Leigh Omilinsky

The Climb

Johnson & Wales University is the base from which Leigh Omilinsky built a pastry practice shaped by Chicago line work: Lead Pastry Cook at Tramonto’s Steak and Seafood in Chicago, Pastry Tournant at TRU in Chicago, and Chef de Partie at L2O in Chicago. The sequence matters. Each role asks for a different kind of control, and together they point to a cook who learned how to move between precision, pacing, and service without losing the structure of the pastry work. 2010 put Omilinsky into Sofitel Chicago Water Tower in Chicago as Assistant Pastry Chef, where consistency and refinement were part of the daily brief. By 2012, she had been promoted to Executive Pastry Chef at Sofitel Chicago Water Tower in Chicago, a move that marks command rather than adjustment. She later worked as Pastry Chef at Nico Osteria in Chicago before arriving at Daisies, where she has served since 2023 as Executive Pastry Chef and Partner.

Today

At Daisies, Omilinsky holds both Executive Pastry Chef and Partner, so the pastry program is not only hers to shape but part of the restaurant’s larger identity. That 2023 role sits on top of a career built through layered kitchen work, and the result is a practice rooted in repetition, trust, and the standards that come from moving up through demanding rooms. The pastry at Daisies is described as inventive and seasonal, and Omilinsky’s hand is visible in the way those ideas are kept in line. Globally refined techniques meet Midwestern ingredients, but the point is not display. Simplicity, depth of flavor, and team education form the working logic here, giving the program clarity without stripping away range.

Career - Executive Pastry Chef and Partner — Daisies, Chicago (2023–present) - lead pastry cook — Tramonto’s Steak and Seafood, Chicago - pastry tournant — TRU, Chicago - chef de partie — L2O, Chicago - assistant Pastry Chef — Sofitel Chicago Water Tower, Chicago (from 2010) - Executive Pastry Chef — Sofitel Chicago Water Tower, Chicago (from 2012) - Pastry Chef — Nico Osteria, Chicago Education: Johnson & Wales University

Signature

Leigh's signature dishes include Chocolate Torta, Orange-Olive Oil Cake, and Frozen Blueberry Marshmellow. Together, they show a pastry language that moves between richness, brightness, and texture without overworking any one note. The throughline is restraint: familiar forms, handled with enough precision to keep them clear, composed, and readable on the plate.

Recognition

Leigh Omilinsky has received Jean Banchet Award, Rising Star Pastry Chef (2013).

FAQ What is Leigh Omilinsky's current role? Leigh Omilinsky is Executive Pastry Chef and Partner at Daisies. Where did Leigh Omilinsky train or study? Leigh Omilinsky trained at Johnson & Wales University.