Best Pastry Chefs

They Reign Supreme
For decades, pastry chefs in restaurants have been relegated to the rear of the kitchen, creating the sweet finish to a meal, but surrendering the applause to chefs in the front of the line. No disrespect to chefs who chose a savory lifestyle—I was one myself—but most savory cooks aren’t capable of the intense focus, greater understanding of food chemistry, and commitment to precision and replication that pastry work requires. Pastry pros are often responsible for everything from the amuse bouche to breads to desserts, plus chocolates, candy, and the quirky fruit concoctions at the bar. But as restaurant overhead has skyrocketed, many restaurants have outsourced their pastry program or subdivided it among line cooks. The most reliable spot to discover true pastry genius today is at a fine hotel, as you’ll see here. Great pastry chefs have always been hard to find, but here are the five who set our local standard.

For great recipes from our top pastry chefs, click here.

Christina Kaelberer
RESTAURANT: Chambers Kitchen
YEARS IN PASTRY: 5
FAVORITE SWEET: Warm Chocolate Chip Cookies

The new kid on the block is Christina Kaelberer. Comparatively, she is almost a toddler, but her food is complete, her execution consistent. Kaelberer believes in keeping desserts simple, a fitting philosophy considering she is taking direction from the king of contrasting simple with elegant, Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Kaelberer studied at the Valrhona chocolate school in France and The Arts Institutes International in Minneapolis. She worked as a pastry cook at Vincent before joining Cosmos, working under Jonathan Saliba. The passion fruit soufflé with passion fruit caramel and bitter chocolate sorbet that she turns out each day at Chambers is one of the three best desserts in the Twin Cities. For the holidays, she is poaching figs in port wine and serving them with cumin ice cream. She says she will be working with plenty of local apples, doing something with pumpkin, and serving a peach-and-lavender ice cream float with white chocolate–ginger cookies. 901 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 612-767-6979

Leah Henderson
RESTAURANT: D’Amico Cucina, plus Masa, Campiello, Lurçat
YEARS IN PASTRY: 20
FAVORITE SWEET: Mom’s rhubarb pie

Leah Henderson grew up on a Midwestern dairy farm and has pursued a lifelong devotion to sweets. In her thirteenth year with the fratelli D’Amico, she draws inspiration from an immense collection of vintage cookbooks, her rootsy pedigree, and a love affair with Italian flavors and technique. The result? Lemon mascarpone panna cotta with roasted black mission figs, ruby port glaze, and candied spiced pecans. An amalgam of caramelized peaches, prosecco-zabaglione cream, and almond cake served with white pepper gelato—all the proof you need that there is nothing simple or folksy about Henderson’s fare. Come fall, she switches to a palette of richer and more complex flavors. Toward holiday time, she always features traditional Italian sweets. Butler Square, 100 N. 6th St., Mpls., 612-338-2401