Craftsman & Wolves

Craftsmen & Wolves

From the artistic fare to the design of their space, Craftsman & Wolves is more than a pastry shop, it’s a journey for the senses

Chef william werner, proprietor and mastermind behind San Francisco’s new, but much loved, Craftsman & Wolves, is saving his patrons’ palettes from the ‘not another blueberry scone’ blues, one delectable bite at a time. His approach? Take something familiar and turn it on its head with unexpected flavor profiles, textures, colors and construction.

“You can say, we want a savory cake that’s like a muffin, that has a soft boiled egg in it, and it’s like a little breakfast package. Then you get to build it. You have to figure out how to bake it—how it goes along the way. I think it’s just how my brain works, seeing that form and function along the way. It’s a little bit more design driven.”

Design driven, indeed. Craftsman & Wolves has a variety of savory and sweet offerings, all of which look almost too beautiful to eat (almost). Coupled with the space’s impeccable mix of old-meets-new design, and you quickly understand “Craftsman” aptly describes what Werner has created.

“Craftsman and Wolves... I wanted a name that would be a story. It’s a nod to always being in pursuit of perfection and your passions, and the wolves are the trials and tribulations,” said Werner. “It’s what a graphic designer goes through, a carpenter goes through, what a

obsessed

photographer goes through. It’s the ongoing challenges you go through to get to what you want.”

As for the menu, Werner said it’s driven by the seasons, and is influenced by his travels abroad and aiming to perfect each item. “There’s a lot of influence from Japan, like cutting sugar content in the pastries so they’re less sweet, and there’s more flavor,” said Werner. “We also try to do only one scone, or two muffins, one seasonal and one chocolate...it’s quality versus quantity. I thought I could do this two ways, where you make the standard bakery stuff, cupcakes and muffins. Or I could do it this way, which was a lot more fun and exciting. ” -MS