Accessibility Statement Skip Navigation
  • Why PRWeb
  • How It Works
  • Who Uses It
  • Pricing
  • Login
  • GDPR
  • Create a Free Account
Return to PRWeb homepage
  • News
  • Resources
  • Contact
When typing in this field, a list of search results will appear and be automatically updated as you type.

Searching for your content...

No results found. Please change your search terms and try again.
  • News in Focus
      • Browse News Releases

      • All News Releases
      • Multimedia Gallery

      • All Multimedia
      • All Photos
      • All Videos
  • Business & Money
      • Auto & Transportation

      • Aerospace, Defense
      • Air Freight
      • Airlines & Aviation
      • Automotive
      • Maritime & Shipbuilding
      • Railroads and Intermodal Transportation
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Transportation, Trucking & Railroad
      • Travel
      • Trucking and Road Transportation
      • View All Auto & Transportation

      • Business Technology

      • Blockchain
      • Broadcast Tech
      • Computer & Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Components
      • Electronic Design Automation
      • Financial Technology
      • High Tech Security
      • Internet Technology
      • Nanotechnology
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Semiconductors
      • View All Business Technology

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Financial Services & Investing

      • Accounting News & Issues
      • Acquisitions, Mergers and Takeovers
      • Banking & Financial Services
      • Bankruptcy
      • Bond & Stock Ratings
      • Conference Call Announcements
      • Contracts
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Dividends
      • Earnings
      • Earnings Forecasts & Projections
      • Financing Agreements
      • Insurance
      • Investments Opinions
      • Joint Ventures
      • Mutual Funds
      • Private Placement
      • Real Estate
      • Restructuring & Recapitalization
      • Sales Reports
      • Shareholder Activism
      • Shareholder Meetings
      • Stock Offering
      • Stock Split
      • Venture Capital
      • View All Financial Services & Investing

      • General Business

      • Awards
      • Commercial Real Estate
      • Corporate Expansion
      • Earnings
      • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
      • Human Resource & Workforce Management
      • Licensing
      • New Products & Services
      • Obituaries
      • Outsourcing Businesses
      • Overseas Real Estate (non-US)
      • Personnel Announcements
      • Real Estate Transactions
      • Residential Real Estate
      • Small Business Services
      • Socially Responsible Investing
      • Surveys, Polls and Research
      • Trade Show News
      • View All General Business

  • Science & Tech
      • Consumer Technology

      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Blockchain
      • Cloud Computing/Internet of Things
      • Computer Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Consumer Electronics
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Gaming
      • Financial Technology
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Multimedia & Internet
      • Peripherals
      • Social Media
      • STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math)
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Consumer Technology

      • Energy & Natural Resources

      • Alternative Energies
      • Chemical
      • Electrical Utilities
      • Gas
      • General Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Oil & Energy
      • Oil and Gas Discoveries
      • Utilities
      • Water Utilities
      • View All Energy & Natural Resources

      • Environ­ment

      • Conservation & Recycling
      • Environmental Issues
      • Environmental Policy
      • Environmental Products & Services
      • Green Technology
      • Natural Disasters
      • View All Environ­ment

      • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Aerospace & Defense
      • Agriculture
      • Chemical
      • Construction & Building
      • General Manufacturing
      • HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning)
      • Machinery
      • Machine Tools, Metalworking and Metallurgy
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Paper, Forest Products & Containers
      • Precious Metals
      • Textiles
      • Tobacco
      • View All Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Telecomm­unications

      • Carriers and Services
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Telecommunications Equipment
      • Telecommunications Industry
      • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Telecomm­unications

  • Lifestyle & Health
      • Consumer Products & Retail

      • Animals & Pets
      • Beers, Wines and Spirits
      • Beverages
      • Bridal Services
      • Cannabis
      • Cosmetics and Personal Care
      • Fashion
      • Food & Beverages
      • Furniture and Furnishings
      • Home Improvement
      • Household, Consumer & Cosmetics
      • Household Products
      • Jewelry
      • Non-Alcoholic Beverages
      • Office Products
      • Organic Food
      • Product Recalls
      • Restaurants
      • Retail
      • Supermarkets
      • Toys
      • View All Consumer Products & Retail

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Health

      • Biometrics
      • Biotechnology
      • Clinical Trials & Medical Discoveries
      • Dentistry
      • FDA Approval
      • Fitness/Wellness
      • Health Care & Hospitals
      • Health Insurance
      • Infection Control
      • International Medical Approval
      • Medical Equipment
      • Medical Pharmaceuticals
      • Mental Health
      • Pharmaceuticals
      • Supplementary Medicine
      • View All Health

      • Sports

      • General Sports
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Sporting Events
      • Sports Equipment & Accessories
      • View All Sports

      • Travel

      • Amusement Parks and Tourist Attractions
      • Gambling & Casinos
      • Hotels and Resorts
      • Leisure & Tourism
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Passenger Aviation
      • Travel Industry
      • View All Travel

  • Policy & Public Interest
      • Policy & Public Interest

      • Advocacy Group Opinion
      • Animal Welfare
      • Congressional & Presidential Campaigns
      • Corporate Social Responsibility
      • Domestic Policy
      • Economic News, Trends, Analysis
      • Education
      • Environmental
      • European Government
      • FDA Approval
      • Federal and State Legislation
      • Federal Executive Branch & Agency
      • Foreign Policy & International Affairs
      • Homeland Security
      • Labor & Union
      • Legal Issues
      • Natural Disasters
      • Not For Profit
      • Patent Law
      • Public Safety
      • Trade Policy
      • U.S. State Policy
      • View All Policy & Public Interest

  • People & Culture
      • People & Culture

      • Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American
      • African American
      • Asian American
      • Children
      • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
      • Hispanic
      • Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual
      • Men's Interest
      • People with Disabilities
      • Religion
      • Senior Citizens
      • Veterans
      • Women
      • View All People & Culture

  • Hamburger menu
  • Cision PRWeb provides efficient communication tools to continuously engage with target audiences across multiple online channels
  • Create a Free Account
    • ALL CONTACT INFO
    • Contact Us


      11AM ET Sunday – 8PM ET Friday

  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • News in Focus
    • Browse All News
    • Multimedia Gallery
  • Business & Money
    • Auto & Transportation
    • Business Technology
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Financial Services & Investing
    • General Business
  • Science & Tech
    • Consumer Technology
    • Energy & Natural Resources
    • Environ­ment
    • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing
    • Telecomm­unications
  • Lifestyle & Health
    • Consumer Products & Retail
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Health
    • Sports
    • Travel
  • Policy & Public Interest
  • People & Culture
    • People & Culture
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR

New Pastry Chef Appointed at the Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center
  • USA - English


News provided by

Grimaldi Public Relations

Nov 02, 2015, 06:00 ET

Share this article

Share toX

Share this article

Share toX


Oak Brook, IL (PRWEB) November 02, 2015 -- The Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center has announced the appointment of Erica Tomei as Pastry Chef. In her new role, Tomei will head dessert and bakery operations for the resort’s catering functions, restaurant outlets and retail shops. The winner of the American Culinary Federation’s 2014 wedding cake competition makes Oak Brook Hills a one-stop-shop for house-made wedding cakes, pastries and other baked specialties, something few hotel kitchens can offer.    

I’m trying to create a story through each recipe.

Post this

“For me, Erica completes the equation,” said Executive Chef Sean Patrick Curry, who recruited Tomei from her post at the Chicago Marriott Naperville, where the two previously worked together. “Whether it’s a business luncheon or a dinner banquet, I want our guests to have a full restaurant experience. The pastry chef rounds out that vision. It’s no longer me telling perspective clients let me see if I can [outsource] something – it’s ‘yes, tell me what you want’!”

Tomei’s style goes hand-in-hand with Curry. Her creations play off his modern farm cuisine, utilizing seasonal ingredients that are sourced locally. According to Curry, Tomei’s unique ability for flavor profiling is evident in her beautifully balanced desserts. “She is not afraid to think outside the box, to mix a little sweet and savory.” Tomei’s gift for combining flavors to create something truly special also translates to the ethnic market. For example, she adds mango to a mousse-filled wedding cake to appeal to the South East Asian culture, which believes mango is the fruit of the gods.

“I never tell a client no to a design,” said Tomei. “My role model in the pastry world is Elizabeth Falkner, who dares to be different by looking at her cakes as an art form. Likewise, I put me into every individually-sculpted dish. I’m trying to create a story through each recipe so that when people taste my dessert, they know it’s one of mine!”

Tomei brings a variety of signatures to Oak Brook Hills, such as her renowned honey-infused concepts that incorporate fresh honey harvested from beehives located on hotel grounds. Her honey wedding cake, honey truffle, and honey scone have all received notoriety, including a feature write-up in Modern Brides magazine. Above the individual assets Tomei brings to the table, she gives the resort an in-house scratch bakery that can be promoted across several business segments, from the [planned] patisserie retail outlet to the weekly wedding reception.

The Chicago native describes her style as modern classic. “Simply put, I take classic desserts and find ways to distinctively reinvent them with a contemporary twist,” described Tomei. One such way is through the cultivating of yeast. For the last six months, Tomei has been nurturing her own yeast strain through a dough starter at home. After it continues to naturally grow, she will eventually use the starter as the base for Oak Brook Hills’ new artisan bread. Tomei and Curry have plans to ramp up hotel retail in 2016 with the launch of a patisserie that showcases all of Tomei’s pastry specialties, from her award-winning honey cake to her original artisan bread. The patisserie will be open for business to hotel guests as well as the outside public (via walk-in or call-in order).

About Tomei’s Background:
Tomei’s talents and experience run deep. She started in the industry 14 years ago at a small gourmet catering shop in the western suburbs of Chicago. After four years of learning on the job, Tomei decided to go to culinary school at Kendall College to achieve her degree in baking and pastry. During her time in culinary school, Tomei obtained an internship at the Marriott Michigan Avenue, and worked within Marriott branded hotels for the next nine years. After being at the Marriott Michigan Avenue property for four years, Tomei hungered for a new challenge and jumped at the opportunity to open the new JW Marriott Chicago, a $20 million F&B operation. A little over a year later, she was sought out by Executive Chef Sean Patrick Curry to be the first Pastry Chef at the Chicago Marriott Naperville. Knowing the job would be challenging, Tomei accepted and built a prosperous pastry department in the three years she was there. Tomei now reunites with Chef Curry for another exciting culinary adventure. “We’re going to build the western suburb’s most successful pastry department at Oak Brook Hills,” she proudly asserted.

Tomei has had numerous recent awards and achievements, including:

  • 2012: 1 of 20 competitors in the international three-day pastry competition hosted by starchefs.com in New York City.
  • 2013: 1st place in the celebration cakes category in Iowa through the ACF (American Culinary Federation)
  • 2014: 1st place in the wedding cakes category in Iowa through the ACF
  • 2014: 1st place in the showpieces category in Iowa through ACF

About the Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center:
Just west of downtown Chicago and nestled into the quiet suburb of Oak Brook, Illinois, Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center (3500 Midwest Road, Oak Brook, IL 60523) is a preferred destination for getaways, golf trips, family vacations, weddings and business events. With over 42,500 square feet of IACC certified meetings and event space, the hotel is an ideal venue for business meetings, conferences, retreats, banquets and social functions. The 348 rooms and 38 suites are complemented by extensive and flexible event space including a tented outdoor pavilion, exercise facilities, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, numerous dining options, and the award-winning Willow Crest Golf Club. The property is managed by Westmont-based Portfolio Hotels & Resorts. Visit http://www.oakbrookhillsresortchicago.com/ for reservations or more information, or call the hotel direct at 1-630.850.5555.

Media Contact:
Jody Grimaldi
630.470.0044
Jody(dot)Grimaldi(at)gmail(dot)com

Jody Grimaldi, Grimaldi Public Relations, +1 (630) 470-0044, [email protected]

Modal title

Contact PRWeb

  • 11AM ET Sunday – 8PM ET Friday
  • Contact Us

About PRWeb

  • About PRWeb
  • Partners
  • Partnership Programs
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Resources

Why PRWeb

  • Why PRWeb
  • How It Works
  • Who Uses It
  • Pricing

Accounts

  • Create a Free Account
  • Log in
  • Contact Us

Do not sell or share my personal information:

  • Submit via [email protected] 
  • Call Privacy toll-free: 877-297-8921

Contact Cision

Products

About

My Services
  • All News Releases
  • Online Member Center
  • ProfNet
Cision Distribution Helpline
888-776-0942
  • Legal
  • Site Map
  • RSS
  • Cookie Settings
Copyright © 2025 Cision US Inc.