Location:
1731 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena CA 91106
626-796-8655
Hours of Operation:
Mon- Sat 10 am - 7 pm
Closed Sunday
Danielle Keene
626-796-8655
danielle@bittersweettreats.com
Founded by Los Angeles based Pastry Chef Danielle Keene, Bittersweet is a pastry shop offering a modern take on old-fashioned ice cream and dessert creations. Bittersweet brings new life to a time lost but not forgotten. Using the finest local ingredients, producing every item from scratch and combining unique flavors, Bittersweet presents you with a treat that exceeds your childhood memories. We offer locally roasted LAMILL coffee and tea drinks, specialty sodas and a selection of retail goods to compliment our desserts. Whether enjoying a cookie and cappuccino or a custom dessert table for your next event, Bittersweet offers you an unforgettably sweet memory for you and your guests.
Owner/ Pastry Chef Danielle Keene;
For Danielle, making gourmet desserts and ice cream has been a passion, a career and a tradition. She grew up in a dessert loving home where her grandma decorated cakes and her mother made chocolate chip root beer floats and oatmeal cookies. After training at Water Grill, Campanile and A.O.C. she was pastry chef for several top Los Angeles restaurants—The Little Door, Blair’s, and BLT Steak. As opening pastry chef at Wilshire Restaurant she started the very popular “Ice Cream Shoppe Night” which received accolades by L.A. Times food critique S. Irene Virbila. In 2005, Danielle was honored when Los Angeles Magazine dubbed her bread pudding “Best of Los Angeles.” In a 2010 Eater LA contest she was voted “Sexiest Chef in L.A.” Her desserts have appeared on the covers of Los Angeles Times Food section and Pasadena magazine.
Danielle was thrilled to be a cheftestant on the first season of Bravo’s Top Chef: Just Desserts premiering in 2010. It was a great platform to show the world her love for desserts and she was delighted when she finished as a finalist. She has been a spokesperson for Got Milk and Farmer Brothers coffee.
“There’s something special about dessert,” Danielle says. “At any point, on any day, dessert can put a smile on your face. No matter what age you are, it can make you feel like a kid again.”
In her free time Danielle enjoys watching episodes of “The Office” with her boyfriend Mikey, long walks on the beach with her cat lola and eating her way through the city she was born and raised in, Los Angeles.
Owner Linda Chen;
An avid baker Linda has always found pleasure in baking for family and friends. Her fondest memories’ from childhood was that of baking with her older sister. Sitting in the kitchen with a tattered copy of Betty Crocker cook book she would make cream puffs and cookies.
At age 15 Linda began working part time at her family’s coffee shop, the cutting board. After attending George Washington University Linda returned home and took over management of the family’s coffee shop.
Now the mother of three wonderful children Linda’s returning to her first passion, baking. Bittersweet is her dream come true.
How we met:
"An avid fan of Top Chef, I just couldn’t wait for the Top Chef Just Dessert to air. Being a baker myself I was interested to see what talent would compete. Week after week I began noticing contestant Danielle Keene. I loved her quirky sense of humor and her humility in taking complements as well as criticism. What really struck me about Danielle above everything else was the tenacity she exemplified throughout the show which shined as she made it to the finals.
She spoke about her dreams of opening her own bakery which is my dream as well and I felt compelled to contact after the show commenced. After our first meeting I knew I had met my partner as well as my sister." -Linda
Bittersweet is our vision and dream becoming reality. We hope you come into Bittersweet and can taste our passion to provide and serve the very best quality to our customers.