Desert Island Dish with Rachel Salim
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Rachel Salim. Photo: Samalie Apira via Rachel Salim
As part of our running feature on Austin chefs' favorite meals, we recently caught up with Rachel Salim, owner of Sweet Charli Girl, a gluten-free bakery on Burnet Road.
The backstory: Salim, who has a gluten intolerance, attended Lake Travis High before studying at Baylor and working as a corporate consultant.
- She quit that work in 2023 and opened her brick-and-mortar cafe this June. Oh, and her first child is just about 6 months old. (The cafe is named for her dog, not her child.)
- Highlights on a recent visit included the pumpkin pie donut ($5) and an apple coffee cake ($7).
You're on a desert island. What's the one dish you'd like with you?
"I had this pasta at Intero when I was still pregnant — a rabbit ragù. I still dream of it. It was with a gluten-free pasta, of course — so insanely good. I very much like the richness of it, and the ragù had almost a smoky flavor."
How about dessert?
"My mom recreated for me a coffee toffee cheesecake that I loved at Cheesecake Factory in high school. We make it with a chocolate crumb crust and a ganache."
You can also bring a libation.
"Easy Tiger has an amazing Aperol spritz — it's a great balance between the Aperol and the prosecco, and it's not too bitter."