... I credit my Godmother's passion for food as my greatest inspiration  for pursuing a career in hospitality.

      After graduating in 2001,  I refined my pastry, baking, chocolate skills, and English by working in the kitchen and chocolateries in France, UK, Canada and U.S.

      I started my journey in the U.S in Beaver Creek, CO, where I had a chance to go cook at the James Beard house with Daniel Joly from Mirabelle and be part of his TV cooking show on TV8. Later on, as a Pastry Chef at Splendido at the Chateau, I worked on the writing of David Walford's cookbook "Woodfire and Champagne Powder" and was lucky to do the cover of the V magazine. I also learned a lot from few celebrity chefs during the Taste of Vail and the Taste of Beaver Creek.

     Deciding that the winters were too long I moved to Laguna Beach, CA, and was part of the team at Studio at the Montage for a few years.

     Eventually through common friends of Brian Bistrong, I got the opportunity to become the Pastry Chef at Bottega and opened Coqueta in San Francisco with Michael Chiarello. So I moved to Napa Valley and felt in love with the area. It just feel like back home here.

      During my time at Bottega I had the opportunity to get reviewed by Michael Bauer and the Meyer lemon tart became one of the best dessert around San Francisco and the Manchego cheesecake at Coqueta got a hit as well. Both restaurants were rated Top 100 restaurants during the years I was in charge of the pastry department.

      When I am not baking or decorating cakes I enjoy traveling to discover new flavors and meet people, using my experiences as inspiration in my creations. Which I want to deliver and share with you through Petite Sweets.           -Dorothee Drouet, Owner

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