When it comes to pastry, Mindy Segal is right at home. With 20 years of crafting sweets under her belt, Segal combines her innate instinct for flavor combinations with her commitment to seasonal, local, and sustainable products. The result is desserts that are truly American; each creation is rooted in time-honored nostalgia, executed with a focus on quality, and innovative from just the right touch of contemporary twist.

Chef Segal has clocked time at some of the most esteemed kitchens in the country. After earning her culinary degree at Chicago’s Kendall College, Segal landed the pastry assistant post at Ambria working under Chef Judy Contino, whom Segal credits as her biggest influence. She then moved on to refine her craft in the iconic kitchens of Spago, Gordon, and Charlie Trotter’s, before eventually helping Chef Michael Kornick launch his successful River North eatery, mk the restaurant. As mk’s head pastry chef, Segal developed a loyal following for her desserts like One Banana Two Banana and Cake-n-Shake, while earning numerous accolades from local and national media.

Segal opened her solo venture, HotChocolate, in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago in 2005. The restaurant/dessert bar is the culmination of her life in the culinary world. The menu is a marriage of fresh, clever and classic dishes and is always flavor-driven. HotChocolate has received stars and accolades from the start, including three stars from the Chicago Tribune’s Phil Vittel and has been voted Best Dessert in Chicago by Citysearch and the Chicago Reader.

In addition to Segal’s many accomplishments, she was named a StarChefs.com Rising Star in 2005 and won the Jean Banchet award for Best Celebrity Pastry Chef in Chicago, Chicago Magazine’s Pastry Chef of the Year, and James Beard award nominations for Outstanding Pastry Chef in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. She was also awarded Share Our Strength’s 2009 Chef of the Year for her dedication to Taste of the Nation.