The Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America 2011

Last week, Dessert Professional, the magazine I co-edit, presented the Annual Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America awards, honoring ten pastry chefs for their contributions to the industry. The event took place in the spacious kitchens at ICE (Institute of Culinary Education).  Here’s our list of the 2011 Top Ten Pastry Chef in America:

Antonio Bachour – Executive Pastry Chef, Quattro at Trump Soho, New York, NY and Solea at W South Beach, Miami

Heather Carlucci-Rodriguez – Pastry Chef, PRINT, New York, NY

Tariq Hanna – Pastry Chef and Owner, Sucre, New Orleans, LA

Sylvain Leroy – Pastry Chef and Technical Advisor, Paris Gourmet, Carlstadt, NJ

Francisco Migoya – Associate Professor, The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY

Jerome Landrieu – Pastry Chef and Director, Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy, Chicago, IL

Yoni Morales – Executive Pastry Chef, Ark Las Vegas Restaurant Corp., Las Vegas, NV

Oscar Ortega – Pastry Chef and Owner, Atelier Ortega, Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Ron Paprocki – Executive Pastry Chef, Gordon Ramsay at The London, New York, NY

Jean-Francois Suteau – Executive Pastry Chef, The Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA

Dessert Professional’s Hall of Fame inductee this year was Pastry Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer, co-founder of the French Pastry School in Chicago. Pfeiffer was the subject of the film Kings of Pastry, a documentary about the Meilleurs Ouvrier de France competition. If you haven’t seen it, do. It’s worth it, especially if you’re a dessert junkie like me.

This year’s Top Ten event was downright magical. Guests – among whom were pastry luminaries such as Jacques Torres, Rose Levy Beranbaum and Nick Malgieri – sipped champagne and sparkling rose as we mingled and tasted the offerings of the talented group of award-winning pastry chefs. The desserts were exceptional, and this year’s group of chefs were as gracious as they were talented. Special thanks to Rick Smilow of ICE (Institute of Culinary Education), where the event was held, and to Paparaji and Jeff Lazar of Dessert Professional for their great photos. Recipes for all ten desserts will appear in the August issue of the magazine. To subscribe, visit www.dessertprofessional.com. Following are some of the desserts the ten chefs whipped up for this event.

Crème of the Crop: Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America 2010

Dessert Professional, the magazine that I co-edit, recently named the Top Ten Pastry Chefs of 2010, as we’ve been doing for the past 15 years. The ten chefs were honored at a ceremony at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York, where each chef presented a special plated dessert. Tasting portions of each dessert were served to the 300 or so hungry guests. Here’s a list of this year’s Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America, what each chef served, and some photos of the desserts and the event. Thanks to Jeff Lazar, our art director, and Raj Walia for their great candid shots.

Christopher Boos

Dunkin Donuts

Milk Chocolate Jasmine Tea Tart: Baskin-Robbins Cranberry Sorbet w/Soaked Cherries

Dunkin’ Dark Roast Coffee Cream

Frank Vollkommer

The Chocolate Mill Pastry Shop and Café, Glens Falls, NY

Pistachio Financier with Vanilla Parfait, Lemon Custard & Rosemary Infused Wild Blueberry Compote

Kimberly Bugler

21 Club, New York, NY

Strawberry Upside Down Cake with Kalamansi Silk, Basil Ice Cream, and Vanilla-Roasted Strawberries

Michelle Tampakis

Institute of Culinary Education, New York, NY

Gluten-Free Trio: Carrot Cake, Chocolate Concord Cake and White Forest Cake

Nicholas Lodge,

French Pastry School, Chicago, IL

Chapeau Chic (Pistachio Biscuit with Pistachio Mousse and Sour Cherry Cremeaux)

Roy Pell

The Phoenician, Scottsdale, AZ

Jacquelyn (Hazelnut Sponge with Milk Chocolate Coffee Cream and Vanilla Bavarois)

Robert Truitt

Corton Restaurant, New York, NY

Rhubarb Bavarois, Sorrel Cucumber Granité, Pistachio Sablé

Steve Evetts

New York Marriott Marquis, New York, NY

Hazelnut Passion Green Tea and Corazon

Bill Foltz

L’Auberge du Lac Casino, Lake Charles, LA

Honey Cake, Coconut Haupia, Valrhona Cream, and Pineapple Lemongrass Salsa

Yannis Janssens

Fontainebleau Miami Beach, Miami, FL

Foret Noire: Manjari, Kirsch Chantilly and Griottines

And Dessert Professional's Hall of Fame honoree, Gary Guittard of Guittard Chocolate:

The Ten Best Pastry Chefs in America 2009

Dessert Professional, the magazine that I edit, recently named the Ten Best Pastry Chefs in America, 2009. Who are the most talented pros in the pastry kitchen this year? Here they are:

1. Dominique Ansel, Restaurant Daniel, New York, NY
2. Richard Capizzi, Per Se and Bouchon Bakery, New York, NY
3. Lincoln Carson, Mina Group restaurants, Las Vegas, NV
4. Jemal Edwards, Demel Bakery, New York, NY
5. Robert Ellinger, Baked to Perfection, Port Washington, NY
6. Jenifer Fournier, ALEX and STRATTA, Las Vegas, NV
7. Raymond Lammers, Stein-Eriksen Lodge, Park City, UT
8. Deborah Racicot, Gotham Bar & Grill, New York, NY
9. Alfred Stephens, Olives NY at the W Hotel Union Square, New York, NY
10. Alex Stupak, WD-50, New York, NY

Dessert Professional honored these pastry chefs at an event held at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York on June 8. Each chef served a tasting portion of a signature dessert in the spacious kitchens at ICE, where guests roamed from kitchen to kitchen, savoring some of the best desserts in the world. They were all incredible, but if I had to pick just one, it would be Richard Capizzi of Per Se's candy shop smorgorsbord, which included assorted sweets such as Wild Strawberry Sugar Pillows, Dragee Raisins, Florentines, Blueberry Push-pops and an unbelievably good toffee.

It was great to see the NY pastry community all together--there are so few events where this happens, and it's an ideal opportunity to catch up on what everyone's been doing lately. Guests included Nick Malgieri, Wayne Brachman, Judy Prince (of JB Prince), Sebasten Rouxel (of The French Laundry), Jean-Francois Bonnet (Tumbadour Chocolate), Eric Bertoia (DB), and many more pastry luminaries.

This year's Ten Best Pastry Chefs in America are not only incredibly talented, they are all also unbelievably nice people. Kudos to them all.