Merri Schwartz
Pastry Chef, Quattro on Fourth
Antonio and Patrick Corsi are pleased to announce the appointment of Merri Schwartz to the position of Pastry Chef at Quattro on Fourth.
“We’re thrilled to have Merri as part of the Quattro family,” said Patrick Corsi. “Her first dessert menu is already getting a great response and we look forward to introducing beverage pairings to enhance the dessert experience at the restaurant.”
Merri’s maiden menu includes caramelized white chocolate mousse with ricotta strudel and roasted apples; warm almond and pear cake with almond brittle fruit crisps and lemon creme fraiche; organic vanilla bean panna cotta with rhubarb and vanilla shortbread; and for chocolate lovers, chocolate pate tart with whipped milk chocolate and candied cocoa nibs.
Merri attended the Baking and Pastry Arts Program at Vancouver Community College. She then trained at Sweet Obsession Cakes and Pastries before starting at C Restaurant in the fall of 2003 as assistant pastry chef, rising quickly to pastry chef.
An avid learner Merri apprenticed at Cocoa West Chocolatier, on Bowen Island, and in the fall of 2006, with a generous scholarship from Les Dames d’Escoffier, Merri travelled to France, where she attended several workshops at the Valrhona Chocolate Institute in Lyon, and continued to develop her pastry technique while traveling through Italy and Switzerland.
Outside the restaurant, Merri is the founder and director of Growing Chefs! Chefs for Children’s Urban Agriculture. This Vancouver-based non-profit organization pairs elementary school classrooms with chef volunteers who help students plant, grow and learn to cook their own vegetables.
Merri has a degree in Visual Art from the University of Toronto.