Falling in Love with Tartine

Nestled among the many storefronts near the Ferry Landing, this hidden gem is inviting but not pretentious, quaint yet warm, and, all in all, a wonderful place to make a memory.  

"We opened Tartine in 2001," said Jenny Freel, a 30-year Coronado resident and one of the bistro's co-owners. "There were three of us girls, Marianne Berta, Barbara Massey and myself. Marianne and I had, and still have, a gourmet gift store up the street called In Good Taste, and we met Barbara one day when she walked by, saw a help-wanted sign, and came to work for us." 

Massey, a Qualcomm employee and former Le Cordon Bleu pastry chef who trained in Paris, found herself drawn back into the culinary world. And eventually, when the three learned the owner of the building that now houses Tartine had a soon-to-be-available storefront, they decided to open what Freel described as a "pastry/coffee/salad/bakery-type place."

Their initial challenges were reinventing the coffee house that had previously been housed there and guiding patrons toward more sophisticated offerings.

"The previous business sold muffins, dollar coffee and bagels, and we didn't have that," she said. "People didn't know what prosciutto or arugula was, so it was a tough sell in the beginning."

To a vistor walking in, the bistro's high-ceilinged, open space has a casual feel. Booth seating aligns both the right and left walls, and four-top tables, set up throughout the rest of the café, are pre-set with silverware and menus. Guests are invited to seat themselves while browsing culinary and beverage selections.

In addition to the vast array of oh-so-decadent pastries, you'll find offerings such as paninis, salads (served with a house champagne vinaigrette that is to die for), meat and cheese plates, and an ever-changing dinner menu.

Chef William Gilchriest makes modifications to the nightly menu to ensure that entrée offerings maintain high quality and seasonal freshness.

If you have yet to visit Tartine, it's definitely a place to consider.  Whether you're there to dine, chat over coffee, or share a glass of wine with friends, its European flair may make you forget you're actually in Southern California.

Fun Fact:  As with any new business venture, Tartine faced bumps and hurdles along the way. Case in point:  the 2003 Superbowl. "The city had fireworks all down the bay that night," Freel said, laughing. "We knew it was going to be busy, but we never even considered to-go orders. By the time we closed we were completely sold out. There was not one single item left."