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Elise Mensing
James Beard Award winner
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Elise Mensing has built her reputation at Brasserie by Niche in St. Louis through pastry that moves cleanly between classical French desserts and fresh interpretations. The work is precise without reading severe, composed without losing warmth, and shaped by a view of pastry she has described as an art form—one that reaches beyond taste alone and works through texture, aroma, and appearance as much as through the palate.
Coming Up
At Knox College, the foundation of Elise Mensing’s pastry career took shape with discipline and purpose. That early training reads later in the steadiness of kitchen rhythm and the measured hand behind a refined finish. Now Pastry Chef of Brasserie by Niche, she brings that same training into a contemporary framework, carrying the rigor of her education into the desserts she oversees.
Where They Are Now
Today, Mensing is Pastry Chef at Brasserie by Niche in St. Louis, Missouri. In that role, she continues to work in the idiom she prefers most: classic French desserts, developed through new interpretations. She has said, “I enjoy the mix of recreating classic French desserts and coming up with new interpretations of these classics.” That balance sits at the center of the work, with tradition treated as a starting point rather than a fixed endpoint. Her perspective on pastry is broad in scope. Mensing has said, “What has always attracted me to cooking, more specifically pastry, is what a multi-sensory experience it is.” In another reflection on the field, she added, “I think the culinary arts are truly an art, and probably one of the more all-encompassing ones.” Those ideas help explain the structure of her desserts, which are built to do more than deliver sweetness: temperature, contrast, structure, and visual clarity all carry weight.
Signature
Elise's signature dishes include London fog crème brûlée, Banana Clafoutis, Chocolate-pear cake, Almond semifreddo, and strawberry shortcake. Together, they point to a pastry language that stays familiar while paying attention to detail: a brûlée with aromatic depth, a clafoutis with fruit-led softness, a cake that brings chocolate and pear into balance, a semifreddo with cool precision, and strawberry shortcake presented with enough clarity to make a classic feel newly considered.
In Their Words “I enjoy the mix of recreating classic French desserts and coming up with new interpretations of these classics.” “I think the culinary arts are truly an art, and probably one of the more all-encompassing ones.”
Honors
Elise's honors include James Beard Foundation Best Pastry Chef semifinalist.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Elise
What is Elise Mensing's current role?
As of 2026, Elise Mensing is Pastry Chef.
Where did Elise Mensing train or study?
Elise Mensing trained at Knox College.
What recognition has Elise Mensing received?
James Beard Foundation Best Pastry Chef semifinalist (2022).
