asks. Flores has been working at the restaurant since it opened seven weeks ago, and says she loves interacting with customers. “I love connecting with all the locals,” she said. “I enjoy being a part of my community. I told myself never to have a job that I don’t feel excited and passionate about. I love to meet people and connect with people.” When asked about what’s on the menu, she can easily rattle off half a dozen items that she loves. “The brown butter cookie is my favorite, it’s the best thing in the world,” Flores said. “The Snickerdoodle cookie is my jam. I love the brown butter cupcake too.” She said last Tuesday, the shop offered a “taco cupcake,” which will likely be available next week too. “It was a sweet corn cake filled with beef and cheese topped with cilantro lime buttercream and a mini taco,” Flores explained. The eatery also offers a coffee beverage menu, salads, pizza and sandwiches including its new Frosted Flakes fried chicken and maple bacon sandwich. Flores says she and her wife love to check out restaurants across Sacramento to try all kinds of different foods. Her dream is to open her own restaurant someday. “A Mexican-Filipino brunch spot,” she said. “My brother and sister and I want to have a pop up soon. There’s a soup that we had growing up, a sour tamarind soup from the Filipino side of us, it’s called Sinigang. You put it over rice and it’s the best ever.” Flores says she learned how to cook from her mother, who moved to California from the Philippines. “A big part of how my folks approached cooking was to take whatever we had and make something wacky and cool out of it,” Flores said. Her diet has changed over the years. She was vegan for about five years, even getting a tattoo on her arm that said “vegan.” But about a year after reintroducing meat to her diet, she changed her tattoo to read “not vegan anymore.” Flores has several tattoos with special meaning including one that reads: “Hey, I’m Just Like You,” which is the name of an album by her favorite band, Tegan and Sara, an indie pop band from Canada. “I feel like, I am just like everybody else, which I think, goes with my transgender tattoo,” she explained. “I’m just a person. I’m transgender.” Flores says one of the things she likes most about working at Odd Cookie Bakery is that she doesn’t have to hide who she is. “I can go into work and be myself, and that’s valued, seen, heard, and appreciated,” she said. Contact: 916 228 4709.