Local pop-up Ovinloven celebrates a life of pie

"It definitely is a hustle. I'm excited to be getting to a point where I have a bit more stability and consistency and routine. This year Ovinloven will be in residence every Thursday at Dolores Deluxe and then Sundays at Bender's Bar & Grill in San Francisco, the location of her first-ever pop-up."

"Ovinloven began as a side project when Strickler's main gig was bartending. With verve and chutzpah, she began showing up at places and introducing herself with a slice of pie. Since last summer, Ovinloven has been a solo project and her full-time job. She now averages three to five pop-ups a week."

"That is a many-hours-long process, and it's very physically intense. Strickler makes both sweet and savory doughs, rolling them out by hand at her commissary kitchen on Treasure Island. Generally, it takes two to three days of preparation for each one."

"When the pandemic happened, it really gave me a chance to focus in and hone my skills. And I just love to feed people. Strickler said that while she's always loved to cook and bake she didn't have professional training or experience before she started the pop-up."

Rachael Strickler runs Ovinloven, a pop-up bakery specializing in both sweet and savory pies, from chicken pot pies to passionfruit cream pies. Operating throughout the Bay Area and East Bay, she maintains a rotating schedule at various venues including wine shops, bars, and markets. Beginning as a side project while bartending, Ovinloven became her full-time job last summer. She now averages three to five pop-ups weekly, each requiring two to three days of preparation. Working from a commissary kitchen on Treasure Island, Strickler hand-rolls doughs in a physically intensive process. Though lacking formal culinary training, she developed her skills during the pandemic and is driven by her passion for feeding people.

Read at East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & Alameda