In Jack Revelle’s case, you can say, “Some people have all the luck.” At least, some pastry chefs do. The pastry chef extraordinaire at Capitol Hill’s overtly all-American eatery, Ted’s Bulletin, Revelle has not only been a recipe tester and consultant for D.C.’s megachef, Michel Richard of Citronelle, but also has been a pastry chef/contractor for the kitchens of the White House. Gulp.

Daunting and high-end as that all is, Revelle says his beginnings were more common. A native of Annapolis, Revelle graduated from Gettysburg College with a degree in philosophy. Despite taking a job at the Baltimore International College and talking to chefs there, he never dreamed his life would shift into overdrive.