Ralph Brennan Hires Inn at Little Washington Alum as Corporate Pastry Chef

A few months ago, pastry chef Brett Gauthier quietly signed on with the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group to serve as the corporate pastry chef leading the dessert programs at all of the group's restaurants. Gauthier comes to New Orleans after two and a half years at the Inn at Little Washington, a pretty darn well-regarded inn and restaurant in Washington, Virginia, west of Washington, DC. While he's not a New Orleanian by birth, Gauthier told Eater this afternoon that he wanted to come down to New Orleans because he has family nearby, in Long Beach, Mississippi.

Prior to Gauthier, the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group?which includes Ralph's on the Park (pictured above), Heritage Grill, Café B, Red Fish Grill, Café NOMA and Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen at Disneyland?did not had a corporate pastry chef, but rather had a distinct dessert program for each restaurant. A Ralph Brennan rep told Eater that Gauthier is making a few desserts that will be signature items across the group, while also making separate menus for the different restaurants. [EaterWire]

· The Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group [Official Site]