William Werner has spent time at Quince and the Ritz Carlton, serving as a pastry chef extraordinaire at both spots. Now, he has a spot of his own, opening Craftsman & Wolves in the Mission District.
“It’s just so much different having my own place. When you’re part of a restaurant team, there may be some ingredients that the chef is not interested in. Or he may not like one of the creations you make; it just might not fit the direction of the restaurant and the menu,” Werner said. “Now, I can do what I want to do, make the desserts and pastries that I’m interested in making and have fun with it.”
Those aren’t the only pastries that fill the beautiful display each morning. “It’s funny because when we opened, I wanted to keep The Devil Inside and the eclairs off the shelves until midday. But people would come in asking for it when we opened,” Werner said. “But we’ve got a lot of other fun stuff like the passion sesame croissant, the pain au cochon and the chocolate croissant stack. A customer came in and got the blueberry muffin and told me, that’s the most blueberries I’ve ever had in a muffin and my reaction was, Yes! That’s exactly what I was going for.”
The space fits Werner’s style, modern and sleek in its design and right in the heart of the food boom on Valencia Street. “I think it really fits the neighborhood perfectly. I live nearby and there are so many different types of restaurants and eateries in the area. This just offers something unique for the Mission.”
Craftsman and Wolves is located at 746 Valencia Street. Hours are Monday-Friday from 7 am – 8 pm, Saturday from 8-8 and Sunday from 8-5.