Pastry Chef Laura Sawicki

For pastry chef Laura Sawicki, food isn't merely a passion - it is an obsession. With a culinary heritage that ranges from her Argentine roots to her formative years in some of the finest kitchens in the Northeast, food is the undertone to nearly every facet of Laura's life. As for her desserts, her garden friendly, savory-meets-sweet approach is all at once as stunning to the eyes as it is to the palate.

Originally a graduate of the Colorado College with a degree in art history, Laura had never considered becoming a chef. However, influenced by her grandmother's natural baking instinct, as well as the frequent "food adventures" she shared with her mother, both her biggest inspiration and biggest supporter, a life in kitchens seemed rather inevitable. Recently graduated and uninspired by the lack of art-related jobs in New York, she turned to cooking, resulting in a degree from the renowned Culinary Institute of America in 2005.

Beginning with a stint at City Bakery in Manhattan, success seemed to follow Laura as she moved from pastry cook at Canyon Ranch in Western Massachusetts to a more leading pastry role at Tom Colicchio's Craftbar in New York nearly overnight. Growing tired of Manhattan, she then took the position of pastry chef at the critically acclaimed Marlow & Sons in Brooklyn. There, alongside chefs Caroline Fidanza and Sean Rembold, Laura helped further the impact of the burgeoning farm-to-table movement that was establishing Brooklyn as a legitimate culinary destination. It was also at Marlow & Sons where Laura truly came into her own as a chef, establishing her rustic yet elegant aesthetic that focuses on each season's finest offerings.

Upon leaving Marlow in 2008, Laura's relationship with food changed forever. While working at Brooklyn's Paloma, another in a handful of Brooklyn restaurants feverishly aiming at establishing a small community in a large metropolis, she met Rene Ortiz. Laura and Rene quickly became lifelong friends and culinary counterparts. They encouraged one another to evolve and expand their shared, seasonal approach to food, using only the freshest ingredients possible to create simple yet bold dishes that linger on the palate.

This relationship ultimately brought Laura to Austin, where she now resides, when she was invited to help open La Condesa in early 2009 alongside Rene. Though she landed in Austin amidst a whirlwind career, Laura has come to call it her home and sees a wealth of opportunity there for the future.

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