Meet Gabe Flores and Hiroko Takashima at MamaSaid Handpies 

A woman and a man toasting with hand pies.

Meet Gabe Flores and Hiroko Takashima at MamaSaid Handpies

What do you get when you mix a couple’s passion for food with locally sourced ingredients, including humanely raised proteins?   You get the savory, sweet, and memorable creations you’ll enjoy from MamaSaid HandPies. 

Gabe Flores and Hiroko Takashima are the masterminds behind this eatery in downtown Ithaca. This expert cooking couple is known for their delectable homemade recipes featuring mini hand pies filled with flavorful combinations of meat and fruit, all at a budget-friendly price point and sure to please even the pickiest of eaters.

hand pies

MamaSaid Handpies literally burst with worldly flavors

“We take the time to prepare many foods the way people did a few generations back. After making our farmer cheese and queso fresco, using leftover whey in pierogi dough, and then condensing some fresh, local milk,” Hiroko says. “It’s like we take the convenience out of food. Whether it’s making bone broth, cheese, or dough from scratch, Mama Said achieves homemade flavors through the process as well as the ingredients.”

Hiroko was born and raised in Ithaca, where she was accustomed to enjoying uncomplicated yet nourishing meals. Her parents instilled in her a love for multiculturalism and a deep appreciation for various types of cuisine. Hiroko’s father especially emphasized the joy of savoring a perfectly fresh fish and utilizing every component of an ingredient whenever feasible, while always striving to prepare each dish element with precision and care.

In college, Hiroko had the privilege of traveling on a scholarship. She spent time in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, eating soul food with great gusto. The following year, she traveled the world, studying religion & culture in Taiwan, Thailand, India, Nepal, Italy, Israel, Palestine, and England. Hiroko continued her education at Bastyr University, earning a BS in Natural Health and Herbal Science. Her training as an herbalist inspires many of the ingredients and methods for sauces, beverages, and fillings.

Flores spent his childhood in Queens, NY, where his parents had careers in hospitality and a passion for cooking. His proximity to his Guatemalan grandmother, great-grandmother, and Colombian aunt during his youth provided him with cherished food-related memories. His mother adeptly prepared traditional Irish-American cuisine and was also taught the art of Guatemalan cooking by her in-laws. In their Queens neighborhood, Flores and his family were surrounded by diverse cultural influences, and their neighbors generously shared their culinary traditions and recipes.

Gabe comes from a family where his father is a highly proficient cook, renowned for his exquisite Guatemalan black beans and succulent stewed chicken. Gabe and his three siblings share their father’s passion for food and have accumulated many years of experience in the culinary industry. Over the course of two decades, Gabe has worked in a diverse array of hospitality settings, ranging from cozy cafés to the internationally acclaimed Gramercy Tavern.

Hiroko and Gabe’s culinary expertise, honed since childhood, provides a truly global gastronomic experience for locals and visitors to Ithaca. In their spare time, when they aren’t busy crafting their signature handpies, the couple relishes exploring Ithaca’s natural wonders with their children.

MamaSaid Handpies is in Press Bay at 118 W. Green St, Ithaca. To learn more, mamasaidhandpies.com.

 _________________________________________________

The Faces of Downtown Ithaca

Some say the best referrals come from trusted family and friends. In Downtown Ithaca, quality recommendations often come from speaking directly to our hospitable downtown business owners and managers. After all, who knows their business best than the business owner themselves?

Welcome to Faces of Downtown Ithaca where we’ll give you an insider’s look at downtown’s shops and meet your shopkeepers and restaurateurs who provide this area with some of the finest shopping, dining, and attractions the Finger Lakes Region has to offer.

Not only do these folks work here, but they also dine, shop, and play here. Many of them also live here, too! This is their Downtown Ithaca, and they are now sharing some of their histories with you.

Communications Director Darlene M. Wilber crafts our Faces of Downtown profiles.  If you’re a downtown business that wants to be featured in the Faces of Downtown, email darlene@downtownithaca.com.

#facesofdowntownithaca

The Faces of Downtown Ithaca

Some say the best referrals come from trusted family and friends. In Downtown Ithaca, quality recommendations often come from speaking directly to our hospitable downtown business owners and managers. Afterall, who knows their business best than the business owner themselves.

Welcome to Faces of Downtown Ithaca where we’ll give you an insider’s look at downtown’s shops, let you meet your shopkeepers, and restaurateurs who provide this area with some of the finest shopping, dining, and attractions that the Finger Lakes Region has to offer.

Not only do these folks work here, but they also dine, shop, and play here. Many of them also live here, too! This is their Downtown Ithaca and now, they are sharing some of their histories with you.

#facesofdowntownithaca