Thierry Delourneaux
Few culinary connoisseurs have had a career quite like Thierry Delourneaux. Beyond working with prestige hotel brands like the Ritz-Carlton, Hilton, Fairmont and St. Regis, Chef Delourneaux also led the pastry team at The Beverly Hilton and was the mastermind behind the 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards’ decadent dessert lineup in 2007. Since then, Chef Delourneaux spent several years working for luxury brands in Asia, before re-integrating his culinary talents to the United States culture and working at New York City’s legendary Rainbow Room, where he hosted the James Beard Foundation’s 2015 New York Gala.
As for his Arizona ties, Chef Delourneaux brought a new flair to the role of executive pastry chef at The Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Resort in 2018. In his role, he was responsible for developing the creative menu and executing new pastry ideas across the resort’s award-winning food and beverage outlets. Whether he’s cooking up something special at home or developing a new pastry taste for any number of his past and current celebrity clients (see the photo of Chef Delourneaux and Oprah on his website), he’s seemingly always bringing something new (and obviously decadent) to the table.
A baking or culinary trend you’re currently obsessed with and why? The culinary trend that I’m currently obsessed with now is ricotta cheese. I recently created a chocolate almond ricotta bar which people are raving about at The Sicilian Baker.
What advice would you offer someone who’s trying to navigate work in Arizona’s food scene? The best advice that I will give to someone who is navigating the pastry scene in Arizona is to come to work with me. As well to keep pushing themselves to be the best.
An Arizona-based baker or culinary figure who inspires you and why? I don’t have a culinary figure who inspires me in Arizona, but I do have a lot of respect for Joey Maggiore who is a very trendy chef, like myself, and we are always striving to be the best by creating Chichifoofoo dessert and dish.
For more information on Thierry and Chichifoofoo, visit www.thierrydelourneaux.com