Chicago's Top Women Pastry Chefs

What sweet creation will you treat yourself to this Valentine's Day?

With every Valentine’s Day comes contemplation of life’s two greatest needs: love and dessert. It’s the first occasion following the New Year – for many, after six weeks of diligent resolution workouts – that provides the perfect reason to be seduced by indulgences of the sweet variety.

To commemorate Valentine’s Day, I decided to get to know some of Chicago’s top women pastry chefs and ask them about what surely must be one of their busiest holidays and what they have in store at their restaurants. What I discovered was a group of impressive women who are truly passionate about their craft (and whose hours often demand a workday that starts long before most would ever consider waking). They all share a love of quality ingredients, have an innate precision in creating menu enticements…and admit to a soft spot for the magic of Valentine’s Day.

Sarah Jordan, of BOKA Restaurant and GT Fish & Oyster, helms the pastry kitchen at these two notable Chicago restaurants. Growing up in Dublin, Ireland, her love of food stems from baking with her grandparents and weekly trips to the Smithfield farmers markets. She moved to the U.S. more than seven years ago, found her way to Chicago and worked at Blackbird before joining the BOKA Restaurant Group in August 2011.

In concert with Executive Chef Giuseppe Tentori, Chef Jordan’s approach to dessert is to keep flavors simple while showcasing them in a non-traditional way. She often finds inspiration from savory ingredients and techniques, and for Valentine’s Day, presents a signature Chocolate Cremeaux with Forbidden Rice and Malted Milk Chocolate ice cream, among several featured dessert items available at both restaurants.

“Food is an extension of love,” she says, “and people celebrate occasions like Valentine’s Day by treating themselves to a nice meal out. It’s flattering when they choose one of our restaurants to celebrate.”

Sarah Kosikowski, executive pastry Chef at Sixteen in Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago, was moved by her experiences growing up in the Midwest and traveling throughout Europe and Asia. Nominated for Rising Star Chef by the James Beard Foundation in 2009, she joined Trump in 2010 after working in Las Vegas both with Michael Mina and Fleur de Lys, as well as award-winning restaurants like The French Laundry and the Ritz-Carlton Dining Room in San Francisco.

A recent competitor in the North American semi-finals of the Valhrona Culinary Competition in Versailles, France, it’s no surprise hear Chef Kosikowski report, “Valentine’s Day revolves around passion, love and indulgence – which for me means chocolate.”

To complement Sixteen’s modern American menu and breathtaking views, Chef Kosikowsi uses both white and dark chocolate in her Valentine’s Day desserts, pairing them with sensual flavors like Tahitian vanilla and passion fruit. She also presents a white chocolate bavaroise with crème fraiche, oven-roasted raspberries and rose raspberry sherbet.

Erin Mooney, Custom House Tavern, began her career at Trio restaurant, where she met acclaimed Chef Shawn McClain and later worked as the pastry chef at both Spring and Green Zebra. She then ran the pastry program at The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead and BLT Steak, both in Atlanta. Upon her return to Chicago in fall 2011, she reunited with the owners of Custom House Tavern, who found her blend of classic influence with innovative techniques the perfect match for Executive Chef Perry Hendrix’s American cuisine.

According to Chef Mooney, her Valentine’s Day menu “incorporates the fruits and vegetables that are in season and delicious at the moment, as well as comforting flavors that evoke fond memories of the past.”

Meg Galus, pastry chef at NoMI Kitchen, located in the Park Hyatt Chicago, joined the restaurant in June 2011, having most recently come from the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower, as well as the four-star TRU. With a motto of “pastry sustains the soul,” the French Pastry School graduate combines a twist of French technique with familiar comforts that guests can find relatable but also creates an element of surprise.

“Valentine’s Day is among the few times during the year that we can really pull out the stops,” she says. “It’s the perfect vehicle to showcase everything we love – everything extra rich, extra decadent, extra luscious. And extra chocolate, of course!”

While guests enjoy the stunning views from NoMI Kitchen’s elegant dining room, Chef Galus offers an array of desserts to share on Valentine’s Day. Complementing the ingredient-driven savory fare of Executive Chef Ryan LaRoche, her desserts feature chocolate, passion fruit and other ingredients known for their aphrodisiac qualities, such as honey and figs.

Erin Silva-Winston, of newcomer Hota, opened the restaurant with her business partner and husband, Chef Jonadab Silva, in the heart of downtown Evanston early last month. The duo acquired the former Jacky’s on Prairie in September 2011 and evolved the concept into a globally-inspired restaurant with an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients.

“As a young couple – before we came to work together here – my husband and I always used to come to this very spot for dinner; for me, it has a lot of happy memories related to my own family and marriage,” Chef Silva-Winston shares. “The room has an airy, romantic feel, but there’s also a fun, vibrant buzz.”

A recent graduate of the French Pastry School, Chef Silva-Winston values the tradition and quality emphasized by the program. For Valentine’s Day, she serves a series of sweet duos, one of which includes Sweet Tart Beignets dusted with lemon sugar and filled with a mascarpone cream, served with Apricot Panna Cotta.

Kady Yon, who creates sweat treats at the Pump Room, joined the restaurant’s team prior to its opening in 2011. Inspired by a Charlie Trotter cookbook while in college, she decided to pursue a career in pastry. Without formal training, she followed her passion for food and secured a position working with Chef Bill Kim at Le Lan. Chef Yon later found herself in the pastry kitchen of Charlie Trotter’s, and after working under the restaurant’s longtime pastry chef, she went on to helm the department, and later worked with the Boka Restaurant Group.

Motivated by international cultures, nature and nostalgia, Chef Yon prides herself on clean flavors and presentation. For Valentine’s Day, she plans to pay homage to the holiday with a dessert menu largely inspired by chocolate.

“What I love most about Valentine’s Day is the sole commemoration to love and affection by presenting flowers, cards and sweet confections to one another,” she says. “Chocolate, being one of my favorite confections, has been believed throughout time to bring smiles to the broken-hearted and to prompt amorous feelings.”

Whether lingering over a decadent dessert with your sweetheart, or ordering the full gamut with a group of your closest girlfriends, there’s no question that we’re all in excellent hands come February 14. Go on. Eat your heart out.

Tagged as: pastry, pastry chefs, dessert, restaurants and chefs, bakery, Valentines Day, Sarah Jordan, BOKA Restaurant, GT Fish & Oyster, Sarah Kosikowski, Sixteen, Erin Mooney, Custom House Tavern, Meg Galus, NoMI Kitchen, Erin Silva-Winston, Hota and Kady Yon