Just walking into the Lincoln Park bakery Verzanay, 2507 N. Lincoln Ave., is an experience.
Somehow, the patisserie (named after a commune/town in France) simultaneously seems upscale and cozy. Friendly staffers and chef/owner Arshiya Farheen account for the latter while the various French offerings with her own spin—consisting of goodies such as macarons, French silk pie, tarts, opera cakes and kouign amann pastries—definitely provide the former.
Talking with Farheen recently yielded some nuggets about her and the amazing food she serves.
—Farheen didn't always know how to bake: "Back in the day," as they say, Farheen and husband, Aqeel, noticed that there weren't a lot of quality bakeries—so she decided to get involved in the culinary industry, in part, "because I like the challenge of making food as well as sharing it," she said. "You're giving a part of yourself to the community."
But there was one problem with Farheen's plan: "I cooked savory foods growing up; I didn't really know how to bake," she admitted. "In India, I would make a cake in a pressure cooker—that was the only oven I had, as we didn't have a lot of money. So I didn't know I could be good until I came to the U.S. [in 2004]."
—She has food in her blood, so to speak: "In India, we cooked everything from scratch," Arshiya said. "And my grandparents were fruit merchants [and my uncle is one, too]; they used to sell food wholesale. And my other grandparents owned farms. I was always connected to farms and farmland as well as selling food."
—Tough choices were involved: " I didn't know about my career because I wanted to have a family," Arshiya said. "I didn't know if I could give up all my nights, evenings and weekends to cook—and [eventually] I had to decide if I wanted to do savory or sweet. Sweet was interesting because it was new to me and a challenge, because you have to be exact. I took a few classes and really liked baking."
—Here's a French twist: In order to truly learn about baking, Arshiya decided to go to Paris for more than a year—while her husband remained in the United States. "I really wanted to see why things were being made," she said. "I would totally recommend that choice. Staying there and learning the culture, as well as learning why you did certain things in baking or even why there's a bakery on every street corner—I go back and I'm still amazed."
And, of course, Arshiya had to learn French—not just for school but for everyday living. She said, "The classes were in English but there were moments in which I really wish I knew some French. The French people would teach in English but if they really needed to go into detail, they would use French. And you were dropped into these kitchens where no English was spoken so you had to learn things—quickly. I would watch French television channels to learn more. Now, I understand French better than I speak it because I don't use it as much."
—She's loves the classics: "I love the new trends, but I'm more about the classics," Arshiya said. "I loved learning about tradition when I was in France—and those items are classics for a reason. I fell in love with French pastries. I don't try to be too trendy. I get calls about people wanting giant croissants, and then there was someone who wanted me to take a croissant, scoop out the inside, fill it with hot chocolate and top it with whipped cream."
—It's about being visual: Arshiya emphasized that presentation accounts for so much—and her attention to detail is apparent. "I love it when someone looks at the pastries and says, 'I want to live here!," she stated. "Your presentation of products should be that if you stand outside a store—and you don't have to buy the products—and be wowed by them."
—Verzenay opened during the pandemic: Aqeel and Arshiya signed the lease for Verzenay in 2021 and opened the following year, when people were still dealing with the COVID pandemic. "Last year was a little better but 2022 was really bad," according to Arshiya. "Very few people came in. I didn't know if I was making the food wrong. It was really hard—you don't know."
—Arshiya has advice for other women: "Women should support other women," said Arshiya, who goes to great lengths to make sure her own female employees work in a safe, nurturing environment. "But sometimes women get so caught up in their own issues that thinking about other women can become a bit of a challenge. But it's wonderful when we do. Support each other when you can, and know that you're not alone."
For more about Verzenay (which is also at Green City Market throughout the year), visit www.verzenaychicago.com/ .
