Michael Laiskonis

Michael Laiskonis is the executive pastry chef at New York's Le Bernardin restaurant. He was named Bon Appétit’s 2004 Pastry Chef of the Year and Starchefs.com declared him a Rising Star in 2006. His consulting projects include an ongoing collaboration with the Ritz Carlton hotels in Grand Cayman, Washington DC, and Philadelphia, as well as work with the National Peanut Board, several pastry shops throughout Japan, and most recently, advisory positions with the Institute of Culinary Education and Starbucks. He was given the Outstanding Pastry Chef Award in 2007 by the James Beard Foundation. In 2008, Laiskonis became a featured contributor to Gourmet.com and maintains two blogs, mlaiskonis.com and michael-laiskonis.com.