One of Our Renowned 2016 Chefs

Lecturing Instructor—Baking and Pastry Arts
The Culinary Institute of America

Chef WalnockMelissa Walnock is a lecturing instructor of baking and pastry arts at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). Chef Walnock serves as pastry chef and instructor in the college’s Apple Pie Bakery Café, an award-winning retail operation staffed by students in the CIA’s baking and pastry degree programs. Her class, titled Café Operations, provides students with realistic “hands-on” industry experience using their professional baking, pastry, and service skills.

Chef Walnock earned her bachelor’s degree in baking and pastry arts management from the CIA in 2001. A Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE), she has been the pastry chef in the American Bounty Restaurant on campus and taught the freshman-level Baking and Pastry Techniques course since returning to her alma mater as a faculty member in 2011.

Before joining the CIA faculty, Chef Walnock worked at some of the finest restaurants in the United States. She was pastry chef at Nicholas in Red Bank, NJ and Tabla in New York City; pastry chef de partie at The French Laundry in Yountville, CA; pastry sous chef at Jean-Georges V Steakhouse and head of production at Jean-Georges in NYC; and pastry cook at Union Square Café in New York City and The Breakers in Palm Beach, FL.