1 of 2
Photo by Tyler Darden
2 of 2
Martine’s favorite pastry, pain au chocolat with creme brulee and banana, is only available on weekends. (Photo by Tyler Darden)
Martine Wladar, 54, sprinkles her magic touch onto rustic, European-inspired baked goods at Red Cap Patisserie, which she opened with her husband, John, in March 2017. Sticky buns; decadent coconut cookies; hand pies called tourtieres delicately stuffed with ingredients such as pork, plum and pear; and even chocolate croissants packed with creme brulee and bananas are all treats from her 719 N. Meadow St. kitchen. From her parents’ dining room table to a tiny studio apartment kitchen in Manhattan and now her first brick-and-mortar shop, Wladar has been on a nonstop baking journey.
Richmond magazine: When did you first develop a passion for pastries and baking?
Martine Wladar: I grew up in a really big family; there were seven girls. We each had to bake one night a week, and then it ended up that my sister, Marie, and I were the bakers of the family. At a very young age, I was baking. Marie took a French class in high school one year and made a pavlova, and I remember being so in awe. I was really excited and very intrigued. We did everything from scratch and would work on the dining room table. Now we see [the table] and laugh because it’s so small. We used to take turns [eating] dinner when we got older.
RM: What made you want to cross over to a career as a pastry chef?
Wladar: In my 20s I was working at an office and hadn’t found my passion, and I thought, “OK, I really want to do culinary.” I was working at a record company, and the owner was into food, so it was vicarious for him, almost, when I went to culinary school.
RM: What brought you to Richmond?
Wladar: My husband worked at Capital One at the time, and they wanted him to move near headquarters in either Plano [Texas], McLean or Richmond, and we thought, we better check out RVA. We were super happy, and it was the best choice. It’s so amazing to be here, and it has a great vibe, a young energy and a really great food scene, so we totally lucked out. I don’t know why everybody doesn’t live here, but I don’t want to them to — I want to keep it a secret.
RM: What is one thing you miss most about living in New York?
Wladar: In Manhattan, ethnic food was the best thing in the world. We lived right off Sixth Street, so there were a million Indian restaurants. And pizza — a New York slice. You can’t get that around here.
RM: When you’re baking in the kitchen, is there anything you listen to?
Wladar: If I’m by myself, it’s usually The Clash in the background blasting in the kitchen. My other go-to is Billie Holiday when the store is open.
RM: Do you have a routine to decompress when you leave work?
Wladar: OMG, I have all these foot massagers — four different ones. I’ve broken two already, and my family gets angry because sometimes I make too much noise when they watch TV. It’s like a good, at least 45 minutes, of foot massage before I go to sleep.
RM: Is there anything pastry-related that you don’t like to make?
Wladar: I would probably say cream-cheese frosting. I usually pass that on to someone else. I worked at a cupcake place and a cake decorating place, so I made a lot of frosting. If I don’t have to do that, it’s awesome.
RM: If you weren’t a pastry chef, what do you think you would be doing?
Wladar: I went back and forth from cooking to being a librarian. I probably would have gotten my information science degree, and I’ve looked into it. I’ve worked in a library before, and I loved it.
