WESTON, Vt. – The latest gem to open in Weston is an artisanal bakery called The Green Cat. A tidy patisserie, boulangerie, and French-inspired market located at 613 Main Street, the cozy spot sits across the street from its associated hotel, The Weston, and its exceptional French restaurant, The Left Bank.
Entrepreneur Peter Hagner Sharp, who passed away in January at age 69, was the visionary behind the elegant boutique hotel and eatery, as well as the Vermont Butcher Shop in Londonderry, and now, The Green Cat Cafe.
Inside the spotless bistro, impeccably arranged displays present an array of gorgeous French pastries like tarte aux faises, a French strawberry tart. There are viennoiseries, sweet baked goods that fall somewhere between bread and pastry, and laminated croissants and other treats created through an intensive, butter-layering process to create that famously flaky crust.
These artful sweet and savory delicacies are the creations of Executive Pastry Chef Mary Pisanelli. The experienced chef came to Weston from Cleveland, Ohio, after searching for the perfect spot to express her creativity, to work with a dedicated staff and other skilled chefs, and to offer her baked items, grab-and-go salads, and sandwiches made with in-house, hand-crafted, artisanal breads, plus coffee drinks, cheeses, and wine.
The market is stocked with farm-fresh greens and produce from The Weston’s own hand-tilled, 50-acre farm. Pisanelli started working at the hotel while it was planning for and constructing The Green Cat.
Pisanelli graduated from the culinary arts program at Johnson & Wales University, a highly prestigious college recognized as one of the top schools for culinary arts. She said she had initially intended to become a dietitian until she realized she wasn’t feeling called to that profession. She knew she wanted to work with food in some way, and when a school guidance counselor suggested becoming a chef, Pisanelli admitted she had not realized that was “a thing.”
“Basically, I have been doing this all my life,” she remarked.
Before coming to Weston, Pisanelli worked in hotels across the country: in Denver, in Palm Beach, and at the four-star luxury hotel The Peabody, in Memphis, Tenn. Once, Pisanelli baked a custom chocolate cake shaped like a guitar for James Taylor, a guest at the hotel.
“I just love his music, and I wanted to share my creativity with him,” Pisanelli recalled. “[Taylor] called me to thank me and gave me tickets and backstage passes to his concert!” Taylor also told Pisanelli her cake was one of the best chocolate cakes he had ever eaten.
Try one of Pisanelli’s bittersweet chocolate macadamia nut rolls, and you will agree with the legendary musician’s review.
Pisanelli works with a small, professional staff, all of whom pay attention to detail and offer friendly customer service, like bakery manager Lauren Fourie. Pisanelli is actively interviewing for more positions, which would allow the bakery to expand its hours of operation beyond the current schedule of Friday–Sunday, from 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.
The opportunity to learn under Pisanelli would be an exciting one for the right person – a hard worker interested in the science behind pastry and bread making, and in training with one of the best.
Eventually, Pisanelli would like to start a catering service again, and offer baking classes so the rest of us can learn a bit about how to make some of these treats at home. For July 4, Pisanelli is planning strawberry shortcakes, blondies, and in-house-made brioche burger buns.