Village Patisserie got its start during a music concert at the Avalon in Boston, MA. It was while attending that concert Tanya met Michael. Unknown to either of them at the time, a cross-country road trip would be the catalyst to the newlyweds opening a food cart in Portland, OR.
Tanya, Village Patisserie’s Le Cordon Blue chef, had loved to bake since she was a young girl. Even though the desire to cook as a profession had been with her since she first started creating with food, more practical concerns saw her acquire a B.S. degree in nursing. Even then, her dream of owning her own business as a chef continued to burn.
Not to be denied, Tanya left nursing and started at the Le Cordon Blue College of Culinary Arts in Boston. It was while attending Le Cordon Blue that she began to research opening her own restaurant. At trip to Portland, OR, introduced her to food carts. Tanya realized that this was how and where she wanted to have her business.
It was then that the fateful meeting with Michael occurred. Little did Tanya know that Michael had also been to Portland while on that cross-country road trip with his brother. Of all their stops on that trek from San Diego, California, to Portland, Maine, Portland, OR, had been their favorite city. In 2013, Tanya and Michael moved west.
Village Patisserie opened at Piknik Park Food Carts + Beer Garden in Sellwood in September of 2015 just months after Tanya and Michael were married. The cart specializes in French-inspired bakery sweets and savory cuisine. Village Patisserie is one of the only food carts to have a pastry case to display their wares.
It’s Tanya’s take on sliders that has garnered the attention of food cart fans from all around PDX. Served on pro fiterole rather than a bun, the sliders are a unique take on a popular pub-style food. The sliders are filled with smoked salmon, or chicken salad, and a vegan version with brie cheese and an apricot chutney. The most popular slider is made with meatballs created with Tanya’s secret authentic Italian recipe.
Each of the menu items at Village Patisserie is as visually attractive as it is tasty. Although the Nicoise Salad with smoked salmon takes the cake as it is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the palate. Cart-smoked salmon with mixed greens, green beans, mini heirloom tomatoes, hard-boiled egg, red potatoes, and olives dressed with a cart-made vinaigrette.
No patisserie would be complete without desserts. The choices of desserts at Village Patisserie will make even the most ardent dieter gladly, and with no remorse, abandon their diet in favor of experiencing the tempting treats offered at Village Patisserie. It would be just too much to resist the pies, cakes, cheesecakes and cookies that can be had at the cart.
Village Patisserie is located at the Piknik Park Food Carts + Beer Garden food cart pod on SE Tacoma at 11th in Sellwood. The cart is open Monday through Saturday from 11 AM to 8 PM and Sundays from 11 AM till 7 PM.
Listen now as Steven Shomler and Ken Wilson talk with Tanya and Michael about their food cart Village Patisserie and how road tripping can lead to a wonderful but as yet unimagined future.
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