Chef Kevin Sbraga has announced that Chef Monica Glass will be joining him in the kitchen as his new executive pastry chef. Chef Glass’s impressive background at many renowned restaurants—including Le Bernardin, 10 Arts Bistro & Lounge, Gotham Bar and Grill and, most recently, Clio and Uni—is the perfect match to Chef Sbraga’s “no boundaries” approach to cooking.
A Pennsylvania native and enthusiast of fresh markets and excursions to Chinatown, Chef Glass constantly searches for unusual ingredients to take center stage in her dessert creations. It was her ability to think on her feet and go beyond the ordinary that interested Chef Sbraga. Glass will lead the pastry program and the extensive bread program at the Sbraga Dining restaurants, applying her expertise to encompass gluten-free bread and dessert options.
Diagnosed with celiac disease halfway through her career, Glass embraced the challenge of gluten-free cuisine and began to experiment with gluten-free pastry and breads. “The focus on gluten-free is not a trend that will one day disappear, so it’s important for us to find new ways to grow and adapt,” she noted. “My goal is to make the gluten-free options taste just as delicious as the ‘real thing,’ and not single out one dessert. Even with dietary restrictions, guests should feel welcome and a part of the conversation regardless of what they are choosing to eat.”
“Monica has talent, creativity and personality,” said Sbraga. “She is a unique thinker, both when it comes to bucking the stigma of the term gluten-free and when it comes to the flavors and techniques she applies to the pastry program. We heard she was making the move to Philadelphia, and with all the incredible restaurants here right now, we are honored she chose to come work with us.” Dishes on Glass’s debut dessert menu at Kevin’s namesake restaurant, Sbraga, will include:
Chocolate “Crème”
caramelized coconut, fermented banana, banana sorbet
Honeysuckle Parfait
cucumber sherbet, buckwheat, rhubarb
Local Strawberries
chamomile, poppyseed, bee pollen
Sbraga is located at 440 S. Broad St., Philadelphia; phone: (215) 735-1913. Other Sbraga Dining locations include The Fat Ham, 3131 Walnut St., Philadelphia, phone: (215) 735-1914; and Juniper Commons, 521 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, phone: (267) 417-5210.
- Photo: Courtesy Monica Glass
