Page 16 - Sonoma County Gazette February 2020

Dream- Worthy Pastry, Up Close and Personal
By Valery Larson
It often takes just a moment to
After driving by Patisserie Angelica more times than I can count and not stopping and tasting, I finally visited the Patisserie on a recent Friday and became an instant convert.
leaf teas come locally from Taylor Lane. For anyone who prefers the other liquid gold, the coffee drinks are sourced locally from coffee roaster, Bella Rosa.
As we chatted and the
teas steeped, a tiered and delectable selection of savory sandwiches and decadent pastries appeared before us.
be converted to something.
Even before sitting down to experience the High Tea that the friendly waitstaff graciously served us, my friend and I, like hungry kids just out of school staring through the window of a candy store, salivated over plates of gorgeous cakes, elegant pastel macarons, and savory pastry, tempting us from behind the glass of the front counter.
One’s tendency is to want to dig
right in, but the beauty of the mouth- watering display slowed our experience as we listened to our server’s description of each delicacy. We started with the middle plate of dilled egg salad, chicken salad with the perfect balance of tart dried cherries, and my favorite, English cucumber with just the right amount of chive cream cheese.
As we were led to the enclosed and
very peaceful side-room for the tea, I
glanced at the many photos of the most detailed, stunning and playful cakes
ever seen that lined the walls. Wow, I
wanted to adopt a Birthday party of kids
just to order one of those cakes! Shaped
like Dr. Seuss’ creations and a plethora
of other characters and creatures, they
were a marvel to behold. They use
fondant which is much like Marzipan
but even better for shaping and playing with. The images of wedding cakes with both edible and real flowers could make the queen drool. One looked a lot like a hat she would proudly
On the lower tier, quiche, parmesan pepper puffs, warm current scones and delicate breadsticks made from a type of pie dough beckoned and we slathered house-made Meyer lemon curd, the most beautiful and perfectly sweet raspberry preserves, and
Sonomashire cream onto the scones.
S
The top plate held macarons of chestnut and
rum buttercream that melted in the mouth with r
a slight outer chewy crunch, giving way to a a
wear. When I asked about the cakes, our greeter rs
told us they love creating one-of-a-kind custom cakes, each an individual work of art.
s o o f f t t c c e e n nt t e e r r a a n n d d t t i i n nt t e e d d w w i it t h h n n a at t u u r r a a l l f f o o o o d d- - b b a a s s e e d d
Jennifer Bice who previously owned
Redwood Hill Farm and Creamery and retired
as CEO a little while back, officially took
ownership of the patisserie January 1st of 2019, from sisters Condra Easily and Deborah Morris who owned and operated the business for 24 years and were ready to retire and move to France. Jennifer held on to the talented crew of pastry chefs and greeter/servers, as well as the sinfully delicious pastry recipes the sisters had skillfully developed for the shop and taught to the pastry chefs and Gergana Karabelov, Jennifer’s business partner at the patisserie. Gergana had been a previous employee of Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery and Jennifer’s longtime friend.
chocolate truffles made for a nice finish. c
pastel coloring. The caramel cheesecake had the p
perfect touch of caramel and the lightly dusted p
As we finished off the last crumb and rubbed A
For the High Tea, we were seated at an elegant table with a menu of the teas. Even if someone isn’t into tea, there is a high likelihood that they can find something on the extensive list of teas to entice their taste buds.
“Take care of you and the rest will follow”.
High Tea is the perfect, elegant experience to nurture self-care and say I’m worth it! Enjoy an elegant High Tea with a friend and double your self-care. You are both worth it! And in this month that represents love, share the experience with the love of your life. Turn off your phones and let its warmth wrap around your hearts like an elegant and ethereal scarf.
You may discover a new lease of love.
High Tea by Appointment Wednesday through Sunday, 11 am – 3 pm
6821 Laguna Park Way, Sebastopol 707-827-7998 | PatisserieAngelica.com
o u u r r f f u u l l l l b b e e l l l l i i e e s s , , I I w wa a s s r r e e m m i i n n d d e e d d o o f f s s o o m m e e t t h h i i n n g g a a o
dear friend once said...
We decided to try different flavors in separate pots. The Earl Grey French Blue took me right back to the cozy little tea shop in that far away city of love, where the rain gently fell outside but the hot jeweled liquid warmed the body inside and created a memory that follows me to this day. Eros was another favorite, so delicious with the taste and scent of hibiscus and mallow flowers. Many of the teas come from the famed tea blender Mariage Freres in France.
The caffeine-free tea blends, Rooibos, Chamomile flower, and Peppermint
16 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 2/20