Pastry Chef Luis Villavelazquez of Les Elements Patisserie - Biography

Pastry Chef Luis Villavelazquez was born and raised in San Francisco, and after high school, he pursued his passion for all things pastry and enrolled in the San Francisco City College Culinary Program. While in schoolm Villavelazquez gained experience as a pastry assistant at Chaya Brasserie, and upon graduating, he joined Citizen Cake, working under Pastry Chef Elizabeth Falkner.

He later joined Falkner at Orson as pastry chef, and then moved on to Absinthe. In October 2009, his farmers market bakery stand began making weekly appearances at the Ferry Building with more mainstream cupcakes and doughnuts to expand Absinthe’s reach. In late 2010, Villavelazquez opened his own bakery, Les Elements Patisserie, which sells at the local farmers markets every week. With the bakery, he strives to keep his ingredients seasonal and organic when possible, buying from local purveyors and the wheat from Guistos farm.