Other
Tariq Hanna
Pastry chef
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
He has described being 19 or 20, newly out of culinary school, and still in that unsettled stretch between training and direction. The work had not yet resolved into a clear path, and he said he was partly unfocused and dismayed by where it seemed to be heading. He also admitted to a certain arrogance about what he called “American” pastries, certain even then that the category could be pushed further. That mix of restlessness, confidence, and dissatisfaction became the force behind a career built on changing position without losing standards.
The Path
Tariq Hanna trained at Lawrence Technological University and Oakland Community College (culinary school), then entered the trade as a sandwich board worker at Sol's Deli in Southfield, Michigan. The start offered no ceremony, only the ordinary discipline of service work: timing, repetition, and consistency. From there, he moved into ownership at The Northville Gourmet in Northville, Michigan (1993–1999), a shift that showed both ambition and a firmer grasp of how he wanted to work. By the time he became the first casino Pastry Chef at MotorCity Casino in Detroit, Michigan (1999–2006), Hanna had already taken an unconventional route through the profession. Rather than following a fixed pastry-kitchen ladder, he built his skills through roles that required movement, adaptation, and self-direction. The result is a career marked by independence and a refusal to stay in one place once the work stopped offering enough challenge. From there, he brought his craft to New Orleans as Executive Pastry Chef and partner at Sucré in New Orleans, Louisiana (2007–2018), a position that matched the scale of his discipline and reach. In a city that reads desserts closely, Hanna found a setting suited to exacting technique and a broader range of expression. His years at Sucré remain the clearest statement of his work, where structure and invention could sit on the same plate.
The Work Today
From 2007 to 2018, he co-founded Sucré in New Orleans and served there as Executive Pastry Chef and partner. “I’m back to my original roots in cooking.” The line frames the work as return rather than departure: a chef coming back to the center of what first drew him in after moving through different kitchens, businesses, and cities. It reads as a plain acknowledgment, but it carries the weight of someone recognizing, after the fact, where the center of the practice has always been.
Signature
Tariq's signature dishes include Phantom Collection. The name suggests dessert work that is meant to read as composition, not just finish: a controlled construction with enough edge to hold attention beyond the last bite.
In Their Words “I was also a bit arrogant (fancy that) about what I saw as “American” pastries and thought that I could do better.” “I took a very unorthodox route, never working for another Pastry Chef and teaching myself as I went along.”
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Tariq
Where did Tariq Hanna train or study?
Tariq Hanna trained at Lawrence Technological University and Oakland Community College (culinary school).
