Few businesses in The Woodlands or Oak Ridge North areas have been in operation quite as long as Monica Prince's Nielsen's Bakery. Spun off from Nielsen's Delicatessen, which originated in 1981 in downtown Houston in 1952, Prince's bakery opened in Oak Ridge North in what is today known as the Woodwinds Shopping Center near Pier 1 Imports.

Since that time, Nielsen's has moved around a bit, first as one of the original tenants, along with Amerigo's Italian Grill, in Grogan's Park Center on Grogan's Mill Road. Then, in 1999, Prince returned to Oak Ridge North when she moved the bakery to the Hodge's Food Basket shopping center on I-45.

"Both of my grandmothers had pie shops, so baking was something my family always did," Prince said. "And my father owned businesses setting up restaurants, so the restaurant world was always in my mind."

When it opened in 1981, and while it operated in Grogan's Park, Nielsen's was originally billed as a deli and bakery, but after Price learned she had breast cancer, she opted to jettison the deli operations and focus on baking. Since that time, Prince's cancer has been in remission, and the shop has made a name for itself on the strength of its cakes and pies.

"We have our every day cookies and strudels and everything like that, but I really specialize in special-order cakes now and wedding cakes," Prince said.

The increased interest in recent years in elaborately designed cakes, which Prince attributed to the popularity of TV reality food shows, has led her to learn and develop her decorating and baking skills.

"[The interest in cakes has] changed from a simple two-layer chocolate iced cake into an extravaganza," she said. "People now use cakes as centerpieces."

Prince said her bakery has a sizeable and dedicated following of customers, stretching from north Harris County up to Conroe, and east and west of I-45. Customers drop in to order cakes for parties or celebrations, or to pick up a box of sweet treats on the way to the office.

"It's fabulous and it's different, and the people are so friendly," said Debbie Buckalew-Campbell, who stopped in to buy a dozen cookies for her co-workers. "Truly, I have followed them from location to location. I drive here from Conroe to get items."

Price is now gearing up for what she expects to be a busy season for her bakery, when orders are placed for dozens and even hundreds of pies per day.

"Order ahead," she said. "Because every one of our pies are made with a rolling pin, and the apples are peeled. Nothing is out of can or in a pie shell."

Nielsen's specialty

White cake with fresh strawberry and cream filling. "It's tried and true," Monica Prince said. "It's the one [my] family always has to have when they come home after all these years. We use fresh sliced strawberry."

Holiday menu

Cream pies–Chocolate, coconut, banana, lemon, key lime ($17.50)

Fruit pies–Cherry, apple, apple crumb, blueberry ($18.95–$20)

Traditional–Pumpkin, pecan, fudge pecan, buttermilk pecan, mincemeat ($15.95–$22.50)

26830 I-45 N.

Oak Ridge North 281-363-3354 Hours: Tues.–Fri. 10 a.m.–3 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–12 p.m., Closed Sun.

www.facebook.com/nielsensbakery

Hours: Tue.-Fri. 9 a.m.-3p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Chef's corner

Edelberto Goncalves Executive chef, Fielding's Wood Grill

Compiled by Jesse Mendoza

After 27 years of culinary training in France, and establishing several Houston area restaurants, Executive Chef Edelberto Goncalves creates a variety of American cuisine dishes at Fielding's Wood Grill in The Woodlands.

Goncalves started his cooking career as an apprentice cook in Paris at Goumard Prunier restaurant in 1987 when he was 15 years old. He continued to work his way up the cooking ranks at several French restaurants for the next 10 years before moving to Houston in 1998.

Goncalves said he moved to the United States in search of a new adventure.

"I just wanted to try something else," Goncalves said. "I had no idea what Houston was like. If I knew, I probably would not have moved here at that time. It's getting better."

In February of that year Goncalves helped establish Grille 5115, where he worked as a sous-chef for about a year. He later worked as a sous-chef at Caf Perrier and as executive chef at Masraff's, Abuso Catering, Rouge Restaurant and H-E-B Central Market.

During that time Goncalves met his business partner, Cary Attar, and together the pair opened and operated Hubbell and Hudson Bistro in The Woodlands from January 2008 to August 2011. Eventually, Attar and Goncalves teamed up again to establish Fielding's Wood Grill, which opened in September 2013.

At Fielding's, Goncalves prides himself in making food and preparing meats from scratch, he said.

"I was a co-creator of the concept," Goncalves said. "We make everything from scratch. We bake the bread, we cut and grind our meat daily, we make all the sauces, mayonnaise, pickles, ketchup. We do everything from A to Z."

Chef recommendations

Rotisserie chicken–All-natural rotisserie chicken cooked over a wood fire. Includes choice of side of wilted spinach, Oriental sesame green beans, WG fries, Kennebec whipped potatoes and corn on the cob. $16 (half bird)

Texas Blues burger–A hamburger prepared with house-grilled bacon, Point Reyes bleu cheese, pickled red onions, fig jam, jalapeos and lettuce served on a wheat bun. $12

60-degree baby back ribs–Seasoned and vacuum packed before being submerged in water at 60 degrees Celsius—or 140 degrees Fahrenheit—for 48 hours. Grilled to order. $15 (half order)

Tips for home cooks

"Be aware of cookbooks made by chefs because they are usually not accurate. I would say the best tip I could give is to try that same recipe a few times and tweak it the way you want. Do not follow a recipe that you find online or in a cookbook to the letter; try it more to your taste and make it more than once. The first time might not be what you expect."

Creating a Fielding's hamburger

"I approach the creation of a burger just like if I [were] creating a dish on its own. I don't approach it as if it is a sandwich. I try to create combinations that will be different and exciting."

Favorite dishes

"I like sushi and Asian-oriented restaurants, but what I like the most is Portuguese cooking because it is close to my heart. Nothing will beat a fresh sardine grilled on an open fire. That is what my mom makes for me when I go there. That is the first thing she has in the refrigerator— fresh sardines just out of the boat, seasoned with sea salt and put it on the grill."

1699 Research Forest Drive

The Woodlands 832-616-3275

www.fieldings.com

Hours: Mon.–Thu. 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.–11 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–9 p.m.