Dominique Ansel

Dominique Ansel rose to fame in New York City, where he served as the Executive Pastry Chef for Restaurant Daniel under celebrity chef Daniel Boulud. During his six year tenure at Daniel, the restaurant won its first 3-star Michelin rating, a 4-star New York Times review, and James Beard’s Outstanding Restaurant of the Year Award in 2010. In 2013, Chef Ansel received his own James Beard Award nomination as a finalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef at his eponymous bakery.

It’s a long way from home for the chef, who grew up near the north of Paris as the youngest of four children. It was his father, Dominique Ansel (Senior), who first sparked his interest in cooking. At 16 years old, Dominique (Junior) began his formal culinary training, taking a break for compulsory military training and later returning to joining the ranks of the legendary French pastry institution, Fauchon. At Fauchon, Dominique spent 7 years traveling the world to open shops in places ranging from Egypt to Russia to Kuwait.

Today, Dominique has been named one of the “Top 10 Pastry Chefs in the United States” by Dessert Professional Magazine in 2009. In 2010, Dominique was chosen by Time Out New York as one of the city’s “Top Ten Pastry Chefs You Need to Know”. He also received the award for the Best Dessert Menu in the US by Pastryscoop.com in 2007. An active part of New York’s dining scene, Dominique’s work is featured in multiple cookbooks and magazines.

Meet Anna

Don’t forget to say “hi” to Executive Sous Chef, Ann McGorman. Born and raised just outside of Philadelphia, Anna attended the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and has worked with Chef Angela Hartnett at the Connaught in London before joining the first-class pastry team at Daniel, where she was for 3.5 years.