Angela Cicala

Coming Up

Pastry work in Angela Cicala’s career has been built through kitchens where timing, control, and a clear point of view matter as much as the finished dessert. Early on, she worked as Pastry Chef with Chef Michel Gras in Cape May, New Jersey, a post that would have demanded the kind of exacting pace and steady hand the station requires. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she continued as Pastry Chef at Le Virtu, then as Pastry Chef at Vernick Food and Drink in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She later served as Pastry Chef at The Waterworks in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, adding another step in a path marked by progression and consistency. Today, Angela is Pastry Chef and owner of Cicala Restaurant, where the operational side of ownership sits alongside the pastry work itself.

Where They Are Now

At Cicala Restaurant in Philadelphia, pastry carries an Italian-leaning register shaped by restraint and precision. As Pastry Chef and owner, Angela Cicala works in a mode that favors clarity over excess, with desserts that are meant to land cleanly rather than loudly. Her own line, “Our cure to spring fever is always Italy,” points to the seasonality and mood behind that approach: a pastry language that reaches for brightness, memory, and appetite without overstatement.

Career - Pastry Chef and Owner — Cicala Restaurant, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Pastry Chef — work with Chef Michel Gras, Cape May, New Jersey - Pastry Chef — Le Virtu, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Pastry Chef — Vernick Food and Drink, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Pastry Chef — The Waterworks, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Signature

Angela’s signature dishes — ndunderi a limone, biscotti alle mandorle, pici al fumo, and Florentine zuccotto — map the range of her pastry and Italian-influenced dessert sensibility. The list moves between citrus, almond, smoke, and a classic layered sweet, showing a hand that works across texture and tone while staying within a recognizable tradition. Read together, the dishes suggest a style built on familiarity handled with care, where each name carries its own regional weight before the plate ever arrives.

In Their Words “Our cure to spring fever is always Italy.” The quote frames Angela Cicala’s pastry practice in plain terms: Italy is not decoration, but a working reference point. It also signals how her desserts are used — not just to finish a meal, but to adjust the temperature of it.

Honors

James Beard Semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef (2022) is the recognition attached to Angela Cicala’s work, and it fits a profile defined by control, specificity, and a clear signature. The distinction marks pastry done with enough precision to register beyond the room, while still leaving space for imagination and point of view.

FAQ What is Angela Cicala's current role? As of 2026, Angela Cicala is Pastry Chef and Owner. Where did Angela Cicala work before? Angela Cicala's earlier career included work with Chef Michel Gras, Le Virtu, and Vernick Food and Drink. What recognition has Angela Cicala received? James Beard Semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef (2022).