Eatery brings taste of France to Pflugerville

La Ptisserie by Oven Fresh Delights is the antithesis of the modern chain restaurant and coffeehouse.

The Pflugerville cafe and pastry shop features a selection of French-inspired baked goods and meals, all prepared on-site with local and fresh ingredients. The restaurant caters to a clientele willing to buck the traditional American-fare breakfast for crepes, macarons and croissants.

Seating is limited at La Ptisserie, and the meals and coffee are made to order, a formula which translates into fresher food served at a relaxed pace.

"Everything is fantastic," said Tricia Stoneff, a loyal customer. "It's small, it's intimate—but the food is fantastic."

La Ptisserie is the first venture into the restaurant industry for co-owners Homer and Doris Orrick. Doris, a native of France's Champagne-Ardenne region, grew up learning how to cook and bake in her family's kitchen.

"I grew up in France, and my whole family is bakers," Doris said. "I grew up around good food and baking—it's in the blood."

Translating her home-learned skills into a baking career, however, was not Doris's first choice. Doris first immigrated to Texas in 1996 to attend Central Texas College in Killeen, where she studied drafting and design. After finishing school, she returned to France where she began a career as a civil engineer.

In 2002, Doris moved to New York City, where she met Homer, and the couple later married. By 2006, Doris felt a calling to return to Central Texas.

The idea to open their own restaurant spawned from a noticed gap in local restaurant options. Doris spent years planning the restaurant and menu prior to La Ptisserie's July 2011 opening.

"She really enjoys baking and cooking and wanted to turn it into a business," Homer said. "We started up slow but have been building up our clientele."

La Ptisserie is benefiting from serving a niche market with little to no competition in the area.

"We have some good support in Pflugerville, Round Rock and Austin," Doris said. "Several of our customers tell us they are happy they don't have to drive to South Austin to get macarons or croissants."

Customers also appreciate the time and effort Doris puts into the taste and presentation of the meals. Several diners raved about the French toast breakfast—a delicately assembled entree of brioche bread, garnished with sliced kiwi and berries, and topped with whipped cream and powdered sugar. After visiting La Ptisserie for the first time and trying the French toast, customer Julie Wentz said she felt compelled to go home and experiment with new cooking methods and presentations.

"[The food] is inspired—and inspiring," Wentz said. "And I love the fact that it is privately owned."

A lesson in French gastronomy

Viennoiseries: French for "Viennese specialties," similar to bread or puff pastries, with sugars, eggs, butter or cream traditionally added to enrich the flavoring. At La Ptisserie, customers can choose from plain, chocolate and almond croissants; Madeleine; and apple strudels.

Ptisserie: A French term for pastries prepared by a Ptissier, or pastry chef. Doris Orrick bakes all of her ptisseries on site, including Napolon, tiramisu, crme brule, fresh fruit tarts and more than a dozen flavors of macarons.

La Ptisserie by Oven Fresh Delights, 2604 W. Pecan St., Ste. C, Pflugerville, 670-9190, www.lapatisseriepfl.com

• Tue.–Fri. 7 a.m.–2 p.m., 5–7 p.m.
• Sat. 8 a.m.–2 p.m.