New Mattapoisett bakery and cafe serves up French pastries
Vanessa Dossantos poses for a photo in her new bakery and cafe. Photos by Mari Huglin
French pastries and other treats fill the case at the bakery. 
Small cakes are popular. 
Cheesecakes fill the rows. 
An oreo cinnamon bun was on of Dossantos' creations. 
Small cakes are adorned with fresh fruit. 
The name Eden comes from the Garden of Eden and new beginnings. 
The cafe is located inside the Ropewalk building where Poi Market used to be.
Vanessa Dossantos poses for a photo in her new bakery and cafe. Photos by Mari Huglin
French pastries and other treats fill the case at the bakery.
Small cakes are popular.
Cheesecakes fill the rows.
An oreo cinnamon bun was on of Dossantos' creations.
Small cakes are adorned with fresh fruit.
The name Eden comes from the Garden of Eden and new beginnings.
The cafe is located inside the Ropewalk building where Poi Market used to be.
MATTAPOISETT — Vanessa Dossantos had always known she wanted to be a pastry chef and finally got the opportunity to open her own cafe and bakery in Mattapoisett.
Dossantos, of Fall River, recently opened Eden Cafe and Bakery. Her business is located at 33 County Road, the former site of Poi Market in the Ropewalk plaza.
Having studied math and engineering through high school and college, Dossantos became a math teacher but said she was not fulfilled with her work.
“I became a math teacher, which was not amazing— I mean, yes I liked it, I like kids, but something was missing,” Dossantos said.
She then went to Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Boston to become a pastry chef.
She achieved her next dream of working as the pastry chef at Hotel Viking in Newport, Rhode Island before working for a few other pastry jobs. She then got an opportunity to open her own bakery.
Dossantos had been looking to lease a space that had a walk-in refrigerator, since she didn't want to buy one. The owners of the Ropewalk building got in contact with her and within four months, Dossantos was opening her newly renovated cafe.
The pastry chef sells French inspired pastries alongside some Italian and Brazilian treats. Her favorite pastry to make and eat is Brazilian flan.
She has a different menu every week, with around five or seven pastries staying the same each week. Otherwise, she bakes up whatever she feels like making.
Even though the hours are hard and long, Dossantos said she still finds joy in the satisfaction of running the bakery and cafe.
“My favorite part about running the bakery is the satisfaction when someone likes something or their reaction to things or when they love something that they get,” Dossantos said.
In the two months she's been open, Dossantos reports business has been steady. She said many people still don't know the about her business, but she already has a few regulars.
“I think a lot of people say that we fill a void because there were no coffee shops with seating, so I think [opening] has been a positive thing,” she said.
