Awards & Recognition
★James Beard Award nominee for Outstanding Pastry Chef (2005)
★Bon Appétit Pastry Chef of the Year (2006)
★First American to win first place at World Pizza Championship Naples Classic Italian division (2012)
★Charles M. Holmes Award from Human Rights Campaign (2005)
★Best Documentary Feature winner at Pasadena Film Festival 2023 for 'Sorry We're Closed'
★Multiple cooking competition wins and finalist positions including Next Iron Chef runner-up
Notable Facts
→James Beard Foundation Board of Trustees member and Chair of Awards Committee
→Author of 3 published cookbooks: 'Demolition Desserts' (2007) and 'Cooking Off the Clock' (2012)
→Owned award-winning restaurants Citizen Cake, Orson, and others in San Francisco and New York for over two decades
→Co-founder of T'MARO Brands Inc. with partner Heather Freyer, creating date-based spirits and amaro
→Former President of Women Chefs & Restaurateurs (2014-2015, 2019-2020)
→Recipe developer and consultant for major brands: Starbucks, Hershey, Pepsi, Barilla, Nestle, General Mills
→Over 40 TV cooking competition appearances across multiple networks
→Active in LGBTQ advocacy and No Kid Hungry charity work
→Documentary filmmaker and producer of 'Sorry We're Closed'
→Fitness advocate promoting 'Fit to Cook' lifestyle in culinary industry