Pastry chefs are rising in stature in R.I.

Long one of the unsung heroes of the kitchen, pastry chefs are coming into their own. Perhaps due to the popularity of reality TV shows such as “Cake Boss” and “Top Chef Desserts,” the patissier can now come out from behind his or her whisk and into the spotlight. Here in Rhode Island, national fame has found one such chef hiding her light under a pastry tube.
Melissa Denmark, pastry chef of Gracie’s in Providence, has been nominated by Food & Wine magazine as one of the 50 best new pastry chefs in the country. She is in the running for the first-ever People’s Best New Pastry Chef Award. “We are so proud of Melissa and her nomination,” said Ellen Gracyalny, owner of Gracie’s. “It’s exciting to see Food & Wine recognize the excellence that we see each and every day through Melissa’s special craft. Her creations tie our menu together beautifully; from the bread starters to that last delicious bite of dessert. We encourage anyone who has indulged in Melissa’s breads and desserts to support her work by voting for her.”
Denmark is a 2010 Johnson & Wales University graduate. The culinary university has long been known for turning out graduates with great skill in baking and pastry art. For years, Johnson & Wales University has been renowned in the world of patisserie, as the art of creating pastry is known. Faculty members such as Cyril Hitz have led teams from JWU to pastry competitions all over the world. Hitz has published books on baking and pastry creation and is in demand for guest chef appearances, including Gracie’s own “Star Chef Series.” There are exhibitions of stunning cake creations at the university’s Culinary Museum. So it is not surprising that the tradition of excellence in pastry creation has continued to Denmark’s spot in the running.
“It’s an honor to be selected to participate in this competition,” said Denmark of her nomination. “I’m truly lucky to work in a restaurant such as Gracie’s, where I’m constantly inspired to grow and develop as a pastry chef.”
Magazine editors determined the nominees with help from an ad hoc national network of food journalists and chefs.
“There is so much innovation in the pastry world right now, and we are excited to have the chance to celebrate it,” said Food & Wine Editor-in-Chief Dana Cowin. “Our new pastry awards allow us to spotlight cooking pros who don’t generally get the same recognition as the executive chefs for whom they work.” The winner will be profiled in the “Hungry Crowd” column of the May issue of Food & Wine and will attend the 30th anniversary of the magazine’s famed gathering of chefs and personalities from the culinary world, the Classic in Aspen, Colo., which will be held in June.
Economic forecasts by the R.I. Department of Labor and Training expect a higher than 22 percent increase in job openings for the culinary industry, including pastry chefs, as well as categories such as caterers and restaurant managers through 2012. Rhode Island is described in the national food media as “a state that provides an excellent environment for the culinary arts.”
According to Culinary-World, an online clearing house for culinary-education information, pastry chefs and bakers in Rhode Island can expect to be paid an average salary of $43,000 annually. But don’t quit your day job to run off and enroll in baking school just yet. This is probably not a starting salary. Most restaurateurs stipulate compensation to be commensurate with experience.
Interestingly enough, an online job listing in mid-February for a pastry chef at a well-known Boston restaurant offered a starting salary of $37,000 for an experienced pastry chef with a minimum of five years in a pastry-creating job.
Bakers and patissiers are well-represented in the proprietorship ranks of the state’s restaurants. One example is John Bach Sorenson, owner-operator of Asterisk in Newport, who started out as a bread baker. Sorenson after establishing his restaurant started a boulangerie (retail bakery) and incorporates breads and pastries both savory and sweet into his menu at Asterisk.
Deb Norman, of Rue d’L’Espoir, and Phyllis Arffa, of Blaze, took their passion for bread-baking and pastry to new levels at their unique restaurants.
Bakers I have talked to and interviewed over the years find their work rewarding in more than just a financial sense. Bread bakers operate on a schedule that is not for everyone. The bread still goes into the oven at around 2 a.m. so it can be delivered fresh that day to the restaurant and in turn to our tables. &#8226


Bruce Newbury’s food and wine talk radio show is heard Saturdays and Sundays locally on WPRV-AM 790, on radio throughout New England and on the Stitcher mobile application. He can be reached by email at
bruce@brucenewbury.com.

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