The Story
Didi had never planned to move to the United States. But when her only son enrolled at USF to study neuroscience, she flew to San Francisco on a whim, and brought Paris to Fillmore Street.
Didi got the “baking bug” from helping out at her father-in-law’s bakery. His generation made bread and baked goods; Didi became the family’s first pastry chef. She and her husband went on to open their own bakery in a tight-knit Paris neighborhood.
Building a Piece of Paris on Fillmore
Missing Paris, Didi wanted to recreate that perfect Parisian atmosphere herself. “I have to bring Paris here,” she says. Oh, là, là!
Every day, Didi wakes up at 2AM and bikes from her home on Treasure Island to the bakery on Fillmore Street to make sure everything is baked on time. She says she’s come to love this ritual: the empty and quiet city, the fresh ocean air, and this secret version of San Francisco that belongs only to the very early birds.
She also discovered that while a neighborhood bakery in Paris runs on foot traffic and habit, in San Francisco, it’s much more about social media. Be loud! And it seems to be working. Even our dear Daniel Lurie stopped by to say hi!
On the Menu
Didi adjusted her classic French recipes for American palates, building expertise in gluten-free pastry, convinced it deserves a place in French pastry. “I like to play with color, especially with macarons and meringues.”
Her signature pastries:
the colorful pistachio-raspberry meringue with REAL fruits inside; the Trianon, a dark chocolate mousse over a crunchy base, and anything almond-chocolate.
My personal favorite: the raspberry-pistachio eclair; flavorful, not too sweet, and so melting. Many of her ingredients ship directly from France through her supplier: “the local substitutes never quite have the same feeling.”
MerciSF Rapid FireFavorite bakery in SF: Le Marais BakeryFavorite restaurant in SF: The Progress – a neighbor! – and its authentic menuWhat he’d miss most if he left California:the people. She’s been struck by how quick Americans are to smile and open up, compared to the reserve she grew up with in Paris.What he misses most about France: The Fouquet’s, which she used to visit every week
Didi would like to extend her special thanks to the San Francisco Police Department, everyone at City Hall, her customers, and the Fillmore community for their continued support.
KC Paris Desserts, 1365 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94115
Open Tuesday-Sunday, closed on Monday
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