[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.