Little bites of the world have made it to Folsom Street. Joey & Pat’s Bakery & Café brings the usuals — coffee, tea, biscotti — and a whole lot more.
This nearly two-week-old spot at the corner of Folsom and 21st streets specializes in Italian, Danish, French and American pastries — from cream puffs and Napoleons to almond turnovers, palmiers, macaroons and scones. Oh, and lots of tres leches. It’s certainly more bakery than café.
“It feels good,” says Pat Tittoni, co-owner with husband Joey Tittoni, who hails from Rome. That feeling of baking isn’t new to the pair, who have worked at Dianda’s Italian American Pasty on Mission Street. Wanting to work for themselves, they opened their own bakery.
But it took time to get there — they had to wait 10 months to obtain a license from the San Francisco Planning Department. “This was the only place we could find,” says Pat. But that’s not to say she isn’t satisfied. “It’s a good corner store, and we’re happy here.”
Her customers agree. “Good coffee, great pastries,” one shouts as she walks out the door. “I’m a happy returning customer.” “I’m glad it’s near my apartment,” says Megan Coss, a nearby resident. “Now I can get a cup of coffee whenever I want.”
And that’s exactly what Tittoni wants. “We’re here for our neighbors,” she says. Cony Artiga, part-time employee, makes sure that message is conveyed. “Tell everybody about us,” she says as customers leave.
Whether or not locals are familiar with the new café, they are familiar with the old violence that surrounds it. “That’s a tough spot, with all the stabbings and shootings,” says Coss. “But I hope [Joey & Pat’s] improves the area.”
Across the street at Heirloom Café, owner Matt Straus already sees improvements. “The business there before [a torta eatery] didn’t have a regular clientele.” But he sees that now — just two weeks in — at Joey & Pat’s. “The flow-through is good.”
It takes effort to achieve that quality. Joey clocks in at 3 a.m. every day to bake. “He is the angel of baking,” says Artiga. She’s not kidding. He’ll make any kind of cake, for weddings, baptisms, birthdays and more. “We can even wrap you in a cake to come out of,” jokes Artiga.
