Michelle Polzine
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Michelle Polzine is an American pastry chef, author, and former owner of the 20th Century Café in San Francisco, California.[1][2]
Polzine was born in November, 1969 and was raised in Southern California.[1][3][4] Starting at age 19 she worked as a political activist, first in Portland, Oregon on behalf of an environmental organization, then later for a women's clinic based in San Francisco.[3][4] In 1991, at the age of 22, Polzine relocated to North Carolina, and entered the restaurant industry as a dishwasher before eventually being offered positions preparing food.[1][3][2][4] After developing skills as a baker at several restaurants in Durham and Chapel Hill, Polzine returned to San Francisco to continue her culinary career in 2002.[2][3][1][4]
Polzine opened the 20th Century Café, which focused on her interpretation of Eastern and Central European baked goods, in San Francisco in 2013.[1][2][5][6] She authored the cookbook Baking at the 20th Century Cafe: Iconic European Desserts from Linzer Torte to Honey Cake, which was published in 2020.[2]
Polzine was diagnosed with, and treated for, clear cell carcinoma in 2020.[7] Citing both her recovery from this procedure and the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food industry, Polzine permanently closed the 20th Century Café in 2020.[7][1]