2013 Chefs to Watch – Chef Bronwen Wyatt

CHEF BRONWEN WYATT

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Fear not, says Bronwen Wyatt, pastry chef at La Petite Grocery: There is a sweet life beyond Key lime pie, bread pudding, and pecan pie. Bronwen, a Maryland native who came to New Orleans for college, and then moved to Portland, Maine, and later San Francisco, California, ultimately found the lure of the Crescent City too much to resist. While trying to be a writer but having trouble finding work in Portland, Bronwen’s brother, a restaurant chef, hired her to work in his restaurant.

“I was a double major at Tulane in English and print-making, but discovered I had a knack for pastry-making. When I came back to New Orleans, I found out they needed a pastry chef at La Petite Grocery. I don’t really have formal training—I learned everything on the job.”

That move to the West Coast proved very influential. “My style of dessert is simple, borderline rustic, and very precise,” she says. Bronwen credits Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, as her greatest influence. Chez Panisse is widely known for its use of locally and organically grown products. “What is so great here is that we can have good relationships with local purveyors and get things that are sometimes not widely available. One time a purveyor of mine went out in the field and picked satsumas just for me when I needed them. That kind of thing does not happen everywhere.”

Typical of Bronwen’s desserts, which she describes as “not as sweet and over the top as other local desserts,” is her traditional butterscotch pudding. She strives for straightforward, uncomplicated dishes.

“I want to be in New Orleans because there is something special going on here now. The city is growing considerably, and diners are becoming more sophisticated.”

Recipes

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Meet the 2013 Chefs to Watch

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