After Roemer Cantillo arrived in Miami from Cuba in the 1980 Mariel boatlift, he met up with Abraham Wagner, a friend who owned several bakeries. Wagner hired him, training him at the Rolling Pin in Surfside.

Roemer had never baked, but he was a quick study, and today he owns and manages the little kosher bakery that turns out pastelitos as well as knishes. For years the shop was mostly known by word of mouth, especially among customers who attend the nearby Shul of Bal Harbour. Business names are not allowed on awnings in Surfside, but ``Rolling Pin Bakery'' was recently added to the front window to make it easier to find.

Although not a practicing Jew, Roemer thinks his German great-grandfather was. His great-grandmother came from Portugal, and his grandparents were farmers in his native Oriente province.

Many regulars keep kosher and appreciate that the bakery has Star-K kosher certification, which includes unannounced on-site inspections. The baked goods are nondairy, using margarine in place of butter. Eggs from kosher chickens are considered pareve (neutral) and can be used in kosher products, adding richness to golden loaves of braided challah, egg rolls, cakes and muffins. Danish are stuffed with soy cheese.

Passersby are lured inside by the array of goodies in the front window -- almond horns, custard-filled napoleons, fat eclairs, chocolate cupcakes, coconut macaroons and brownies topped with bits of pecan, to name just some of the treats.

There are also thick strips of apple and poppy seed strudel, bow-tie cookies, rugalach, cherry turnovers, crispy elephant ears, wedges of bread pudding and linzertorte, the Austrian cookie-tart.

Another specialty is babka, based on yeast-risen Russian and Polish Easter cake. The Jewish version is more like puffy coffee cake, made from a doubled and twisted length of dough topped with streusel.

Inside, shelves are laden with breads: light rye imbedded with caraway seeds, whole wheat, salt stick, sandwich breads, bagels, kaiser rolls and, Fridays only, pumpernickel.

Cases are filled with croissants, biscotti and big black and white cookies. In back is a cake case holding treats like tiramisu cake frosted with nondairy whipped cream, chocolate seven-layer and pineapple jelly rolls.

Roemer Cantillo, who came here with nothing, is on a tasty roll.

Linda Bladholm's latest book is Latin and Caribbean Grocery Stores Demystified.

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