Located in Downtown Titusville, Florida, The Daley Trade is both an artisanal bakery and a restaurant that features locally-sourced and seasonal dishes. Wednesday is Neapolitan Style Pizza night, while Thursday to Saturday guests are offered an ever-changing menu of dinner specials. This keeps the proprietors, Laura and Terrence Daley, from ever getting bored and allows them to be creative as they plot new dishes on a weekly basis.
Laura Daley designed the space and manages the business-side of the restaurant, while Terrence Daley is the executive chef. Even though they knew they were bringing something different to the table and had gained a loyal following, “we never thought it would take off like it did.” This year they are among 47 restaurants included on the 2024 USA Today Restaurants of the Year list. While they were shocked but extremely happy by the news, they say that “at the end of the day all we want to do is cook good food and make people happy that they decided to spend their time with us.”
Terrence and Laura Daley with a new addition to their establishment.
Their story began during the pandemic, selling artisan bread and fresh pasta they made from home and providing their community with contact-free deliveries. What began as a way to simply pass the time and earn some extra income turned into a venture that included their first brick and mortar restaurant. Being located in Florida, they have access to a variety of seasonal produce and local seafood coming and going all year-round. They have gotten to know farmers, producers, fisherman and purveyors in the area which allows them to work with more ingredients and support other small businesses like their own. “That means driving an hour away to pick up produce, meats, or dairy every week to get our hands on some of the best quality ingredients around as well as establish good working relationships,” Laura Daley said. “It’s well worth it.”
In addition to the restaurant menu, their artisan loaves, which they describe as “old-school European-style sourdough breads,” can be purchased at the front of the house Thursday to Saturday, while pastries are available on Friday and Saturday. All of their baked goods, including croissants and cookies, are naturally leavened using their sourdough starter and a long fermentation process, and everything is made fresh on the day it is available.
AUTHOR
Ashley is a writer and teacher living in Florida. When she isn't reading or writing, you can find her in the kitchen experimenting with a new recipe, on the yoga mat in downward dog, or lost out in nature with her family.
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