Jodi Elliott
Restaurant Foreign & Domestic (See menu)
Location Austin, TX
Culinary School The Culinary Institute of America (Hyde Park, NY)
Background Parea Bistro, Peacock Alley, Bouley, Gramercy Tavern, Per Se (New York City); The Savoy (London)
Quintessential Dessert Brown butter blondie sundae with dried cherries and toffee chip ice cream
Matt Danko
Restaurant The Greenhouse Tavern (See menu)
Location Cleveland, OH
Culinary School Self-taught
Background Downtown 140 (Hudson, OH), The Sheraton Suites (Cuyahoga Falls, OH)
Quintessential Dessert Buttered popcorn pot de crème with caramel and sea salt
Victoria Dearmond
Restaurant Underbelly (See menu)
Location Houston, TX
Culinary School Texas Culinary Academy (Austin)
Background Triniti (Houston), Sun Mountain Lodge (Winthrop, WA)
Quintessential Dessert Vinegar pie with salt brittle
Melinda Dorn
Restaurant L’Etoile (See menu)
Location Madison, WI
Culinary School Academy of Culinary Arts (Mays Landing, NJ)
Background The Wild Goose (Tahoe Vista, CA), Pacific Crest Grill (Truckee, CA), Artisanal Brasserie (Bellevue, WA)
Quintessential Dessert Horchata panna cotta with cinnamon almond cake, citrus salad and cherry molasses
Meg Galus
Restaurant NoMI Kitchen (See menu)
Location Chicago, IL
Culinary School The French Pastry School (Chicago)
Background Café des Architectes, Tru (Chicago)
Quintessential Dessert Chestnut parfait with Tahitian vanilla panna cotta, blood orange jelly and cotton candy
Jennifer Jones
Restaurant Topolobampo (See menu)
Location Chicago, IL
Culinary School Kendall College (Chicago)
Background Charlie Trotter’s, Le Lan (Chicago)
Quintessential Dessert Plátanos con Crema, Café con Vainilla (Mexican vanilla-crema cake with banana leaf ice cream and coffee gelatinas)
Sarah Jordan
Location Chicago, IL
Culinary School Self-taught
Background GT Fish & Oyster, Blackbird (Chicago); Jeffrey’s Restaurant and Bar, Olivia, Fino (Austin)
Quintessential Dessert Peanut butter semifreddo with flourless chocolate cake and miso soy caramel and pear
Kyle McKinney
Restaurant Barley Swine (See menu)
Location Austin, TX
Culinary School Scottsdale Culinary Institute (Scottsdale, AZ)
Background Four Seasons Hotel, Hilton Austin, Maiko (Austin)
Quintessential Dessert Barley-steeped panna cotta with Texas berries and sweetened barley crumbles
Leigh Omilinsky
Restaurant Café des Architectes (See menu)
Location Chicago, IL
Culinary School Johnson & Wales University (Denver)
Background L20, Tru (Chicago); Tramonto’s Steak & Seafood (Wheeling, IL)
Quintessential Dessert Pear bavarois with Concord grape sorbet and Chartreuse reduction
Anna Shovers
Restaurant The Publican (See menu)
Location Chicago, IL
Culinary School The French Pastry School (Chicago)
Background Everest, Blackbird (Chicago)
Quintessential Dessert Waffle with raspberry jam and honey butter
Callie Speer
Restaurant Swift’s Attic (See menu)
Location Austin, TX
Culinary School Self-taught
Background Cakemix, Parkside, Mars, Jeffrey’s Restaurant and Bar (Austin)
Quintessential Dessert Popcorn & a Movie: buttered-popcorn ice cream, mini candy bars, caramelized popcorn and root beer gel
Erica Waksmunski
Restaurant Congress (See menu)
Location Austin, TX
Culinary School Johnson & Wales University (Charlotte, NC)
Background Chez TJ (Mountain View, CA), Flyte World Dining and Wine (Nashville, TN), Everest (Chicago)
Quintessential Dessert Lime-basil sorbet with yogurt mousse and Asian pear
Tandra Watkins
Restaurant Ashley’s at the Capital Hotel (See menu)
Location Little Rock, AR
Culinary School Le Cordon Bleu Paris
Background Private catering
Quintessential Dessert Lemon vacherin, vanilla parfait with crisp meringue and lemon sorbet
Bronwen Wyatt
Restaurant La Petite Grocery (See menu)
Location New Orleans, LA
Culinary School Self-taught
Background Outerlands, Range (San Francisco); Five Fifty-Five (Portland, ME)
Quintessential Dessert Grilled vanilla bean panna cotta with satsuma sorbet and pistachio brittle
Katie Wyer
Restaurant Telegraph (See menu)
Location Chicago, IL
Culinary School Coursework at Elgin Community College (Elgin, IL)
Background Charlie Trotter’s (Chicago); The Ahwahnee Hotel (Yosemite National Park, CA); Niche, 302 West (Geneva, IL)
Quintessential Dessert Icebox cake with white chocolate-banana mousse and banana bread ice cream
Robert Zugmaier
Restaurant Sidney Street Cafe (See menu)
Location St. Louis, MO
Culinary School L’École Culinaire (St. Louis)
Background Colossus (St. Louis)
Quintessential Dessert “Snicker Bar”: chocolate mousse, honey nougat, roasted peanuts, dulce de leche and chocolate bourbon sorbet
*NOTE: Many pastry chefs change their menus frequently; “quintessential desserts” may not always be available.
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