The Pastry Club—the baked goods pop-up headed by Long Beach resident Joyce Lee—is one of the brightest gems to be found at the Bixby Park farmers market on Saturdays. Thoughtfully crafted. Masterfully executed. It reflects SoCal’s love of all cultures and cuisines, her work mirroring spaces like Butter & Crumble in San Francisco or Relic Bageri in San Diego.
And while this may be a pop-up, Joyce’s talents extend her into the Long Beach bread and baking renaissance happening. Where traditional bakeries like Colossus have expanded, and ones like Hey Brother Baker are around the corner from opening their brick-and-mortar. Where restaurants like Ammatoli are taking their dessert programs far more seriously. And spaces like Nonna Mercato—where Joyce herself once worked—are treating their bistro and bakery on an even-keeled level.
What is The Pastry Club?
I first discovered The Pastry Club at Chris and Ali McColl’s Our Spot coffee popup at Liv’s in Belmont Shore. Chris slid me a plate topped with a bright, rust orange dome of a biscuit from the Club. Inside, layers of cheddar and kimchi melded with beautifully lined air pockets. Tart and sharp—kimchi with sourdough, cheddar with sesame—it was the savory pastry lover’s dream.
Since visiting the space at the Bixby Park farmers market on Saturdays—where Joyce and her husband have been running the popup since February of 2024—I have come to discover the talent of Joyce’s hand in baking. It can be found in her outright divine “Slice of Spring” cake, where polenta layered with lemon and pistachio meet an elderflower buttercream of mascarpone. Earthy, nutty, and tart, it is a dream of a cake (that should be entered into the inaugural Cake Picnic Long Beach).
“I simply wanted to pursue my passion,” Joyce said. “I’ve been baking since I was kid. And just as simply, I create things that not only inspire me but also are things I want to see in bakeries… We’ve been doing a themed menu and while I don’t know if we’ll continue it, we’ve been having fun. This month’s theme is ‘May flowers.'”
Her witty takes on Pop Tarts are included in this offering of Joyce’s wants, where her R&D into the dough—think pie crust meets sourdough puff pastry—come out in a spectacularly unique way. She balances subtlety—her rosemary buns are only slightly sweet with plenty of orange zest—with outright flavor bombs—like her incredible turkey sandwich, stuffed between her za’atar-leek focaccia with red pepper-whipped feta and a bright zhoug sauce.
What does the future hold for this carby wonder of a pop-up?
You will only have a small window to continue experiencing The Pastry Club at the Bixby Park farmers market: May 24 and May 31 will be their last Saturdays as they take the summer off to conduct more R&D for future menus, work on wholesale, and look for opportunities. And yes, those oppotunities definitely include a brick-and-mortar.
“I want to do particularly intricate things that I can’t do out here in the market,” Joyce said. “It’s really about building my brand with my ambition—and that means moving The Pastry Club toward a larger, more permanent space.”
A look at The Pastry Club’s spring menu…
From savory to sweet, flaky to crumbly, here are some of the offerings you are likely to find at The Pastry Club. (Though, as with all good cooks and bakers, Joyce alternates her ingredients based on mood, season, and availability.)
Spring Break: Turkey | Zhoug | Red pepper-whipped feta | Za’atar leek focaccia
Garden Party: Sourdough biscuit | Spring herbs | Parmesan
Late Bloomer: Almond cream hand pie | Orange blossome glaze
Sugar-kissed Rosemary Buns: Sourdough brioche | Rosemary | Orange sugar | Orange blossom glaze
Slice of Spring: Lemon-pistachio polenta cake | Elderflower-mascarpone buttercream
Za’tar Leek Focaccia
The Pastry Club will host its last two Saturdays at the Bixby Park farmers market on May 24 and May 31. They will return with their summer menu once R&D is complete.
