Kids Go Behind The Counter

Cookie decorating party
Katalina’s Bakery
74 Whitney Ave.
New Haven
Jan. 3, 2025

Earth, Wind, & Fire’s “Let’s Groove Tonight” filled Katalina’s Bakery Saturday with warm vibes, ending in a smooth transition to McFadden & Whitehead’s “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now.”

Kourtney Meredith, otherwise known as DJ Koko, curated a feel-good new year’s mood with track after track of disco funk to ring in 2026. So far, the year was looking like a sweet one: In the back room was a pile of frosting bags, ready to coat sugar cookies in the shapes of stars, bells, and snowmen.

It was the annual cookie decorating party at Katalina’s on Whitney Avenue. A mix of homey holiday shindig and kid-in-a-candyshop wonderland, the Saturday afternoon decoration station was a welcome way to get back in the (disco) groove. The cookies were rich and delicious, coffee was flowing, and partygoers cut loose on the makeshift dance floor.

The real commotion was happening around my knee level. Kids zoomed past, hopped up on sugar and friendship, chasing each other through the space. They made up games on the spot and didn’t hesitate to play.

Back at the front of house, there was a treasure trove of crayons and winter-themed foam stickers to decorate boxes for the kids’ finished masterpieces.

“I like the colors,” said Landon, 7. He showed me his decorated box, complete with a sweater and a reindeer with a drawn-on face. Then he flipped a water bottle multiple times before triumphantly landing it right-side-up.

“Unattended children will be given espresso and a free puppy,” a sign at the front of the counter read. It was a familiar sight for Katalina’s regulars, revealing owner Kathy Riegelman’s readiness to be in cahoots with the kids making their way through her café’s front door.

The two rules of the party, Riegelman said, were: 1) no leaving without a parent, and 2) no hitting your head.

The kitchen was a fun, riotous collection of sprinkles and frosting. Kids diverged in their approaches to the decoration process: piping, layering, and at times employing a direct frosting-bag-to-mouth technique for max efficiency.

Austin, 9, was busy turning a star into a snowman with eyes, a bowtie, and a carrot nose.

To his right, I noticed a tiny Spiderman taking a well-deserved break from saving the city. When I asked his age, he replied that he was 3, “‘cause I’m strong.” I used my special investigative reporting skills to uncover the Elm City Spidey’s secret identity: Austin’s younger brother Gavin.

Tona, 2, concentrated on her frosting. The grown-ups around her joked that she was getting ready for the Great British Bake Off. Her sister, 7-year-old Iriza, created a smooth cookie character with orb-shaped sprinkles. When asked her take on the afternoon’s festivities, Iriza gave a big thumbs up.

Kopper, who’s 2 and a half, honed his photography skills with my camera, taking pictures of his family gathered at the DJ table. Looking toward the lens was none other than DJ Koko, Kopper’s dad.

“It’s my fourth year doing this,” Meredith said. This time, he left his usual decks at home, toning down the jams for the kids. Still, he made sure his small setup was “enough to give a punch.” It was a family affair; Meredith’s wife, Katharine Meredith, is Riegelman’s niece.

Past the counter, I saw Landon making a tower of Katalina’s stickers and a tape roll, then flipping a water bottle on top of the entire structure.

He wasn’t the only one making toys out of the items on hand. Little Kopper reached over to borrow my water bottle for a teetering sculpture at one of the café tables. He piled the vessels on top of each other, unfazed by each collapse, ready to build again.

The post Kids Go Behind The Counter appeared first on New Haven Independent.