Heather Bertinetti

Heather Bertinetti is the talented young pastry chef of Manhattan’s acclaimed Italian restaurants Alto and Convivio.   Bertinetti was drawn to baking at a young age: her entire family would gather at her grandmother’s house each week for Macaroni Sundays, where everyone would feast on a big Italian meal replete with homemade sauces, Italian cheeses and meats and breads.  Bertinetti wanted to be involved in the meal and found her niche through desserts: The family always finished the meal with store-bought cookies and cakes. 

At the age of five, she lit her Easy Bake Oven and started churning out cookies for the family meals.  Her mother realized her passion and bought her Mrs. Fields Best Cookie Book Ever, which Bertinetti happily baked her way through, much to her family’s delight.

In high school, she worked as a pastry apprentice at La Petite Patisserie, a French pastry shop in Dumont, New Jersey. It was the owner of the shop who guided Bertinetti toward the Culinary Institute of America and encouraged her to pursue an education and career in the world of sweets.  After graduating the CIA, Bertinetti began her career working with Michelle Antonishek, one of Claudia Fleming’s disciples, at Gramercy Tavern.  Under Antonishek (and then Fleming)’s tutelage, Bertinetti learned how to efficiently procure desserts during busy lunch and dinner services, keeping an eye on speed while paying close attention to quality and presentation.  After two years, she moved uptown to join the team at Per Se, where she refined her skill set by working with Sébastien Rouxel to learn the language of intricate, complex desserts. 

After two years, Bertinetti joined the team at Alto worked alongside Debra Snyder before being promoted to Pastry Chef.  As Pastry Chef of Alto and Convivio, she works closely with Chef White to make sure her desserts reflect the soul of each restaurant.  Bertinetti’s passion is Italian flavors such as strong espresso, rich dark chocolate, bright citrus and sweet, fresh fruit and she applies these flavors to classic Italian desserts including bomboloni, tartaleta, torta and panna cotta to create elegant but straightforward dishes that complement White’s cuisine.  
 
Bertinetti’s desserts have been lauded by New York, Time Out New York, The New York Observer and The New York Daily News and she has been featured on WOR Food Talk with Mike Colameco.