Goldian is the pastry chef for Willard InterContinental Hotel, known for its hospitality, but also for its tasty edibles and afternoon tea in Peacock Alley. Is this your busiest time of year? This is one of the busier times. With our proximity to the White House, we also tend to be very busy during large political events. Is there a typical personality for pastry chefs? They seem to all be a little high-strung on “Top Chef: Just Desserts.”
Don’t judge by “Top Chef.” I personally think it wasn’t an accurate presentation of a personality of a pastry chef. … You have your restaurant pastry chef, hotel pastry chef, bakery pastry chef. It takes a lot of different personalities to work in these different environments. But, yes, we all have to be a little bit crazy sometimes!
How did you become a pastry chef? I got a degree in political science. It was time for my first job and I couldn’t get excited about [the prospects out there]. So I took a job making cinnamon buns in the mall. And I loved it. As soon as I started, I knew this is what I wanted to do.
What’s your favorite thing to make? Wedding cakes. They’re very personal to me. I get to sit down and meet with the bride, find out what she wants and put my interpretation on it. You put your heart and soul into it, and it makes their day a little more special.
Any memorable disasters — collapsing cakes, breaking spun sugar? Thankfully, no. No real disasters. I’ve never had a cake fall over. Sometimes you have glitches, but you’re able to work around them.
What’s your last-meal dessert? Warm bread pudding with ice cream.
If you could eat at any restaurant, where would you go? I’d love to go to El Bulli in Spain. That is the meal of a lifetime. It’s cutting-edge molecular gastronomy — a meal full of surprises. – Scott McCabe
Scott McCabe
