Everyone was sad to hear Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink’s longtime pastry chef Hedy Goldsmith was leaving the restaurant group to head out West to California. But now we know who is replacing her — one of Goldsmith’s apprentices, the talented Amy Kalinowski.
After graduating Johnson & Wales University she worked at various restaurants as a night plater and cake decorator until she found herself at Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink in 2008, where she honed her technical and practical skills and began developing recipes of her own.
Like Goldsmith, Kalinowski likes adding her touch to popular nostalgic desserts — “classic items with a twist,” as she describes them. New additions to the dessert menu include banana pudding, funnel cakes with bourbon ice cream, house-made Butterfinger bars and her personal favorite, the chocolate peanut butter cake.
“It’s simple, straight forward, I’m just trying to hit home with people and strike a chord with childhood items,” she adds.
Kalinowski says she likes to mix things up with the use of salt and alcoholic beverages in her desserts. A couple of good examples are creations like her beer sundae with toasted marshmallows and pretzels, and her new “boozy” milkshakes available during brunch.
Speaking of MGFD’s popular brunch, Kalinowski actually helped develop the popular Sweets section of the iconic brunch a few years back in 2009. But rest assured those classic dishes like the donuts, pop tarts and French toast, aren’t going anywhere.
“I’m trying to keep brunch kind of the same,” she notes. “People already like that stuff. The pop-tarts will never go away, I don’t think Michael would have it any other way.”
Kalinowski likes to constantly push to create something new, knowing that even the smallest details can make the most impact. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter @AmyPastryCakes and the sweets on @MGFD_MIA, especially at Sunday Brunch.
