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 Pastry Chef Mark Sopchak
has been with the Central Park Boathouse since 2002. He
spent several years living in Yemen as a child, and
traveling around Europe and the Middle East, taking in
all the sights, sounds, and tastes that would influence
his cooking later. Having no formal culinary training,
he received his degree in Music Composition from The
Evergreen State College in his home of Olympia,
Washington.
Originally moving to New
York City in 1996 to pursue a career in music, he ended
up finding his way into the restaurant world as a line
cook, and soon after began to take an interest in
pastry. After working as an assistant to both Sara
Spearin and Jennifer McClintick at Zoë, as well as Kim
Rothrock at Fressen, he went on to become the pastry
chef at several restaurants, including Quince, Zoë,
Lure, and Aquavit, before coming to the Boathouse.
Mark's desserts always
focus on flavor first, never overly sweet, making use of
fresh seasonal ingredients, and simple yet elegant
presentations. You may notice unusual ingredients in
some desserts, such as the tarragon-infused crème
anglaise accompanying the Warm Chocolate-Raspberry Cake,
or the hint of lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves in the
Strawberry Soup with Frozen Passionfruit Soufflé. Be
sure to try his desserts at the Boathouse, and also
listen for his music at dance performances around the
city.
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