The day laborers followed by postal workers filter in around 6:45 am. Coffee, bagels, rolls, baked goods and soft conversation fill the Pastry Chef in Tarrytown at that time. Shortly after 7 am office workers, retirees and a host of others breathe in the aromas from freshly baked breads, coffee cakes, pastries and brewing coffee. Maria Trindade, born in Portugal, has either managed or owned bakeries for the past 35 years. Her attention to detail can be seen and tasted throughout the shelves and display cases of 25-or-so different cookie selections along with 25-plus pastry choices.
Photo: Pastry Chef owners Maria and her husband Frank.
While she manages the front of the store, her husband bakes, and the two of them are joined by an extremely courteous
counter staff and additional bakers, who “make everything from scratch” according to Maria. “Our quality is everything to us. We make all our own butter creams, cannoli filling and chocolate mousse. We don’t buy or use any pre-made ingredients. That is the way I was introduced to the bakery business, and it’s the way my husband was as well,” she said, during an early morning interview.
With the Holiday Season a popular “Yule Log” of yellow sponge cake
filled with fudge is purchased as quickly as it is made. Cookies in the shapes of bells, stars and Christmas trees are also finding their way onto dessert tables. As for cakes, there is a #1 bestseller, and that is a chocolate mousse cake with cannoli filling.
Special requests are always available to customers who would like to place their orders one week before the pickup date. For patrons needing a cake or shipped cookies quickly, they will find a large selection of them, along with many other baked goods, in display cases at the Pastry Chef.
As Maria Trindade, her husband and staff celebrate their fourth year in Tarrytown, they have become an important part of the Village’s business fabric. They are liked for their approach to service and respected for their attention to quality. How sweet it is.
The Pastry Chef in Tarrytown is located at 57 North Broadway in Tarrytown. They are open 7 days a week. Monday through Saturday from 6:30 am to 7 pm. On Sunday they close at 5 pm. Telephone 914-631-6556
