CHEF, BAKER, TV PERSONALITY
Named one of the Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America by Dessert Professional, Chef Zac Young is known for his playful takes on American desserts including the all-in-one Thanksgiving dessert sensation, The PieCaken.
After graduating with honors from the Baking and Pastry Arts program at the Institute of Culinary Education, he went straight to the top, working under Sebastian Rouxel and Richard Capizzi at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery. In 2006, his talents were recognized by Alexandra Guarnaschelli and he spent four years working as Pastry Chef at her downtown New York hot-spot, Butter Restaurant. Always hungry for more, Zac took the opportunity to train in France under renowned Chefs Philipe Givre at Valrhona and Philipe Park at Chocolate Michel Cluizel.
Zac started a Donut Revolution with his dessert program at Flex Mussels Restaurants, compelling The New York Times restaurant critic, Frank Bruni, to write, “how lucky of us to find room for dessert.” The following Flex Donut pop-up stores in Grand Central Station also secured a spot on the paper’s list of the Best Donuts in New York City,
In 2012, Zac joined the David Burke Group, now known as Craveable Hospitality Group: a nationwide restaurant group specializing in food and beverage management, licensing, and consulting. As a partner and Pastry Director, he oversees the dessert creations at the company’s restaurants and bar concepts. His wildly successful PieCaken Bakeshop brand has become a staple for holiday treats shipped nation-wide in partnership with Goldbelly.
Zac is best known for his Final Four finish on the inaugural season of Bravo’s “Top Chef: Just Desserts”, his signature wit and pastry wisdom showcased on The Cooking Channel’s long running show, “Unique Sweets,” and his costumes and commentary on Food Network’s “Halloween Baking Championship.”
