Where It Began.
I grew up in Belgium, spending my summers on my grandparents’ farm in a small village in the Ardennes, near Bastogne. Food there wasn’t a trend or a performance—it was part of everyday life. Bread, pastries, and simple meals were made with care, using local ingredients and seasonal rhythms. What stayed with me most wasn’t just taste, but time: long days, family gathered around the table, and the quiet satisfaction of things made well.
Life moved on. I traveled, learned, and worked across different places before settling in Livermore, California with my wife and our three daughters. Baking never left—it evolved. Along the way, I learned from skilled bakers in Paris and beyond, through both formal training and close friendships. At home, baking became something we shared as a family—shaping dough together, learning patience, and finding joy in simple rituals, one baguette and one tart at a time.
What We Believe.
The Tarte is a family business in the truest sense. Family is not a story we tell—it is the foundation of how we work and why we care. We believe great food starts long before it reaches the oven.
Whenever possible, we work with local producers and short supply chains—people who know their land, their ingredients, and the cost of doing things properly. We prioritize freshness, seasonal sourcing, and organic practices when available, choosing quality and responsibility over scale or convenience.
We bake in small batches and keep our process intentionally simple. We don’t bake everything, all the time—and that’s by design. Our menu follows the seasons and the rhythm of careful work. By doing fewer things at a time, we reduce waste, respect our ingredients, and focus on doing things well.
Why We Bake.
The Tarte exists to serve its local community. We believe food has a social role—to bring people together, create moments around a table, and offer something real in a world that often moves too fast.
We bake for taste and freshness, not for trends or perfect images. Bread and pastries are meant to be eaten, shared, and remembered. They are small, everyday pleasures that connect people and slow things down.
Our mission is simple:
to make honest food, thoughtfully, and to do it in a way that respects people, ingredients, and time.
We’re glad you’re here.
One tart at a time.