Short Order Biographies
Hourie Sahakian
Newcomer Hourie Sahakian was Amy Pressman's surprise discovery. From their first encounter at the gym, they found that they were "food soulmates." Hourie's interest in food started by flipping Porterhouse steaks with her dad at the age of three, crafting delicate Armenian cookies with her grandmother at the age of five, and preparing elaborate dinners with her mother at ten years old. Hourie's passion extended into her adult years, where she found herself experimenting with every type of cookie, cake, and custard she could think of. She quickly developed a love for creating food that is robust in flavor, traditional in style, and continuously innovative.
When asked why she chose Hourie to be a part of Short Cake, Amy simply explained that there was no way she could keep Hourie from her destiny, especially considering her excitement and passion for food. Every item that comes out of the kitchen of Short Cake represents the love and care that each member of her family, including Amy Pressman, has poured into her. Short Cake is a labor of love and Hourie hopes that each person who visits will enjoy.
Amy Pressman
Amy Pressman first fell in love with baking with her Easy Bake Oven. After many joyful years churning out tiny, delectable delights from that little electric oven, she went on to attend the Restaurant School in Philadelphia at the age of 18. After graduating from the Restaurant School, Amy moved out to California to pursue her passion for the culinary arts. Once in California she quickly found herself managing ten May Company restaurants. After running an army of corporate restaurants, Amy found herself interviewing for the acclaimed Spago restaurant. Her talents and passion for pastry shined through and she became the Assistant Pastry chef at Spago. There she met Nancy Silverton who was the Pastry Chef at the time. They became great friends, and later Amy helped Nancy with her cookbook, Breads From La Brea Bakery.
Amy left Spago to work as Pastry Chef at Parkway Grill in Pasadena. Ever on the move with her budding career, Pressman moved to Dallas to consult for Wolfgang Puck at the Crescent Court Hotel. Shortly thereafter, she found her way back to Los Angeles where she began a wholesale business for her much-loved pastries. She moved her growing pastry business to Venice, CA into the Rose Café, and from Venice she moved to Pasadena to open the Old Town Bakery, where she operated both a retail and wholesale bakery. Old Town Bakery was a beloved Pasadena institution, and her expansive wholesale business was later sold to Trader Joes and Starbucks.
An accomplished chef and restaurateur, Amy has consulted on numerous restaurant projects throughout the years, and she’s known in many circles as the most famous chef no one has ever heard of. She is humble and understated, but her passion and talent are evident through and through. Opening Short Order and Short Cake with long time friend Nancy Silverton represents the culmination of her many years of hard work and dedication to her craft. Amy calls Short Order and Short Cake her "swan song" and happy ending. It is her dream to make the food she wants, work with her friends, and share her passion and craft with the community. She hopes you enjoy every bite as much as she enjoys making it.