She’s the chef/owner of Dixie Picnic, an inviting eatery in Malvern’s Lincoln Court Shopping Center, best known for their “Upcakes.” Dramatic career change it may be, but the amiable Deschaine exudes a natural finesse for this new venture. She spoke to me recently about the inspiration for Dixie Picnic, which she owns and operates with her husband and son.
“We lived in Germany for five years where all the food was made from scratch. It was disappointing to come back to the U.S. and find so much of our everyday food processed,” she shared. “My food philosophy for Dixie Picnic is to provide freshly made cuisine. Fine dining restaurants do a great job of providing this, but I want to make it accessible on an everyday basis.”
With this mission, Deschaine headed to The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College. Then she called upon some special childhood memories for inspiration.
“The idea for Dixie Picnic is based on the quirky family picnic adventures my brothers and I had while visiting our great aunts down south,” she said.
Deschaine took many recipes from family cookbooks and transformed them into the offerings found at Dixie Picnic. Most everything is made from scratch, from the sandwich bread and apple sauce, to the strawberry jam and the vanilla wafers in the banana pudding that flies off the shelf.
Dixie Picnic specializes in breakfast, lunch and dinner (on select evenings). One of the most popular savory offerings is Bette’s Lunch Box, inspired by the picnics all those years ago. For $8.99, diners choose from sandwiches like Nutty Chicken Salad, Smithfield Ham or Veggie, which come paired with a deviled egg, one side and an Upcake of choice. While the menu here is not completely Southern by definition, you’ll find family favorites like Georgia barbecue pork, baby back ribs and ‘adult’ macaroni and cheese.
Now about those Upcakes, of which Deschaine makes three to four thousand of weekly. “As a child my mother would only eat the icing off the cupcake. To ‘get her’ one day, my great aunt iced the sides and the top so she’d eat the entire cake, and that’s the way my family has made them ever since. I grew up thinking all cupcakes were iced this way!”
Upcakes are sold in a variety of flavors from devils’ food, carrot cake and key lime to season varieties like s’mores(in high demand all summer). Made from scratch and with just enough icing for every bite, these little cakes are truly addictive.
And the best news? Deschaine and her family are looking to open additional locations, perhaps in the upper Main Line or in the city. Bring on the Upcakes!
Check out Dixie Picnic, located at 215 Lancaster Ave. in Malvern. For more information, visit www.dixiepicnic.com or call 484.320.8024.
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