Three for the road

Eighteen years ago, the Conti sisters Cecille (Marañon), Carole (Sumulong) and Angie (Martinez) embarked on an unfamiliar road — the food-order business. Cecille and Carole took up Accounting at St. Paul’s, while Angie majored in Communications but their journey was jumpstarted by their love for food.

Kilometer 0 was a makeshift kitchen in the backyard of a house on Ramona Tirona St. in BF Homes in Parañaque City. Cecille and Angie were the “tasters” and “order-takers” while Carole, a Certified Public Accountant who took baking and cooking lessons in her free time, was the chef.

Upon the suggestion of Carole’s husband Quintin, the sisters decided to name their food business, “Conti’s,” after their maiden name. (Their father was Vicente Conti of Batangas.)

Carole’s very first product offering was her Chocolate Cake, followed by her Baked Salmon (which she first tasted while in Vancouver, Canada) and Garlic Sotanghon (a recipe the sisters inherited from their mother Naida). The Conti sisters say they had no capital, only “talent and sweat.” The rest, recalls Carole, they charged to their credit cards.

And look where they are now, 18 years and 17 stores after their first Mango Bravo, their perennial bestseller. From six employees, the Conti’s group now counts 1,000 people in its payroll (including those in the commissary).

And they’re still together despite their success — despite rumors that their tight triangle has splintered.

The sisters were a picture of togetherness still at the recent blessing of their 17th store at the SM Southmall in Las Piñas.

A special guest at the ribbon-cutting was SM Supermalls senior vice president Steven Tan, who first invited the sisters to open up a Conti’s store at the SM Mall of Asia in 2004. He asked them to choose their spot and it was theirs. Unbeknownst to the sisters, Conti’s was “Tatang’s favorite,” according to Steven.

With the success of Conti’s at MOA, Steven now believes, “What is an SM without a Conti’s?”

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Angie believes the challenge through the years was how “not to lose the magic” of Conti’s.

“The secret of Conti’s success is that we give our best. When we create a dish, it has to be at its best because by being successful we are looking after the welfare of not just people working for us but even our suppliers,” believes Carole.

Cecille believes Conti’s success comes from the sisters’ determination to remain grounded. They remain low-key and self-effacing. You actually can’t tell them apart from their customers.

“We don’t float,” Cecille smiles.

Mango Bravo, Baked Salmon (whose recipe Carole picked up while living in Vancouver, Canada) and Garlic Sotanghon (a recipe of their mother, Naida) continue to be their bestsellers.

Another bestseller is their “Mom’s Garlic Longganisa,” which was served at breakfast after the inauguration of the Southmall branch.

Cecille explains their mother would pour hot chocolate over a mound of rice and top this with fried egg to go with the longganisa.

As she was recalling how her mother ate longganisa, a flood of happy memories associated with Conti’s swept through my mind, too. Our first baked salmon when we first moved into our home in BF. All the happy birthday parties with Mango Bravo. The chicken pies that I would share with officemates.

You’re really biting into feel-good memories with every serving of Conti’s specialties.

Angie need not worry. The magic is still very much around at Conti’s, and an 18th store coming soon is proof that it’s taking them places.

Shop and give a child an education

The Assumption Alumnae Association invites you to the much-awaited 20th Assumption Annual Bazaar on Nov. 22, Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the InterContinental Hotel Manila in Makati City.

Come to this one-day bazaar and fill your shopping bags with goodies from over 200 vendors including the original, delicious Assumption Tarts and one-of-a-kind items like local crafts, gourmet goodies, jewelry, accessories, Christmas decor, gift items and many more.

Your support will benefit the Assumption mission schools.

(For more information, call 894-3561 and 894-3580 or e-mail [email protected].)

Shopping and family fun in one

The ladies of the Zonta Club of Alabang (ZCA) know how stressful and time consuming Christmas shopping can be, so they work hard all year to make sure their bazaars are events for the entire family to attend and enjoy. First, they search far and wide for purveyors of unique, practical and stylish products so you can get your Christmas shopping done fast. Next, they devote a generous area of the bazaar to popular and artisanal food merchants so that tired shoppers and even dedicated gourmands will find something to satisfy their taste buds.

A distinct feature of ZCA bazaars, which are now on their seventh year, is the schedule of activities. This year’s events — arts and crafts activities, displays of luxury cars, magic shows, informational talks and much more — promise to keep the younger and non-shopping members of the family busy and entertained.

The ZCA bazaar Christmas Carnivale will be held on Nov. 21 and 22 at the Filinvest Tent in Alabang.

Zonta Club of Alabang is an organization that seeks to raise the status of women in the community. Proceeds from the bazaar help fund the club’s projects such as hepatitis B awareness and vaccination, Say No to Violence Against Women, maternal health campaigns and livelihood and advocacy programs.

(For more information, e-mail [email protected].) (You may e-mail me at [email protected].)