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Nicholas Pine Named Pastry Chef at Celebrated 2941 Restaurant in Falls Church, VA

April 5, 2018

From Rockville, MD to DC’s Celebrated Chocolate-centric Co Co. Sala, to Joël Robuchon and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas, Pine Returns to the DC Area Ready to Revitalize 2941’s Pastry Program

(FALLS CHURCH, VA) – Celebrated modern American restaurant 2941 in Falls Church, VA is thrilled to announce the appointment of Nicholas Pine as their new Pastry Chef. A native of Rockville, MD, 27 year-old Pine returns to the DC area with almost a decade of experience having worked for celebrated pastry programs including Co Co. Sala in Washington D.C. as the Assistant Pastry Chef, and most recently as a Pastry Sous Chef at both Joël Robuchon and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas. With his arrival at 2941, Pine is ready to revitalize 2941’s long-celebrated pastry program creating playful and seasonally-charged desserts for the restaurants a la carte menu, tasting menu, special events/holiday menus, over-the-top sugar and chocolate sculptures of which will be on display in the restaurant throughout the year especially during the holidays, as well as customizable wedding and celebration cakes, just to name a few.

As a young child Pine recalls memories of spending countless hours baking alongside his mother in the kitchen. The dessert-loving duo both shared an affinity for all things pastry and from the very beginning Pine remembers her always being his biggest supporter and number one fan. For as long as Pine can remember, he has always loved chocolate - especially dark chocolate. He recounts flipping through the channels on TV one day and catching a glimpse of the world chocolate masters competition and being completely mesmerized by what he was witnessing on the competition. He couldn’t believe that working with chocolate in this way could turn into an actual career. 

Following high school, and like so many others, Pine headed off to college. It seemed that attending college was the obvious next step for him, but the experience didn’t quite click for him. He wasn’t passionate about anything he was learning so he made the decision to drop out after a couple semesters and immediately ended up discovering local culinary school L’academie de Cuisine of which was located within close proximity to his home in Rockville, MD. Pine remembers taking a tour, watching the classes, and the feeling of excitement as he thought about the prospects of becoming a pastry chef. Pine immediately enrolled in L’Academie de Cuisine for Pastry Arts.

Following his graduation at L’Academie de Cuisine, Pine worked his way up the ranks under world-class Pastry Chef Santosh Tiptur starting out as a chocolatier’s assistant at Co Co. Sala in Washington D.C., then was quickly promoted to Assistant Pastry Chef before deciding to make the big move to Las Vegas to further his career in the culinary arts. In Las Vegas Pine worked as a Pastry Sous Chef at Joël Robuchon and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon under Salvatore Martone. Here he had the opportunity to experience working at both restaurants each of which are extremely unique. Pine stated that L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon was a much faster paced and modern experience as compared to its more traditional and elegant culinary sibling Joël Robuchon. While Pine’s experiences at Co Co. Sala in Washington D.C. seemed to teach him everything he needed to know about chocolate, it was his experiences at Joël Robuchon that opened up his mind to what pastry really could be and brought his mindset to a whole new level.

“I’m extremely excited to join the talented team at 2941, especially world-class French Executive Chef Bertrand Chemel”, said Pastry Chef Nicholas Pine of 2941. “Here I’ll have the opportunity to contribute a diverse assortment of creative pastry components for the celebrated restaurants dessert menus, a wide variety of custom confections for their private dining functions, as well as for couples looking for the perfect wedding cakes and treats, or guests looking to celebrate something special in their lives be it a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or other major milestones. In addition, I’ll have the opportunity to also create playful complimentary confections for guests to enjoy after their meals with us, and over-the-top chocolate and sugar sculptures and large-scale displays for the holidays. This is my opportunity to truly push the boundaries and utilize my experiences over the past few years, and I'm ready to show the DC area what I can do.”

At 2941, Pine will look to incorporate as many fresh and seasonal ingredients as possible – especially ingredients that are locally sourced. Pine’s first dessert menu to debut at 2941 highlights confections ranging from decadent chocolate creations, desserts fusing a variety of techniques, textures,and temperatures, vegan and gluten free dessert options so that all are invited to indulge, and guests will also almost always notice a few frozen components in Pine’s desserts – a touch of fresh house-made ice cream or sorbet - especially as we head into the warmer spring and summer months.

With the recent arrival of spring, Pine also has plans to launch his new spring dessert menu this April.

DESSERT MENU

"Never Say Never"

$12

Chocolate Sphere

Paris tea namelaka, white chocolate ice cream, dark chocolate crémeux

Raindrop

lemongrass gelée, coconut sorbet, black sesame, lychee

(vegan & gluten free dessert option)  

  Banana & Caramel  

spiced caramel ice cream, banana diplomat, speculos crumble, chocolate crèmeux

Passion Fruit  

mango mousse, hazelnut sponge cake, praline ice cream

Apple Cheesecake

ricotta cheesecake mousse, apple sorbet, apple compote

Housemade Ice Cream & Sorbet

$3 per scoop

Cheese Plate

Daily selection of cheeses (3 or 5 cheeses) 18/26

Pastry Chef Nicholas Pine on Instagram: @Nick.Pine

 

ABOUT 2941 RESTAURANT  Opened in 2002, 2941 – located in Falls Church, VA surrounded by lush landscaping, koi ponds, waterfalls, world-class artwork, and a lakeside view, is one of the most celebrated restaurants in the metropolitan area.  Following its transition from a special occasion fine dining restaurant to a bustling upscale casual dining experience in 2012, award-winning Executive Chef Bertrand Chemel and Pastry Chef Nicholas Pine infuse sweet and savory perfection into their contemporary American cuisine accented with bold French and Mediterranean flavors. 2941 continues to charm gourmands with its sophisticated yet relaxed ambiance, outstanding service, and creative yet approachable cuisine. For additional information on 2941, please visit www.2941.com or @2941Restaurant.

*** Additional Information, Images, & Interviews Available Upon Request ***

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