Violette’s Bakery Café is popular with locals and travelers.
This Clarkdale pastry chef is pleasing the palates of residents all around the Verde Valley as well as visitors from as far away as Europe by selling her French delights out of a train caboose-turned-cafe. Stirring up an eclectic menu of pastries, quiche, paninis, cookies, sandwiches and more, Godina knew from a young age she would be a chef.
“When I was 4 years old, I told my mom I wanted to be a chef, and I feel like that was my plan for life,” she said. “I was born in Los Angeles and have taken classes and worked with the best chefs all over the area. I even did a comparable “Julie & Julia”-type venture and baked all the recipes in Jacquy Pfeiffer’s book, The Art of French Pastry. I learned every detail and gave my neighbors all the pastries.”
Godina says she started her business out of her home with $50 worth of butter, flour and eggs. “I took everything I made and reinvested. I purchased used equipment and saved every single penny to buy more because I didn’t want to tax my family.”
“Violette’s Bakery Café is one of my go-to places when entertaining out-of-town visitors to the Verde Valley and Clarkdale,” said Penny Beams of Cottonwood. “One bite of the French pastries and sip of coffee brings forth thoughts of France. Its eclectic, relaxed ambiance makes it a memorable and favorite place to return on a regular basis.”
The impetus to move to the Verde Valley was spurred 18 years ago when Godina and her husband, Carlos, talked about raising their children in the country. “We would take vacations here. My husband also wanted to change careers and was considering law enforcement. He eventually found a job with the Cottonwood Police Department, and we made the move.”
Other than one of her brothers, all of Godina’s family live in Clarkdale or Cottonwood, including her parents and grandparents. Her sister, Cricket Russell, works as a barista at Violette’s Bakery Café.
“My heart is what makes the pastries,” said Godina, who has a separate location for baking nearby. “I have a group of older veterans that meets here every single morning since I’ve opened. They sit around and talk and drink coffee and enjoy a pastry.”
Prior to opening Violette’s Bakery Café, the caboose was a gift shop. “A friend owned it, so I started selling my pastries alongside her products. The pastries sold so well I couldn’t make enough. When she retired, I took over the space and built a little kitchenette, put in a sink and did plumbing and other construction upgrades.”
The caboose originated from the Verde Canyon Railroad. “It was one of our early ticket offices in the 1990s,” said Verde Canyon Railroad Marketing Group Coordinator Ellen J.D. Roberts.
In 2007, members of the Clarkdale Chamber of Commerce and others rebuilt the caboose to serve as a visitor and information center. Funding for the project was procured from local businesses, the chamber’s general fund, grants and the Yavapai-Apache Nation.
“We have had the caboose for over 10 years now,” said Godina. She reconstructed the interior to suit her culinary needs. Adjacent to the caboose is outside seating and a covered patio where patrons enjoy a relaxed and spacious atmosphere. Located at the gateway to Clarkdale, it is easy to find.
Other delights served at Violette’s Bakery Café include hazelnut and almond pralines and tarte au citron, a French tart with a pastry shell, lemon-flavored filling and thick meringue.
Located at 900 Main Street in Clarkdale, Violette’s Bakery Café is open 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. QCBN
By V. Ronnie Tierney, QCBN
Photo by V. Ronnie Tierney: Violette’s Bakery Café owner Amber Godina is living her dream as a chef, which she declared at age 4.
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