Sam Zanze may have retired but his must-try cheesecakes are hard at work and then some since restaurateurs Elena and John Duggan took over his well-loved business in March.
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The get-them-before-they-sell-out cheesecakes are still made in the Zanze's Cheesecake storefront on Ingleside’s stretch of Ocean Avenue and buy them at Little Original Joe’s and Original Joe’s Westlake.
But now there are new tasty seasonal flavors for the holidays.
The Duggans, who own the Joe’s locations and are opening a new restaurant on West Portal Avenue called Elena’s, said it was a truly incredible and humbling experience learning how to master Zanze's unique and special craft.
Sam Zanze prepares the batter for a batch of cheesecake. | Courtesy Zanze's Cheesecake
“We had the honor of working directly with Sam Zanze to learn and perfect his beloved recipe,” Elena Duggan said. “He and his wife Joyce were truly the secret ingredients to understanding the intricacies of this unique cheesecake. It has been very humbling to watch a true artist like Sam teach us his life's work and share his craft one step at a time.”
Zanze’s European-style cheesecakes are renowned around the Bay Area.
“It is such a unique cheesecake — truly singular to San Francisco — and the support we've received from the community has been so heartwarming and very encouraging,” Duggan said.
The Duggans are working to expand production to keep up with customer demand.
John and Elena Duggan with Joyce and Sam Zanze, center, at Zanze's Cheesecake on Ingleside's part of Ocean Avenue. | Courtesy Zanze's Cheesecake
“We were all very nervous and felt immense personal pressure to be able to reproduce this one of a kind cheesecake, but once we got Sam and Joyce’s seal of approval for the cheesecakes we were baking and then the customers' incredible response, we knew we were on the right path and so proud,” Duggan said.
The cheesecakes are available to purchase at all Original Joe's locations and at Little Original Joe's in West Portal at $34 for a frozen classic 8” whole cheesecake or $38 for a fresh seasonal flavored 8” whole cheesecake.
You can also buy cakes online through third-party food delivery apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash for $36 for classic and $42 for seasonal by searching Zanze's Cheesecakes or Little Original Joe's on UberEats and searching Little Original Joe's on DoorDash.
The new chocolate peppermint edition will be available for purchase until January.
Anne Marie Kristoff (she/her) is a recent graduate from San Francisco State University's journalism program. She enjoys writing about the arts, entertainment and nature.
