News & Events

Chef Loic Laffargue Named Western Regional Pastry Chef of the Year 2008

         In a dessert competition earlier this month, Executive Pastry Chef Loic Laffargue was named the Western Regional Pastry Chef of the Year by the American Federation of Chefs.

         Chef Loic captured the award in a one-hour dessert competition at the ACF Western Regional Conference in Salt Lake City on April 19.  He now qualifies to compete against three other AFC regional champions at their National Convention in Las Vegas in July.

         Chef Loic’s creation was a passion fruit vanilla-griottine tea cake with a Grand Marnier compote. During the one-hour hot dessert showdown, he was judged on organization, cooking skills, culinary techniques and flavor of the dessert. The panel of four judges was selected following a rigorous screening process by the ACF’s Culinary Competition Committee.

“I am so proud of Chef Loic,” said Dean Thomas, executive chef at Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino. “He is tremendously talented and his dedication to creating pastry masterpieces; inspires everyone in the kitchen. We will continue to cheer him on as he prepares to compete at the ACF’s National Convention.”