Comments on: Pastry Chefs in San Francisco: A Sudden Lack Therof?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 07:23:00 +0000

I have followed my favorite pastry chef since she was at Restaurant Lulu. I later found out that her name is Chona Piumarta. She then went to that Ogden’s “mall” restaurant Lark Creek Steak House, now she’s at Slanted Door. Check it out.

By: Cialti

Cialti — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 06:43:00 +0000

It’s not attached to a restaurant, but I would highly recommend a trip to Los Gatos to visit the patisserie Fleur de Cocoa (open Tuesday – Sunday). The pastry chef is Pascal Janvier. Amazing desserts.

By: Charles Shere

Charles Shere — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 16:51:00 +0000

"...inside the CP kitchen each person is called the pastry chef."

News to me, Lindsey says. She, David Lebovitz, and Mary Jo always were quite careful to maintain the distinction, which is neither enigmatic nor trivial. A chef is both a cook and an executive, a chief, a person responsible for the entire department and the cooks within it.

The misunderstanding may arise from the Chez Panisse kitchen staff organization: because it's really two restaurants, downstairs and up, open six days a week, each department has a pair of co-chefs instead of a single chef. So there are two downstairs chefs (co-chefs, in fact); two café chefs; two pastry chefs.

(The pastry situation has only obtained since Lindsey's retirement: until then she was the single chef in charge of pastry.)

"Chef" does not mean "excellent cook." It means chief cook in charge. If a cook calls herself a chef on a resumé without actually having served as chef, that's disingenuous. The distinction is useful and should be maintained.

By: shuna fish lydon

shuna fish lydon — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 05:18:00 +0000

Hello Charles,

Indeed this is a fine point of enigmatic distinction. I would agree with you except that inside the CP kitchen each person is called the pastry chef. A point I found puzzling during my stints there, but told to me explicitly by a number of people in command there, so I did not argue.

Because of this, many people who have worked at CP in the pastry kitchen put Pastry Chef on their resume. And to this end there are those who have worked at many of the restaurants mentioned, creating similar desserts wherever they go.

By: Charles Shere

Charles Shere — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 21:47:00 +0000

"One dessert at Chez Panisse will be like another at Zuni, Quince or Oliveto. (In fact, if you look at the lineage, these restaurants practically trade pastry chefs like baseball cards.) "

Really? In 36 years I can only recall half a dozen pastry chefs at Chez Panisse, and none came from Zuni, Quince, or Oliveto, nor did any go there, to the best of my knowledge. One -- Mary Jo Thoresen -- went on to her own restaurant, and I'd eat dessert at JoJo in Oakland any day.

Pastry cooks, maybe. Chefs, no.

By: Janet

Janet — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 16:44:00 +0000

Sadly as a pastry eater, I also find there are no real desserts anymore. I am very tired of creme brulee, some brownie concoction and tired tired tiramisu. Where are all those creative chefs? I know they’re out there.

By: NS

NS — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 15:44:00 +0000

I’m sure this will come as no surprise to you, but my vote goes to William Werner — Executive Pastry Chef at Navio in the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay. I would also recommend Boris Portnoy, but I see you’ve already been to Campton Place!

By: Aaron

Aaron — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 14:55:00 +0000

I unfortunately don’t have a suggestion, but sadly recognize the brutal truth and honesty you’ve employed to examine a rather depressing situation.
We can blame savory chefs and restaurant management all we like, but until patrons/diners become educated enough to vote with their forks, and demand finer desserts and not order them when they’re not up to standard, things can’t change.

By: Sam

Sam — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 14:36:00 +0000

It’s your birthday tomorrow?!
That’s not enough warning to make you Bakewell tarts in time! Happy Birthay Shuna.

One of my favourite desserts in town is the Biarritz Rocher at Piperade but I am certain you wouldn’t like it for the same reason you don’t like another of my favourites – the vacherine at Coco500. These aren’t sophisticated ground-breaking desserts – they please in the old-fashioned way which is sometimes what I need – like a chocolate sundae would do.

I loved Boris Portnoy’s carrot and avocado dessert at Campton place – did you try that when you were there?

The pistachio pot de creme, served with a red citrus at Perbacco is interesting too.