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Tova du Plessis
James Beard Award winner
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
James Beard Award semi-finalist for Outstanding Baker, Tova du Plessis founded Essen Bakery in Philadelphia in 2016 and built it around Jewish breads and sweets as a working center of the menu. At Essen, challah, rye bread, babkas, and daily sandwich and toast specials sit in the same frame: bread, pastry, and savory baking in one register, shaped by Jewish and Mediterranean traditions rather than separated from them. The result is a bakery with a clear point of view, where the through-line is technique applied to everyday use.
The Climb
Before Essen Bakery became the main expression of her work, Tova du Plessis passed through kitchens that sharpened the technical side of the craft. At the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, the foundations of pastry and kitchen discipline were set in place. From there, she moved to The Restaurant at Meadowood in Yountville as extern, then to Zahav in Philadelphia as line cook, a sequence that connected fine-dining precision with the pace of service. That progression continued at Citron & Rose, where she worked as sous chef, and then at Avance, where she served as pastry chef until 2014. By the time she became executive pastry chef at The Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia, she had built a layered understanding of pastry as structure, timing, and signature. That background later found a more direct form at Essen Bakery, founded in 2016, where the emphasis shifted from formality toward the clarity of breads and sweets.
Today
Since 2016, Tova has served as founder of Essen Bakery in Philadelphia, and the shop remains a compact expression of that training. The menu centers traditional Jewish pastries and sweets, but it does not stop there. Daily sandwich and toast specials bring in Jewish and Mediterranean traditions, giving the bakery a rhythm that carries through the day. The same approach runs across the counter: the logic that shapes a loaf or babka also carries into the savory side, keeping the menu unified. Essen treats baking as both daily work and cultural memory, with bread functioning as the anchor.
Signature
Tova's signature dishes include Chocolate Rugelach, classic black & white cookies, and Chocolate Halva Babka. Each one works from the same base: familiar forms, handled with attention to contrast, texture, and richness. The result is a menu that keeps tradition legible while giving each item enough precision to stand on its own.
Recognition
Tova's honors include James Beard Award semi-finalist for Outstanding Baker, a recognition that places her work in a national field of baking defined by restraint, control, and exacting execution.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Tova
Where did Tova du Plessis train or study?
Tova du Plessis trained at Culinary Institute of America at Greystone.
What recognition has Tova du Plessis received?
James Beard Award semi-finalist for Outstanding Baker.
