Where to Eat in Bricklyn | Bricklyn, Vermont: "A City Within A City"

Updated: November 1, 2023

by Gloria Vanderbrick, People in the News Correspondent.

Members of the Bricklyn Chapter of the Alliance Française inside Pastries by Patsy. — Patsy Brickerson — the real Outland Patsy’s avatar — is behind the counter. Lovers of French come by on Thursdays to chat. According to Patsy, plans are in the works to offer French classes for members of the Bricklyn business community at Patsy’s during evening hours when the bakery would ordinarily be closed. Photo by DALL-E3, with prompts from Gloria Vanderbrick.

Pastries by Patsy has become a favorite of not just francophone residents and visitors, but also of your more donut-loving “traditional” Bricklynite. While having some morning pastries last week at Patsy’s, I took a photo of the busy scene. Next time you’re downtown, be sure to stop in at Patsy’s.

Editor’s note: Here’s the original story we posted about the bakery’s opening.

October 26, 2023

by Gloria Vanderbrick, People in the News Correspondent.

A huge crowd of Bricklynites came to celebrate the opening of “Pastries by Patsy” in front of the Southeast Corner Building downtown today.

A crowd gathered outside the Southeast Corner Building, now the ground floor home of Pastries by Patsy. Speakers holding croissants at the opening day ceremonies included, from left to right: Bill Tiler French of the Bricklyn Alliance Française; Tom Brickorti, CEO of the Bricklyn Chamber of Commerce; Patsy Brickerson, avatar of the real Patsy; and Hilma Plater-Zybrick, President of the Federal Council.

The new store replaces a pizza shop, and adds a touch of “le français au centre-ville,” as Bill Tiler French, board member of Bricklyn’s chapter of The Alliance Française, put it.

Photo of the real Patsy on opening day of her café. Because of privacy concerns, any Outlander in Bricklyn (including Outlanders who own businesses in Bricklyn), must have their images digitally altered.

The real Patsy was in attendance for the festivities, along with her Bricklyn avatar, Patsy Brickerson. The real Patsy was thrilled, but stunned, by the number of Bricklynites cheering on her new café.

“C’est incroyable de voir autant d’habitants de Bricklyn ici aujourd’hui. Nous allons faire de notre mieux pour élargir la variété des pâtisseries disponibles, et nous aurons aussi notre propre version des beignets de Bricklyn!”

*Michel Tiler Brioche, rumored to be under consideration for the position of sous-chef at Patsy’s. Some say he looks a lot like the Muppets’ “Swedish Chef”?*

Et la vraie Patsy d’ajouter : “Je vais aussi avoir besoin d’embaucher un sous-chef très rapidement.”

Translation: “Its incredible to see so many Bricklynites here today. We’re going to do our best to expand the variety of pastries available, and will also have our own special take on Bricklyn’s time-honored donuts.” As the real Patsy added, “I’m also going to need to hire a sous-chef very quickly.”

📍Editor’s Note: Bricklyn’s Avatar Law requires that any Outland business owner must have an avatar representing them in Bricklyn, and can only employ citizens of Bricklyn in their business.

The Bricklyn Eagle’s original March 10, 2023 news story about Pastries by Patsy and interview of the real Patsy follows below:

➤ In light of the resolution of the “Great Donut Debate,” we were especially excited to learn that Patsy, a Burlington VT Outlander, will be opening a French-style bakery / café downtown. Gloria Vanderbrick, our “People in the News” correspondent, interviewed Patsy to learn more about her plans.

Bricklyn Eagle: What got you interested in opening up a bakery in downtown Bricklyn, and will this be your first foray into operating a bakery?

Patsy: I have been operating the bakery as a home-based business in the Outland city of Burlington, VT, for many years. When a prime location opened up in the desirable and nearby Inland community of Bricklyn, I seized the opportunity.

Pastries by Patsy will be on the ground floor (by the brown canopy) of the historic Southeast Corner Building, also home to the Bricklyn Natural History Museum on the second floor, and around the corner from the new Space Flight Park.

Bricklyn Eagle: We’ve heard your bakery will be replacing the pizza shop in the historic Southeast Corner Building. What appealed to you about that location?

Patsy: My realtor, a certain Mr. xxxxxx (who, I might add, received a considerable commission on the transaction!) convinced me that this is the perfect location for my bakery, being near transit and on the bike-pedestrian pathway.

It’s also immediately below the Bricklyn Natural History Museum, which I heard is a very popular attraction.

Making the deal even better, I was able to purchase the pizza shop’s ovens, which are in very good condition, at a quite reasonable price.

Sal Brickfour, owner of the now closed PizzaBrick shop, showing Patsy Brickerson the inside kitchen layout of what will soon be Pastries by Patsy.

Note: As required by Bricklyn’s “Avatar” law, all Outland persons owning businesses in Bricklyn must be represented by an “avatar minifigure” — so here, the real Outland Patsy is represented by her Bricklyn avatar, Patsy Brickerson. For reasons of privacy and security, only a very few Bricklyn officials in the Office of Consular Affairs are aware of the actual identity of the Outland owner / operator of a Bricklyn business.

I should add that Mr. Tim Brickedy of the Bricklyn zoning and planning office was very helpful in facilitating the permitting process.

Bricklyn Eagle: Will you be offering sit-down service inside, and/or on your patio?

Patsy: We will have seating for 12 indoors, where patrons can watch the baking in process, and additional seating for 12 on the patio, with views of the Bricklyn bike and ped path, looking out towards the historic, tree-lined Northside Square neighborhood.

Bricklyn Eagle: Can you give us a preview of your menu, and tell our readers what they have to look forward to?

Patsy: Here is a copy of our menu, which I think will whet everyone’s appetite. You will notice that the menu includes beignets au cidre de pomme to please doughnut-loving Bricklynites!

📍Note: Patsy’s spelling of donuts as “doughnuts” indicates her north-of-the-border Canadian roots.

Bricklyn Eagle: We know you are aware of Bricklyn Eagle Editor Brickman’s unfortunate — and, I might add, completely out of character — comments about donuts and croissants. We also know that he has apologized and offered an explanation to our readers. What is your reaction to these recent events?

Patsy: Initially I was insulted and deeply wounded. However, Walt Brickman apologized and wrote a beautiful ode to croissants. It is the most beautiful poem I have ever read! I have accepted Mr. Brickman’s apology, and I am confident that he will learn to appreciate the true beauty of French pastries when he visits Pastries by Patsy.

Bricklyn Eagle: We have heard that you are a member of your home region’s chapter of the Alliance Française. Members of the Bricklyn chapter have told me they are looking forward to meeting you. Is there anything you’d like to share with our readers about the role an Alliance Française can play in fostering French-oriented businesses?

Patsy: Did you know that the Alliance Française has generously offered to teach Bricklyn business owners and their employees how to speak French and use the subjunctive mood correctly? The classes will be held at Pastries by Patsy.

Bricklyn Eagle: Finally, as you know there are many passionate donut lovers in Bricklyn. Do you believe that coexistence of croissants and donuts is possible?

Patsy: My beignets au cidre de pomme, which are baked rather than fried, demonstrate that croissant and doughnut lovers can more than just coexist, then can live happily together!

Bricklyn Eagle: So apparently, Just as the farmer and the cowman should be friends, so should the doughnut and the croissant lover!📍 What a delightful note to end our conversation on. Best wishes, Patsy, for your success, and we look forward to your opening this Spring. ✥

📍Note from Gloria: I just couldn’t resist that allusion to one of my favorite musical numbers. If you haven’t heard it in a while, take a listen!

➤ If readers have any questions or comments about Pastries by Patsy, please email us and we will forward them on to Patsy.

We welcome Letters to the Editor. Please email to: bricklynvt@gmail.com

May 28, 2021

by Amanda B. Starr, The Bricklyn Eagle Metro correspondent

Bricklyn, VT has long been called the Donut Capital of America! — at least by the Bricklyn Chamber of Commerce.

But to be honest, the demand for donuts in Bricklyn skyrocketed only after the December 24, 2019 arrival of the Simpson family in Bricklyn, after leaving Springfield (more on their move & the resulting impact on Bricklyn in a future post).

When it comes to donuts, Homer Simpson sets the pace to which others can only aspire!

There’s also been a donut shop that recently opened after the renovations of the

Central Rail Station terminal downtown. Donuts for sweet-toothed commuters have been flying out of their oversized bins.

Local police often use donut shops as their neighborhood HQ, while it’s hard to find a politician who hasn’t handed out plump jelly donuts at campaign rallies.

Coffee Clutch Goes Bankrupt

There’s been a scare recently with the unexpected bankruptcy of Coffee Clutch. However, a Canadian buyer has struck a deal to take over the business, including resuming donut and soft bread production at the Brickside Avenue facility. So word to the Simpsons and all you other Bricklyn donut lovers — no need to put up your homes for sale. Donuts will still reign in Bricklyn, Vermont! ✥

📌 News Update — June 12, 2021: Shock waves rippled across Bricklyn as the Canadian deal has fallen through. Instead the maker of Blunder Bread swooped in at the last minute to purchase the facility from Coffee Clutch, without any immediate plans to reopen it. Over 100 Bricklynites who thought they would soon be returning to work will not. A spokesman for the new buyer told the press: “We have no immediate plans to reopen the bakeries, but will be assessing how they may fit our strategic network optimization efforts in the future.”