Vegan Treats: Petunia’s Pies and Pastries Tickle Portland Tastebuds

Monday, September 15, 2014

Karina Skauge, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Petunia's Pies & Pastries Group Photo

Those at Petunia's Pies & Pastries Are More Than Just Workers, They're Family Photo Credit: Lisa Clark (Image Cropped)

Vegans don't always have an easy time dining out in a big city, though Portland does pretty well in catering for such diners.

Still, vegan treats can be more of a challenge, which is where Petunia's Pies and Pastries comes in.

Petunia’s Pies and Pastries was the first all-vegan and gluten-free bakery business in Portland and continues to serve tasty tidbits, which can be found in stores all over town as well as at their downtown location. Oregon native Lisa Clark has managed the impossible: by making treats that not only vegans, but non-vegans, too, are clamoring to indulge in.

Petunia's Pies & Pastries Cupcakes

Cupcakes Come in Many Different Flavors and Original Recipes Photo Credit: Lisa Clark (Image Cropped)

Her retail bakery doors opened in 2013, but her love for baking started when she was a child. In college she learned that she had a gluten and dairy intolerance, but her love of baked goods made her determined to create gluten-free and vegan baking recipes.

“I stayed up until 3- or 4 a.m. nightly baking, testing, eating, writing, and then dreaming of new things I could create,” Clark says. She began to sell her creations at Last Thursday, NE Alberta Street's monthly street fair. After hearing nothing but positive feedback, Clark knew she had to get started creating her business.

Lisa Clark

Lisa Clark Knows What Matters Most, and That's Family, Friends, and Good Tasting Pies & Pastries Photo Credit: Lisa Clark (Image Cropped)

After quitting her day job, getting business cards, creating a logo, buying a van and a tent she was ready to set up at local farmers markets all over town.

“About 1-2 months in, a regional buyer from Whole Foods in Seattle was in town and found me at the PSU market," Clark says. "She told me that they needed my treats in their store.

"A few months and a lot of hard work later, I had my products in most all Portland area stores.” Her name spread fast, and after a year her treats were in restaurants, stores, and local coffee shops.

Even though everything in her bakery is gluten-free and vegan, there's no compromising on taste.

“It’s important to appeal to everyone,” Clark says, which is why she makes it a point to welcome everyone into her bakery. “I have great pride in the relationships we create with our customers and what we do for them. We aim to treat people like family, welcoming them into our home.”

As all recipes are her own, you know you’ll be enjoying original treats, such as her most popular Salted Caramel Cookie Bar, delicious doughnuts (with flavors changing each weekend), her Cookie Monster Babycake, and much more.

Want to know where to get some of Lisa Clark's original vegan creations?

Visit her bakery at 610 SW 12th Ave, Portland, OR 97205 or the PSU Farmers Market, Veg Fest, Gluten Free Fair, New Seasons stores, Elephant’s Deli, Stumptown, and other coffee shops, restaurants and co-ops.

Homepage Photo Credit: StuartWebster via Compfight cc

Related Slideshow: Petunia’s Pies & Pastries Top Treats

Don't know what to try at Petunia's Pies & Pastries? Give one of these top sellers a go.

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Salted Caramel Cookie Bar

This has become the most popular treat at Petunia's Pies & Pastries. "We also made this into an ice cream with Salt & Straw and it's their third best selling ice cream now," Lisa Clark mentions