Whether it's fresh loaves or elaborate wedding cakes, these three pastry chefs are helping San Antonio's baking scene rise.
Jenn Riesman, Hotel Emma
Jenn Riesman, Pastry Chef at
Hotel Emma, is raising expectations for desserts and pastry chefs in San Antonio. Though she has worked as a pastry chef for hotels and restaurants across the country, “cakes have always been my favorite things to make,” said Riesman, who hopes to someday open a cake shop of her own. “I love the reactions; when you please your clients, they realize that great [desserts] are something important for those moments and milestones.” Riesman uses fresh, local ingredients to build beautiful custom, handcrafted cakes and incredible desserts for hotel guests and outside clients.
Riesman’s menu for Supper, a restaurant at Hotel Emma, changes each season, but her signature use of savory, unique flavors can be found in current dishes like the gingerbread cake served with roasted fennel ice cream and candied rose petals, or the kabocha cheesecake served with blueberry compote, curry, caraway crumble and purple yam ice cream. Diners can also find traditional sweets like cookies and hand pies at Larder. “At Supper, I want people to say ‘ I wasn’t expecting that, but it worked,” Riesman said. “I always try to bridge the familiar with the unexpected; I think the San Antonio food scene is changing, and I feel very humbled to be a part of that.”
Follow her at @jennriesman on Instagram.
