Pastry Art & Design Announces The Ten Best Pastry Chefs In America 2007

NEW YORK and CHICAGO (June 15, 2007) - The editors of Pastry Art & Design recently announced this year's Ten Best Pastry Chefs in America:

*Chef Dimitri Fayard, Vanille Patisserie, Chicago, IL

*Chef Gale Gand, Cenitare, Chicago, IL

*Chef Ciril Hitz, Johnson & Wales, Providence, RI

*Chef Mike McCarey, Mike's Amazing Cakes, Redmond, WA

*Chef Colette Peters, Colette's Cakes, New York, NY

*Chef Vincent Pilon, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, NV

*Chef Gilles Renusson, Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Rapids, MI

*Chef Frederic Robert, Wynn Las Vegas Resort, Las Vegas, NV

*Chef Anil Rohira, Albert Uster Imports, Gaithersburg, MD (two-time winner)

*Chef Stephane Treand, St. Regis Resort Monarch Beach, Dana Point, CA

These chefs were honored in a ceremony at The French Pastry School in Chicago on June 3rd, 2007. Each member of this elite group of pastry chefs was chosen for excellence in the field of pastry arts, and their work will be showcased in the August issue of Pastry Art & Design.

The magazine also inducted the venerable Chef Alain Roby, Senior Corporate Pastry Chef for Hyatt Hotels and Executive Pastry Chef at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, into Pastry Art & Design's Hall of Fame for his outstanding body of work in sugar. In his 32-year career, Roby has pushed the limits of creative expression and technique with all forms of sugar and chocolate, garnering more than 20 prestigious culinary awards. He has been featured on several Food Network shows and his work has been seen all over the world, as The Guinness Book of World Records awarded him the World's Tallest Cooked Sugar Building and World's Tallest Chocolate Sculpture honors.

"These chefs are truly at the top of their field," said Jeff Dryfoos, publisher of Pastry Art & Design. "Our publication is dedicated to highlighting the top talent in the pastry arts, and we are so pleased to recognize 10 true standouts once again."

This was the first year the event was held in Chicago, and The French Pastry School was honored to host the ceremony - especially because the school is home to three past Pastry Art & Design Ten Best Pastry Chef honorees, including school founders and instructors Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer and Chef Sebastien Canonne, M.O.F. and Chef Instructor John Kraus. Each has been honored twice for their talent and dedication to the culinary arts.

"Chicago has its share of top culinary talent - and by bringing the event to the Windy City we were able to showcase not only the country's top pastry professionals, but the vibrant culinary community we have right here in our city," said Franco Pacini, director of The French Pastry School.

About Pastry Art & Design
Published since 1995, Pastry Art & Design is the only magazine for the professional pastry chef in the USA. The "Top Ten" honors were established in 1994 to pay homage to the best talent in the field each year. Past "Top Ten" winners have included world-renowned chefs such as Fran�ois Payard, Jacques Torres and Michel Richard.