Constance Fromagerie & Café’s interior is doused in baby pink. Rosette floral carvings bump out from the ivory wall behind the register and a pleated, sage green couch curls around the corner by the window. In the middle is an ovoid wooden table that overlooks the parking lot.
Each and every color and decoration was deliberately chosen by owner Rachel Balko to craft her perfect sanctuary. The haven at 2299 W. Market St. in the Pilgrim Square shopping plaza is named after Balko’s grandmother, from whom she also got her middle name.
“This place is named after her, and it’s really a love letter to all of the women in my family,” Balko said. “She was very full of life and was a caretaker who often took in different people to live with them, and she always cooked for everyone.”
But Tom Wolski — Rachel’s dad, Constance’s son and the bookkeeper for the company — said Balko actually had some reservations about her middle name while growing up.
“Rachel all but said, ‘What on Earth have you done to me with this middle name, Constance?’ because it wasn’t common like Cheryl or Nancy or whatever,” Wolski said. “But then she got very close with my mom, and that’s why we’re here, to celebrate her. And the food and the charcuterie offers a different way of celebrating for others, like their weddings, birthdays, all kinds of stuff.”
Balko never intended to become a restaurateur. While she’s catered for the better part of five years, Constance opened in November. Balko’s original aspirations were in musical theater — she holds a master’s degree in vocal performance from Kent State University. She lived in Manhattan with her eyes dead-set on New York’s biggest stages.
“They made movies about what she was doing,” Wolski said. “Getting up at 5 o’clock in the morning, going to sign up for an audition, going to work, going to the audition, hoping she got the part.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Balko saw the lights go out on Broadway and returned home to Ohio. She taught voice lessons in Aurora and was pregnant with her son, Ezra, who turns six in October. But teaching, Balko said, just wasn’t for her, even though she loved to perform. So, she pivoted to something she could express herself through.
Since then, she’s carefully crafted her homage to Constance’s home recipes and hospitality. Balko’s team comprises just five people, with the cafe managed in the front-of-house and catering in the back.
“I wanted it to feel like a European cafe and teashop; my style is just very feminine and soft, and I wanted it to be really beautiful and unique,” Balko said. “I wanted every detail to be intentional and for everyone to feel like they were kind of transformed here. Constance’s menu changes from season to season. Customers can currently enjoy a summer menu of grilled cheeses, soups du jour, teas, parfaits and coffee. Balko said the grilled cheese and tomato soup are particularly popular.
1st place:
Constance Fromagerie & Cafe
2299 W. Market St., Northwest Akron
330-805-4005
Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday; Closed Sunday and Monday
https://www.constanceakron.com
2nd place:
Crust & Cocktails
1256 Weathervane Lane, Merriman Valley
234-678-6978
Open 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 4 p.m. to midnight Friday; 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574964077493
3rd place:
Kabylia Baguette
526 S. Main St., downtown
330-810-0125
Open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays; closed weekends
https://www.kabyliabaguette.com
