Posts Tagged ‘Pastry Chef Emmanuel “Manny” Fimbrez’

Fimbrez’s creatively innovative desserts compliment Madrona Manor’s elegant and modern cuisine, making it a “go-to” destination for epicureans 

Celebrated Pastry Chef Emmanuel “Manny” Fimbrez has been recruited to lead the pastry team at Madrona Manor, effective immediately. Having honed his skills at world-class resorts such as The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay and helped San Francisco’s iconic Saison restaurant earn two Michelin stars, Fimbrez brings his cutting-edge techniques and innovative concepts to Madrona Manor’s distinguished kitchen. Sweet-tooths are invited to be among the first to sample Chef Fimbrez’s creations by making reservations at Opentable.com/madrona-manor.

Executive Chef Jesse Mallgren says of Fimbrez, “Manny’s desserts are some of the best I’ve had the pleasure of eating. He utilizes modern techniques while still letting the true flavors of the ingredients shine, a rare quality in a pastry chef.”

Fimbrez’s goal in his new position is to “make food exciting. My style is to be able to tell a story through food using new techniques and giving the diner something unexpected.”

Some of the signature desserts he has created for Madrona Manor include:

•  Nawlins – Coffee Ice Cream, Chicory Root, Dehydrated Milk Foam and Puffed Toffee

• Strawberries in Their Own Consomme – Lemon Verbena Frozen Yogurt, Buckwheat Crisp and Wild Herbs grown in the manor’s organic garden.

It was while stationed in South Korea as a Senior Airman in the Air Force that Fimbrez’s passion for food truly blossomed. With a wide variety of ethnic food at his fingertips, Fimbrez quickly fell in love with Korean street food such as Korean pancakes, buttered squid and giant Korean cream puffs, as well as non-Korean fare such as dondurma—a chewy Turkish ice cream. Following his military career, he enrolled in the pastry program at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in San Francisco in 2006.

After graduating with a degree in pastry, Fimbrez worked at a local bakery before moving on to baking at several luxury resorts, including Rosewood Sandhill in Menlo Park, then headed to San Francisco to lead the pastry team at Saison. It was there that Fimbrez learned to integrate modern technique with old world methods, using a clay oven to bake bread as well as to smoke ice cream. Under the tutelage of Chef-owner Joshua Skenes, Fimbrez worked with a full-time forager, Jeffrey Stoneberger, to gather local, seasonal ingredients for his desserts and learned the true meaning of sustainable cuisine.

Madrona Manor is an elegant, wine-country inn and restaurant located just steps away from Northern Sonoma’s best wineries. The restaurant at Madrona Manor has been awarded one Michelin star each year since 2008 and sources many ingredients from the on-site organic garden. With 22 uniquely appointed rooms set among lush gardens and immaculate grounds, Madrona Manor is an oasis set in the heart of wine country. 1001 Westside Rd., Healdsburg, CA 95448; (800) 258-4003; www.madronamanor.com.