Pastry chef sees sweet future for Milwaukee
Working with breads and pastries brings Travis Martinez back to the happy feeling of making cinnamon rolls with his mother, no matter where he may be.
A native of Fresno, Calif., the 30-yearold has had a culinary career that has taken him from California to Hawaii, Milwaukee and Las Vegas. When he had the opportunity to return to Milwaukee and become the executive pastry chef at the Pfister Hotel in February, he knew it was where he wanted to be.
He talked with us recently, sharing his plans for a new tea menu this fall and revealing which items he’ll never take off the menu at the Pfister.
Baking and pastry background
I was always inspired by my mother and grandmother. We’d made stuff on weekends, but I never thought I’d do anything in food. I was in high school and took a filler class, a foods class, and we went to San Francisco on a field trip, we saw this school and I decided to go to California Culinary (Academy).
Baking with mom
We used to make cinnamon rolls from scratch regularly. I vividly remember standing on the stool at 6 a.m., sun shining through the window, a cutting board on the counter. My mom would be rolling it out and I’d be helping.
On the move
I’m the only one who has left California (from my family). Less than a week after I graduated from high school, I left for culinary school.
Favorite thing to make
My favorite thing to work with is chocolate. It is very versatile and you can build structures and gravity-defying pieces that are six feet tall out of solid chocolate. That is so intriguing to me.
Moving to Milwaukee
Our industry is all networking. When I worked on cruise ships, there was a chef that had left the ships and went to Milwaukee. He called a bunch of us and offered us jobs. We’d never been, but a bunch of friends decided to take the risk. One of my classmates from school went there, and another five from the ships also worked at Potawatomi.
Cake competitor
While in Vegas, I did Cake Wars Christmas, season one. I was one of the finalists on that show. We competed against seven teams total. Me and two strangers teamed up and we created goodies for Christmas, sugar work, cake and food carving. We stuck it out until the final episode.
Required reading
There is one particular magazine I read on the regular (called) So Good. I think it is the best pastry magazine or book you can get. You can get it on Amazon, and every six months they come out with a new one with a whole new set of chefs around the world. They talk to chefs and get insight into what the chef is thinking and what drives them, and they put recipes and pictures of how it is supposed to look. It is like taking a class with these world-renowned pastry chefs.
Wedding season
A lot of cakes come in for the weddings here, but I’m looking to hopefully change that in the future and get the customers to buy cakes from the Pfister.
Memorable mistake
You can learn something from anybody. It doesn’t matter who they are or their skill level.
I used to think I was a hotshot chef who knew everything. Now I tell chefs younger than myself that you need to be humble. The old-time bakers doing it for 25 to 30 years, their method might be different, but the end result is the same. Take a moment to learn from them.
Passion for pastry
I think Milwaukee is on the edge of being a pastry city. We’re there with wine, cheese, beer and charcuterie. We’re lacking pastry in my vision.
Memorable meal
I ate at Sanford when I lived here the first time, and I remember that meal specifically. I had elk tenderloin. I wanted to try it because it was different. It was fantastic.
His Milwaukee must
I have had family come here and we go for cheese. They’re from California and they have this stuck-up snobby thing about California cheese. We’ll go to small cheese shops. They thought Friday fish fry was an interesting concept. When I first moved out here, I had no idea what a fish fry was.
What he can’t say no to
Pretty much anything buttery and sweet. When it comes to pastries I make myself, a fresh baked croissant will not go to waste near me.
Oh, actually, I do have a guilty pleasure. The holiday Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, the Christmas trees, the pumpkins and eggs. I think because it has more peanut butter and less chocolate.
In his home kitchen
If I want to make something at home, it is cookies. That’s something fail-safe that’s quick, delicious, and they hold for a few days. I can use a wooden spoon and bowl and I’m good to go.
On his day off
You can check almost any restaurant. I eat out almost every day somewhere, and it varies. I love the service industry and food industry. I love to try salad from one place, breakfast from another, desserts or doughnuts from another.
If I’m not eating, lately I’ve been playing X-wing, a Star Wars board game. A friend introduced me, and it is the most addicting thing.
Pfister’s friendly ghost
I have not had an encounter. In the bakeshop, if something unusual happens we always say, “Guido? You need to leave us alone.”
What he can’t take off the menu
I will never change the carrot cake or take the chocolate cake off the menu.