Category Archives: Chefs

Pastry Run, Part I: Parachute Bakery

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What I scored at Parachute Bakery in San Francisco.
What I scored at Parachute Bakery in San Francisco.

Sometimes it pays to be a latecomer.

When Parachute Bakery opened last summer in the Ferry Building, eager beavers with major sweet tooths swarmed the place. So much so that the bakery was selling out less than 3 hours after opening.

Now? The crowds are more manageable, especially on weekdays, which I found when I finally visited at the end of January.

It’s easy to understand the fuss. After all, Parachute is by the team behind Michelin-starred Sorrel in San Francisco, Chef Alex Hong and Joel Wilkerson, director of operations. Its co-owner and executive pastry chef is Nasir Armar, who grew up working in his father’s bakery in India. He was the former pastry chef at Sorrel, and at Michelin two-starred Saison in San Francisco.

Parchute Bakery is near Gott's in the Ferry Building.
Parchute Bakery is near Gott’s in the Ferry Building.

To say that Armar’s pastries exemplify precision is to put it mildly. These are some gorgeous creations. They are not all looks and no substance, either. The flavors hold their own.

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Rapturous Strawberries ‘N’ Cream Cookies

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Made with freeze-dried strawberries and velvety white chocolate.
Made with freeze-dried strawberries and velvety white chocolate.

There are cookbooks that offer up small snippets here and there of the author’s life.

And there are culinary memoirs of lengthy prose that are rather miserly when it comes to including but a few recipes.

“Will This Make You Happy” (Chronicle Books), of which I received an early review copy, is a welcome hybrid that debuts in March, and is already available for pre-order.

It brims with more than 50 recipes But more so, it warms the heart as it demonstrates how the simple act of baking can be so profoundly transformative.

The book was written by Tanya Bush, a Brooklyn-based writer, editor, and baker, who co-founded the publication Cake Zine. She is the pastry chef at Little Egg in Brooklyn, where her crullers have won a devoted following. No slouch in the writing department, she earned an MFA in creative writing from Hunter College in New York City.

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Bistro Lagniappe Brings A Little Something Extra in Healdsburg

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Fluffy rockfish dumplings in a concentrated lobster bisque at Lagniappe.
Fluffy rockfish dumplings in a concentrated lobster bisque at Lagniappe.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who mourned the trails, tribulations and eventual demise of Molti Amici in downtown Healdsburg.

But a solid successor took its place last summer when Bistro Lagniappe opened its doors.

Named for the Cajun-French word for “small gift” or “little something extra,” it was opened by Chef-Owner Jacob Harth, who operated the now-shuttered Erizo, a sustainable seafood restaurant in Portland, OR.

Instead of Italian cuisine that its former occupant spotlighted, Bistro Lagniappe makes use of the wood-fire oven to turn out French-inspired farmhouse cuisine that highlights local products.

Lagniappe has a long, narrow dining room plus a large outdoor dining patio in the back.
Lagniappe has a long, narrow dining room plus a large outdoor dining patio in the back.
A bookcase of cookbooks in the dining room.
A bookcase of cookbooks in the dining room.

On a chilly weeknight when I dined in late-January, it was wonderful to see the restaurant buzzing with diners at what is usually a slow time of year for Wine Country. I’m guessing many were locals, which is always a good sign that a place has been embraced by its community.

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The Comfort of Red Lentil, Dried Mint & Lemon Soup

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A naturally creamy red lentil soup that's vegan.
A naturally creamy red lentil soup that’s vegan.

It’s warming, nourishing, and seductively curry-like.

That’s what “Red Lentil, Dried Mint & Lemon Soup” is all about. It’s also so easy and fast that you’re sure to make it on repeat whenever you want to tuck into a cozy bowl.

The recipe is from “Boustany” (10 Speed Press, 2025), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Sami Tamimi, a Palestinian chef, restaurateur and food writer who grew up in Jerusalem before moving to Tel Aviv, then to London and Umbria, Italy.

His love for cooking, which started as a child in his mother’s kitchen, led him to start a catering company in Tel Aviv, then to running the savory kitchen of Baker & Spice in London, before joining forces with Yotam Ottolenghi to open Ottolenghi Deli in London. “Jerusalem,” a cookbook he and Ottolengthi wrote together, won the “International Book Award” from the James Beard Foundation in 2013. Tamimi’s “Falastin” cookbook won an IACP award.

“Bustany” is derived from the Arabic term for “garden.” Farming has long been and continues to be a way of life for Palestinians, as Tamimi notes in his book. Foraging also provides not only sustenance but another source of income. Among his happiest memories are spending time in the thriving garden at his grandparents’ house in Hebron.

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Atelier Crenn Celebrates 15 Years In A Big Way

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Scallop, smoked mussel and caviar, a dazzling dish from the Atelier Crenn & Atomix collaboration dinner.
Scallop, smoked mussel and caviar, a dazzling dish from the Atelier Crenn & Atomix collaboration dinner.

When a Michelin three-starred restaurant reaches a milestone 15th anniversary, you know it will pull out all the stops.

Such is the case with San Francisco’s acclaimed Atelier Crenn, which marks that occasion this year by debuting Continuum, a new collaborative dining experience. It brings visionary chefs from around the world to cook at the Cow Hollow neighborhood restaurant with Chef-Owner Dominique Crenn and Pastry Chef Juan Contreras.

I was fortunate enough to be invited in as a guest for the inaugural dinner last week with Chef Junghyun Park of Atomix, the modern Korean restaurant in New York City that’s garnered two Michelin stars, and was named No. 1 on “North America’s 50 Best Restaurants” list. It also catapulted him to a James Beard “Best Chef New York” in 2023.

Not surprisingly, it took less than a day for the $596.55-per-person dinner to sell out.

Chef Dominique Crenn.
Chef Dominique Crenn.
The entrance to the Michelin three-starred restaurant.
The entrance to the Michelin three-starred restaurant.

Once seated, you’ll find a small packet at your place setting. Inside, you’ll find cards introducing Chef Park, along with information about some of his dishes to be served.

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