Two Friends Expand Lilla Vanilla Pastry Shop To Red Bank

RED BANK, NJ ? Two women came from different parts of the world - and with different professional backgrounds - to find their calling as pastry chefs. And now they are bringing their talents to Red Bank.

Lilla Vanilla Cake Shoppe, at 8B Monmouth St., was just welcomed to town in a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Mayor Billy Portman this weekend.

And to celebrate the opening, starting Wednesday (Sept. 13) the shop is planning a giveaway contest of a box of six macarons.

To enter, make a minimum purchase of $25 this Wednesday until Friday, Sept. 15, by 5 p.m.

Just write out your phone number when you make your purchase at the shop and you could be one of three winners chosen at random, explained co-owner Kelly Taglianeti. The winners will be announced on the shop's social media pages, she said.

Taglianeti, originally from Brazil, and business partner Liliya Voronina, originally from Moscow, have already operated a shop in Hamilton in Mercer County for three years now, she said.

But Kelly and Lily, as they are known on their business website, were drawn to Red Bank, too.

"We just love the vibe in Red Bank, the atmosphere," Kelly said. And Lily said she had often been to restaurants in town and was drawn to the area, too.

With two shops, the two owners themselves and with staff create their confections.

There are fun and artistic cakes (check out the Rubik's Cube cake) and beautiful French pastries. The Red Bank shop has its own manager, too, Lily said.

Each woman came to her profession through different paths, but they share a love of baking.

And they share the experience of coming to America and learning the language and life here.

Lily said she came to America 10 years ago, seeking a "better future," as she said. She said Kelly's husband had a job in the Princeton area, and so came to America, also.

The two met in an English class in Princeton and became friends as they experienced motherhood and their new lives.

"Through many conversations," Lily said, she and Kelly discovered their love of baking and determined to make a business.

For Lily, she says she has "always been passionate about baking ? quality ingredients, creative flavor pairings, new ideas and putting some of my heart into it." She also noted in her bio that she was inspired by her late brother Nik Baydin, a rock musician, "to turn my passion into a profession."

For Kelly, she was a chemistry major. She said she would make cakes and sweets for birthdays in her family, and then word spread about her talents. "Before I knew it, I had no time or desire to do anything else ? I was too busy working to think about it, but one day I realized that it seemed like that?s how I finally found my calling," she said.

Check out Lilla Vanilla in Red Bank on Facebook. You can contact them in Red Bank at 732-383-5169, Wednesdays through Sundays.