Career
Best known for eschewing the heavy use of sugar and applying savory technique such as reductions into creating more flavorful desserts, he mixes classic technique and whimsical culinary style. Three times awarded three stars by the New York Times, he made his career breakthrough as pastry chef for Jean-Georges Vongerichten from 1998 to 2004, opening several of Vongerichten"s restaurants, including Spice Market. In 2008 he opened a bakery called Batch next door to the restaurant.
Both cllosed in 2009.
From 2012 to 2013 he was a judge on the Food Network reality show, Sugar Dome. Trained as an architect under Stanley Saitowitz at the University of California at Berkeley, and a former recipient of the American Poets Award, he published The Sweet Spot in 2007, which made it on several “top” lists including The New York Times and Gourmet.
He travels worldwide to give demonstrations, is one of the few American guests at Madrid Fusion and Sydney Food & Wine Festival. He has projects worldwide, including Max Brenner, Qi Restaurant, Coppelia and Switch.
He sits on the board of Almond California, the Tenement Museum, the French Culinary Institute, and Institute of Culinary Education.
