HOLMES BEACH, Fla. — The Cheesecake Cutie & Café may reside in Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island.

What You Need To Know

  • In The Chef's Kitchen at The Cheesecake Cutie & Café

  • The location is 3324 E. Bay Dr., Holmes Beach, Anna Maria Island

  • Wife/Baker Jennifer Geils credits her mom Barbara for the Cheesecake recipe that launched her culinary business

  • Husband/Chef Kane Geils credits his grandmother Barbara for teaching him how to make food that makes people happy

But it’s got roots in Orlando.

Owner Jennifer Giles started making her mom Barbara Lanza’s special cheesecake recipe in her home there.

And she got so busy she and her husband Kane Giles moved and opened the shop in Holmes Beach in 2020.

They went from cheesecakes to cheesecakes, desserts, charcuterie boards, breakfast sandwiches and more.

The café was born!

Their most popular lunch item — the chicken salad.

They offer it in a sandwich and over greens.

While Jennifer Giles uses her mother’s cheesecake recipe, Kane Giles uses his grandmother Barbara Ottina’s kitchen lessons to inform all his culinary creations.

She passed away before the shop opened, though you can taste her touch throughout the menu.

“I think she’d be very happy. She loved going to restaurants,” Kane Geils said. “She loved trying new things. She was always in cookbooks. Always writing recipes, tweaking them.”

RECIPE
Chicken Salad

Ingredients
1 Rotisserie chicken *also works beautifully with turkey                                       
5 Heaping tablespoons chopped tarragon
8 Heaping tablespoons chopped chives
4 Heaping tablespoons chopped dill, removing stalks
6 Stalks celery, halved and chopped                                   
1 Lemon, juiced                                           
Salt & pepper to taste (if needed)
2 Cups mayonnaise
1-14 Ounce can of Whole Fruit Cranberry Sauce

Method
Wash and chop vegetables and herbs, add to bowl with lemon juice.
Shred chicken ½ inch pieces by hand.
Add mayo and mix well.
Best if made a day before serving to allow the ingredients settle and become vibrant.