Pix Pâtisserie’s Gastronomical Trivia with CJ and the Dolls

:: I wrote this for my news writing class. It's a profile on Pix Pâtisserie's Gastronomical Trivia. I highly recommend checking out the place.::

Every few months, tranny and self- proclaimed pop diva CJ hosts a game of Gastronomical Trivia at Pix Pâtisserie in NE Portland. Each installation features teams of 1-4 players, who pay the two-dollar entry fee to sit in the small pastry shop, eat desserts, have some drinks, and win prizes by answering obscure questions about food.

CJ, a.k.a. Chocolate Mama, heads a local music group called CJ and the Dolls, who play pop music in various venues around town. On this night, she wears a sparkling black dress and a red-white striped scarf and struts around the shop with a microphone asking trivia questions to a full house, and handing out prizes of gift certificates for local restaurants. Behind her, the wait staff at the shop dresses for the occasion, also wearing black dresses and painting round rosy makeup on their cheeks, posing as CJ’s dolls. Even the male server joins in, donning a bra, which he wears on the outside of his shirt.

Any food question is fair game for the evening, with questions stemming from the more general: “What were the original eight Necco wafer flavors?” to more Portland-centric: “In what year did the Portland restaurant Higgins open?” Teams compete for four rounds, winning the aforementioned prizes at the end of each, while simultaneously enjoying the delicious French-style drinks and desserts that Pix has on display.

“It’s a lot of fun,” says Amanda, a waitress at the pâtisserie, who wears a “chocolat” ribbon in her hair to top off her doll-like image and balances her tray on a stool. “It’s a good way to learn about different types of foods.”

And although food knowledge may prove useful, you don’t need to be an expert. “Anyone can play, as long as you pay the fee,” Amanda explains. “You’ll be surprised at the sort of things you may already know.”

Gastronomical Trivia is held at the Pix Pâtisserie on N Williams St. According to Amanda, this particular location has been in operation for about three years, since 2005. “But this isn’t the only one, we have another location on the south side as well.” The website features a background that matches the in-shop wallpaper, and discusses a little place’s history.

A pastry chef named Cheryl Wakerhauser (a.k.a. Pix) founded the first location, on SE Division Street, in January 2003. After training at a pastry shop in South France, she began selling her treats at the Portland Farmer’s market, and after a year, opened the first Pix. Although the shops have full food and drink menus and numerous breakfast options, their pastries remain their number one attraction. Some of their selections include The Concord, which contains sticks of chocolate meringue tied with red ribbon around chocolate mousse, chocolate ganache, and more meringue; or the Queen of Sheba Truffle Cake: a chocolate almond cake with a warm, molten chocolate center, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. These desserts run between five to eight dollars a piece for a personal serving.

For more information about the next trivia night, or for a list of the scrumptious sweets options and drink menus, check out the website.