Start with 3 parts I.C.E.
Mix in:
1 part handmade, squishy, gourmet marshmallows
1 part mouth-watering mini tarts
1 part delicate and delectable signature cookies
1 part perfectly proportioned parfaits
Fold gently with a pinch of meticulously selected gifts for home and baby
Add a splash of house made lemonade and enjoy Three Tarts!
That is how you make a trendy gourmet dessert bakery and boutique in New York’s hip Chelsea district. We started out as classmates at the Institute of Culinary Education (I.C.E) and now we’re on the verge of celebrating our 5th birthday as one of the “top ten dessert destinations in New York”, (TimeOut New York) having been featured in O Magazine and a host of others. As we launch our new blog – Tart Talk – we thought it appropriate to re-introduce ourselves to Chelsea, to New York and to the world and remind everyone we don’t only have the best marshmallows in New York, but everything we do is Bite Sized & Beautiful. Who are we? We’re the Three Tarts.
The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE®) is New York City’s largest and most active center for culinary education. Founded in 1975 by Peter Kump, the school offers career training programs in Culinary Arts, Pastry & Baking, Culinary Management and Hospitality Management. Students and alumni regularly are nominated for or win top industry awards, such as James Beard Awards, Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in America, and Pastry Art & Design’s Ten Best Pastry Chefs.
It was in this award-winning environment that we earned the nickname “Three Tarts.” The moniker stuck even after graduation, and when Marla D’Urso decided to open her Chelsea bakery + boutique in 2006, she knew there were no better pastry chefs to call upon than Sandra Palmer and Kiyomi Toda-Burke.
Marla D’Urso–owner, founder, primary Tart. Marla’s background in residential interior design is evident in the selection of housewares and gifts sold at Three Tarts. Ten years of designing homes in both New York City and Vail, Colorado, combined with a love of pastry and a degree from the Institute of Culinary Education, inspired her to bring all of these passions together into one business. Marla pretty much lives at Three Tarts. You’ll find her helping customers, working at her desk, washing dishes, fixing displays and obsessively cleaning the fingerprints from the pastry case glass.
Kiyomi Toda-Burke–pastry chef, creative genius, fashion icon. Kiyomi is the secret weapon at Three Tarts. After years of working in fashion, Kiyomi has been reborn as a master with a pastry bag. Also an Institute of Culinary Education classmate, Kiyomi brings her fashion sensibility and Japanese work ethic to the table. She has studied and worked under Pichet Ong at Spice Market, Jean-George’s Meat Packing District hot spot, as well as under celebrity chef Francois Payard at his flagship patisserie located on Manhattan’s upper east side. Kiyomi ensures that our treats at Three Tarts look as good as they taste.
Sandra Palmer–pastry chef, kitchen manager, vigilante proofreader. Sandra’s attention to detail comes from many years as an editor and proofreader in her past professional life. Thankfully she’s now redirected her obsession with making things correct from page to pastry. She moved to New York to attend the Institute of Culinary Education, and went to work under Lincoln Carson (now Corporate Chef for Mina Group, Inc.) producing desserts for NYC restaurants such as Blue Water Grill and Isabella’s. Sandra got her plating experience on the dessert line at The Biltmore Room, rated one of the world’s best restaurants by Condé Nast Traveler, and spent some time at The Cleaver Company in Chelsea Market as pastry cook producing desserts using organic and sustainable ingredients from local growers.
So join us here on our blog as we will regularly feature Ask the Tarts, Top Secret Recipes, and adventures in sweetness and make sure you keep up with us online at 3Tarts.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter @ThreeTartsNYC and help us celebrate our 5th Birthday along with other cool events and announcements in 2011 and beyond!
