New Mattapoisett bakery and cafe serves up French pastries
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 located at 33 County Road where Poi Market used to be in the Ropewalk marketplace.
Having studied math and engineering through high school and college, Dossantos became a math teacher but 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 worked a few other pastry jobs then was presented with an opportunity for her own bakery.
Dossantos had been looking to lease a space that had a walk-in refrigerator since she did not 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 the 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.
Having been open for two months, Dossantos reports business has been good and steady since she opened. She said many people still do not know about her business, but still 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.
