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Food Takes Center Stage at Renovated Tree House

Change has come in a big way to Tree House Pastry Shop and Café. The café and pastry shop, now located on the edge of the growing Lena Street Lofts near Second Street, has a new home, extended hours, and an expanded menu of all-organic breakfast and lunch items. Yet, despite its move and major expansion, Tree House remains true to its ideals.

Once upon a time, there was a sweet little pastry shop hidden amidst the greenery of Plants of the Southwest. With its earthen walls, laid brick floor, and wooden beam ceiling, the café nearly melded into its natural surroundings. It served all-organic, vegetarian meals and mouth-watering pastries six days a week.

Upon entering the café, one's first impression—beyond how small it seemed—was that there was little distinction between kitchen and dining room. Separated from the cooking area by only a small counter, customers had a front and center view of the workings within the tiny kitchen. And there were a lot of workings, for then as now, Tree House—in both the meals it serves and the scrumptious baked goods it produces for weddings, birthdays, and other celebrations—uses no pre-processed or prepared foods. Everything Tree House serves is made on site from scratch. Right before your eyes.

This openness is by design, intended to allow people to watch the process of preparation, to know where their meal originated and how it got to their plate. Raising awareness about food origins and the role it plays in our lives is part of the Tree House philosophy. For the same reasons, Tree House's menu is nearly entirely based on what's available at the Santa Fe Farmers' Market—a fact that’s meant to emphasize the close connection between where we live and what we eat.

So when Tree House outgrew its tiny kitchen and started planning its move to a new—and greatly expanded—location, chef and owner Maria Elena Bustamante-Bernal had another opportunity to redesign the space. She chose—once again—to have the kitchen open to the dining area, ensuring that the act of food preparation was central to the dining experience.

"I think that, for the most part, our customers are conscientious about their food choices," says Bustamante-Bernal. "People come to us because they want to know that what they're eating is real food—not genetically modified or full of preservatives. So we try to make the whole process transparent—from the time things are harvested until the time they're served," she adds. "If you want to know where those beets or carrots came from—just ask. We'll tell you. And if you're really curious about how we made them taste so good—we'll even let you watch us cook."

But, it seems, not just the conscientious are eating at Tree House, for here, among the earth toned walls and natural light pouring in through the large windows surrounding the spacious dining area, cupcakes sometimes substitute for a morning meal.

"I can't explain it" says Carole Brinkley, the café manager and talented pastry chef, with a laugh. "Look at all these great breakfast items," she gestures toward the café's chalkboard menus, "but some people just want to have cupcakes for breakfast."

Who can blame them? This being Tree House, it's a sure thing that—although perhaps not as nutritious as the "Beet-ing Heart Burger"—the cupcakes are just as good as anything on the menu.

"Our cakes, cupcakes—all of our pastry items—are all-organic and made from flour grown in northern New Mexico. That's something we take pride in," Bustamante-Bernal says. "Just because something's a dessert doesn't mean you should feel bad about eating it. We're pro-dessert all the way at Tree House. . . even if that means having a cupcake for breakfast once in a while."

With an attitude like that—and a menu like the one available at Tree House—we're bound to live happily ever after, indeed.

Tree House Pastry Shop and Café is saving the world one cupcake at a time. The café is open for breakfast Tuesday through Saturday from 8:00 until 11:30. (Cupcakes aren't always available in the morning—call ahead if you're really craving one.) Lunch is served from 11:30 until 3:00. The café remains open until 4:00 for drinks and pastries. On Sundays, the café is open from 9:00 to 2:00 and serves breakfast and lunch all day.

Tree House is located at 1600 Lena Street in the Lena Street Lofts. For more information call 474-5543.

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