This month Pastry Chef Patrick Fahy joined Sofitel Chicago Water Tower's team at the Café des Architectes. Chef Fahy will oversee all aspects of the hotel's pastry program, including the execution of Café des Architectes' chocolate, mignardises, and amentity programs and the Sofitel's breakfast and brunch pastries. Chef Fahy's dessert menu at Café des Architectes will debut late this summer, just in time for the stone fruit season.

Chef Fahy "keeps what's available, only sticking to what's in-season right now," when creating his menu. He desserts pair classic, French delicacies with modern flavors and unusual flavor pairings.

Along with in-season ingredients, Chef Fahy also plans to introduce ingredients from abroad, such as the cupuaçu fruit from Brazil, to his Chicago-based clientele. "Anyone in South America would know about this, but those in Chicago wouldn't," Chef Fahy explained.

Chef Fahy first attended culinary school in Italy, where he took a broad course in savory pastries and wine. Upon return to his hometown of Chicago, he completed a six-month program with the French Pastry School of Kennedy-King College. "Being able to learn from the best was all anyone could ask for. They didn't just teach me about pastries but about life too," Chef Fahy explained when asked to expand on this experience. He humorously added, "My only complaint is that I didn't walk out learning how to speak French!"

Following his time at Blackbird in Chicago, The French Laundry in Napa Valley, California, and the former Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton in Chicago, Chef Fahy joined the team at the Café des Architectes. "I've noticed that everyone gets along and works well together. We are more of a team, a family," Fahy said.