Executive Pastry Chef Ramon Perez

 

Chef Ramon Perez’s culinary career has taken a rather unconventional path: Instead of starting at the beginning, he jumped straight to the end.  Born to chef-restaurateur parents, Perez began working in the kitchen of the famed Auberge du Soleil when he was just 12-years old.  Under the tutelage of his father, he learned what it took to be a chef -- the intense hours, constant attention to detail and the overall importance of a guest’s satisfaction.  When his parents opened Citronée in Nevada City, CA, a few years later, he proceeded to work through all the positions in the kitchen there before he landed at pastry in 1998.  With no formal training he had little to fall back on when creating the menu, so he forged his own path.  Nights were spent pouring over classic cookbooks examining images of delicate desserts; days were spent replicating them in the kitchen. 

After graduating from high school, Perez was anxious to leave his quaint town to explore different avenues.  He matriculated at the New England Culinary Institute, where he spent the following three years learning the basics of technique which bolstered his innate skill.  Through his coursework, he mastered the foundations required for all areas of gastronomic work and he was ready to challenge himself.  Immediately after graduation in 2003, he began work at Chef David Myers’ award-winning restaurant, Sona.

Throughout the next year-and-a-half, Perez moved through the kitchen stations while gleaning inspiration from Myers.  The use of unique ingredients melded with classical methods was evident throughout the menu and Perez’s imagination went wild.  Modern flavor profiles were an aspect of cooking he had never experimented with and was thrilled to have the opportunity to expand his repertoire.

Following his time at Sona, he staged in the kitchens of Europe for six months where his drive and work ethic was tested daily by their rigorous schedules. He then returned to Citronée where he was not only responsible for the pastry creations of the restaurant, but also the offerings in the newly opened bakery.  In the summer of 2006 he returned to Sona, whose philosophy and cuisine had stayed with him throughout the years, and shortly after was named pastry chef.  While at Sona, Perez garnered attention for his desserts that combined the best of the season in the most cutting-edge combinations. After only six months as Pastry Chef of Sona, Perez was promoted to Executive Pastry Chef of the David Myers Group, overseeing  and implementing pastry programs across the various restaurants within the group; Boule Patisserie, Comme Ca Brasserie and Pizzeria Ortica as well as coordinating and handling recipe development for two projects in Japan.

In October of 2011, Perez decided to push himself a little harder by competing and winning in a grueling three day competition against some of the nations top pastry chefs at the Star Chefs International Chefs Congress Pastry Competition. Soon after, Perez left his post at the David Myers Group to fulfill his dream of opening up his own concept. Puur Chocolat, an online chocolate shop offering unique flavored Bon Bons, Caramels using salts from all over the world as well as Chocolate Bars. This dream is to be fully realized come the summer of 2012 at www.puurchocolat.com

The event benefits one of the most amazing organizations in the world. will receive the net proceeds for this amazing chocolate and pastry show.