An experienced pastry chef from our area recently stated on condition of anonymity that Carlota was one of the most exciting things to happen in Montreal in the last year. For this reason, you should definitely try the Rosca de Reyes instead of (or in addition to!) the classic Galette des Rois this year.
Published at 12:56 am. Updated at 11:00 a.m
Speaking of royalty, the Mexican bakery's name comes from owner Mariana Martin's fascination with Charlotte, the Belgian princess who was briefly Empress of Mexico in the 1860s. One can read that “Carlota” was interested in local culture and knowledgeable about regional differences in diet. At official dinners, she always served some national dishes.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Carlota is located in Mile End.
When we start talking to Mariana, we quickly realize that she is also very passionate about the origins of the specialties of the country in which she was born. After studying cooking and baking at the International Culinary Center in New York and a restaurant pastry course in Mexico, she earned a degree in food anthropology. Since then, she can't help but research everything she eats.
At Carlota we discover the classics of Mexican baking that are hardly known outside of this great country, which is better known for its corn specialties.
Let's start with the essential concha. This “sweet bread” (pan dulce) has the same status in Mexico as the croissant in France. It is glazed with either cinnamon, vanilla, chocolate or peanuts.
The refrigerated section features a variety of single-serving Tres Leches cakes (the best you'll ever eat!). There are some with cinnamon, dulce de leche, chai and passion fruit. Then there are some newer creations, like this guava cheese roll, an homage to Panaderia Rosetta's Rol de Guayaba in Mexico City.
Around All Souls' Day last fall you could buy a soft Pan de Muerte with tequila and vanilla cream. In short: there is no shortage of delicacies in the colorful boutique on Rue Saint-Urbain. And that's without the other products that fill the store.
An impressive resume
In addition to her cumulative studies, which also include a diploma from the Rhône-Alpes University of Agriculture in France, the young woman has worked in very renowned companies. During her years in the United States, she worked with Dan Barber's team at the star chef's two restaurants, Blue Hill in Manhattan and Blue Hill at Stone Barns north of New York.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Mariana Martin loves discussing the origins of each culture's culinary specialties.
When she returned to Mexico, she learned from the great Elena Reygadas at Rosetta. She would have preferred to work at Rosetta Bakery, but instead she found herself sitting at the big table, a regular on the list of the 50 Best Restaurants in the World. Ms. Reygadas was also named the best female chef in the world in 2023 by the same list. Not less !
“I wanted to work with a woman and I wasn't disappointed. “Elena Reygadas is an incredible person and an extremely humble cook,” Mariana tells us in her impeccable French as we leaf through Rosetta’s excellent recipe book.
Difficult beginnings
To help a friend from Quebec open a bakery, the fermentation professional and her husband went to Montreal. The experience ended badly, but Mariana was lucky enough to be taken under the wing of a client who agreed to sponsor her and give her a job at her café in Notre-Dame-de-Grace.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
The delicious creations of the master confectioner can be discovered.
The Mexican baker and pastry chef already had her fan base: a large number of nostalgic Latin American expatriates and curious people of all backgrounds, enchanted by the exoticism and high quality of the products. Even in Mexico, it is difficult to find artisanal bakeries and pastry shops of this caliber.
When she finally received permanent residency, Mariana was able to stand on her own two feet with her benefactor's blessing. One day while waiting at the red light on the corner of Saint-Urbain and Villeneuve streets, she saw a sign that said “For Rent.” “It was a sign,” believes the woman who wanted to return to the Mile End district. It took more than a year to properly furnish the empty premises.
Her father, who had long been skeptical about his daughter's career choice, agreed to invest. Unfortunately, he passed away in May 2022 before seeing the result.
You should know that Mariana is the black sheep of her family. She comes from a family of lawyers.
All members of my family, my parents, my aunts and uncles, my brothers and my sister are lawyers. Of course I would follow in her footsteps. Then one day my husband asked me what I wanted to do in life. He made me ask myself questions. The answer was: “I want to go to catering school.” » So he encouraged me on this path. But it caused a lot of worry for my family.
Mariana Martin, owner of the Carlota boutique
In such a context, failure is not an option. Fortunately, given the longer queues outside the bakery during holidays such as Christmas, Easter and All Souls Day, we can say that a success has been achieved just seven months after the store opened.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Chocolate pastilles flavored with cinnamon for preparing hot or cold drinks from Origine Mexico
Perhaps because some obstacles have been placed in her path, Mariana enjoys supporting people who do things well. For example, she stocks products from the delicatessen import company Origine Mexico, including a delicious agave syrup with cardamom (it sweetens yogurt and oatmeal wonderfully), chocolate pastilles flavored with cinnamon for making hot or cold drinks, Fleur de Sel de Colima, etc. Find them in her boutique They also elegant chocolates and decadent alfajores (dulce de leche between two soft cookies) from the talented Julissa Hernandez.
And we foodies couldn't be happier with this flood of Mexican sweets in the metropolis.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
The crown of kings, adorned with their “jewels”
The Rose of Reyes
The Mexican royal crown has nothing to do with the classic French galette made from puff pastry and frangipane. But it is similar to the Provençal crown with its candied fruits. It is an orange flavored brioche dough.
Its shape is reminiscent of the crown of the Magi and the candied fruits with which it is decorated are precious jewels. Mariana adds a layer of complexity by creating alternating simple cinnamon-glazed and almond-glazed strips on her brioches.
In the Mexican tradition, one to three (sometimes more!) figures of the baby Jesus are hidden in the brioche. Anyone who finds one in their share won't win a cardboard crown! Instead, they have to cook tamales for the whole family on February 2nd, Candlemas Day.
The Rosca de Reyes will be sold at Carlota until the end of January. There are three formats: for 2-3 people ($20), 8 people ($50) and 16 people ($75).