Without a doubt, Patisserie Svoi – the Ukrainian bakery that opened at 8 S. Euclid Ave. in the Central West End a few weeks ago – has brought a new level of elegance to the neighborhood.
A few paces from the hospital complex at Euclid Avenue and Forest Parkway, the exterior features serene, butter-lettuce paint and the simple words on its windows: “Desserts. Pastries. Wedding Cakes. Coffee.” And even though you hadn’t necessarily planned on any of those things, the scent wisping from the door draws you in. You’ve smelled that smell before – in the European bakeries of your youth, maybe, or simply in your dreams: a cafe on cobblestones, a river rolling by, the air – inside and out – perfumed by the magical effect of heat on butter and flour, sugar and egg.
Patisserie Svoi is owned by Dymtro (Dima) and Taisiya Hrynchyshyn who came to the U.S. from Kyiv in 2022 and took part in WashU’s Empower program. Empower is a no-cost, 26-week English language program launched by the School of Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS) for educated refugees which teaches higher-level English and professional skills. (It is the first of its kind in the nation).
Initially, the Hrynchyshyns came to the US by way of the Uniting for Ukraine program, which allowed Ukrainians with US supporters to receive humanitarian parole for up to two years.
Dima enrolled at WashU (ultimately for a degree in data analytics), and that’s where the couple was able to take advantage of the Empower program. Empower is a no-cost, 26-week English language program launched by the School of Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS) for educated refugees which teaches higher-level English and professional skills. (It is the first of its kind in the nation).
“Thanks to the program, we were able to relocate and begin a new chapter here,” said Dima. “St. Louis very quickly felt like home. We were struck by the people, the atmosphere, and the strong sense of community.”
Indeed, Patisserie Svoi’s display case is a thing of beauty – a semi-spare selection of the day’s offerings which look to you like jewels. Is it a slice of almond cake craggy with nuts you’re in the mood for? Do you deserve to buy yourself a beautiful blue macaron, piped with primrose-yellow filling? Is it too early in the morning for a golden goblet of tiramisu and a delicate meringue nest of cream charmingly topped with raspberries? Respectively, “Yes,” “Yes,” and “No.”
Taisiya introduces us to traditional Eastern European delights like Ukrainian honey cake, a multi-layered confection, light as a feather; and Napoleon – a cousin of the French mille-feuille, which you promise to try next time, possibly even later on today.
A word in your ear, however: Sit down at a table, sip espresso from a real cup and breathe in for a few minutes the rarefied air between those soft-green walls. But also order something to go, because back outside in the dull workaday world, the beautiful box and bag your pastry comes in will make you feel – at least until you tear into them – like the fanciest pants in town.
The Hrynchyshyns are currently waiting for a commercial oven and a dough sheeter. Until then, much of this remarkable craftsmanship is being done by hand. (To keep pace with its popularity, the Patisserie Svoi team already amounts to eight people total).