Gale Gand

At the age of six, Gale Gand caught the eye of a Life magazine photographer while she was making mud pies. Forty-some years later, although the ingredients have changed, Gale is still catching the eyes and tastes of all those who witness her latest creations.

As executive pastry chef at Cenitare Restaurants, LLC, Gale now has a platform to reach a wider audience with the advent of Gale's Coffee Bar, a small 'grab-and-go' pastry/coffee shop. She also handles dessert programs for long-time culinary partner Rick Tramonto's new projects with the company, Tramonto's Steak & Seafood, Osteria di Tramonto and RT Lounge.

Gale is also executive pastry chef (with executive chef Rick Tramonto) at their world-renowned culinary masterpiece Tru, in partnership with Rich Melman, chairman of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises.

Gale's desserts have consistently received stellar reviews. Pat Bruno, restaurant critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, has declared Gale, "one of the best pastry chefs in the United States." Esquire's John Mariani proclaimed effusively, "...every dessert I tried was poetic. They should be: They are made by the city's best pastry chef, Gale Gand."

In 1994, Gale received the Robert Mondavi Award for Culinary Excellence and she and her culinary partner Rick Tramonto were named among the Top Ten Best New Chefs by Food & Wine. She was named top pastry chef of the year in Bon Appetit's annual Best of the Best awards in 2001. Gale and Rick were nominated for the 1998 James Beard Awards for Best Chefs in the Midwest and also nominated for the 2000 James Beard Awards with Tru for the Best New Restaurant. Further recognition by the James Beard Foundation include Gale's Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef in 2001 and most recently a nomination for Tru for Outstanding Service in 2004. Tru was the recipient of the 2003 IVY award by Restaurants & Institutions and inducted into Nation's Restaurant News' 2004 Fine Dining Hall of Fame. Most recently Tru was honored with the 2004 Wine Spectator Grand Award, one of the most highly coveted acknowledgements in the food and wine industry and Best Restaurant in Chicago Magazine's 2004 Dining Awards, with Gale being named Best Pastry Chef.

Her first cookbook, American Brasserie, written with Rick Tramonto and Julia Moskin, was published in October 1997 and named as a finalist in the Julia Child Cookbook Awards with the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Gale's second book, Butter Sugar Flour Eggs, published by Clarkson Potter, was released in October 1999 and received a James Beard nomination for Best Cookbook in the Baking and Desserts category and was a featured title for the Book of the Month Club. Her third book, Gale Gand's Just a Bite was released in October 2001, Gale Gand's Short + Sweet hit the shelves in early 2004 and Tru: A Cookbook from the Legendary Chicago Restaurant, written with culinary partner Rick Tramonto, was also published in November 2004. Gale's next cookbook Chocolate and Vanilla, will be published in autumn 2006.

Gale has a son named Giorgio, whom she fondly refers to as 'Gio'. As Gale explains, "Being a mother is such a privilege and it is important for Gio to know women work, have careers and it's OK for boys to cook."

In November 2004, Gale gave birth to fraternal twin girls named Ella Nora and Ruby Grace.