ACCLAIMED NYC PASTRY CHEF AMANDA PERDOMO RETURNS HOME TO NEW ORLEANS TO LEAD DESSERT PROGRAM AT DOLFY'S; NAMED ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES’ BEST RESTAURANTS OF 2026
Dominique Ansel alum & StarChefs Rising Star brings more than a decade of experience, passion for Southern ingredients and distinctive approach to pastry to the acclaimed Basque-inspired restaurant
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After a decade spent honing her craft in some of New York City's most respected kitchens, acclaimed pastry chef Amanda Perdomo has returned home to Louisiana, taking the helm of the pastry and bread programs at Dolfy's, Chef Adolfo Garcia Jr.'s Basque-inspired restaurant in Uptown New Orleans, which was recently named one of The New York Times Best Restaurants in America 2026. A 2023 StarChefs New York Rising Stars Award winner, Perdomo brings a deeply personal approach to pastry, combining refined technique, Spanish influences and a renewed connection to the Southern ingredients and agricultural traditions she grew up with. Though raised in the New Orleans area, the move marks her first time cooking professionally in her home state.
Perdomo began her pastry career at Dominique Ansel in 2015 before honing her skills in some of New York City's most respected kitchens, including Del Posto, Altro Paradiso and Flora Bar. She went on to lead pastry at Wildair and Contra before becoming the opening pastry chef and dessert consultant for Kellogg's Diner, where her strawberry pretzel salad earned a spot in Eater New York’s 2025 guide to the city’s best desserts, and later helping launch the pastry program at JR & Son. Most recently, she created Amanda's Good Morning Cafe, a Brooklyn residency at Strange Delight inspired by the Louisiana flavors and food memories of her childhood.
For Perdomo, the opportunity at Dolfy's represents both a professional milestone and a meaningful homecoming. After years spent developing her culinary identity in New York, she is rediscovering the ingredients and food traditions that shaped her earliest memories. Her philosophy centers on seasonality, local agriculture and the relationships between cooks and growers. At Dolfy's, those Southern influences meet the restaurant's Spanish and Basque culinary foundation, giving her room to explore unexpected combinations while remaining rooted in the ingredients around her.
Says Perdomo, "I spent so many years away from Louisiana learning, working and figuring out who I am as a chef. Coming home has given me a different appreciation for the ingredients and traditions I grew up with. There's so much here that I want to explore, especially working with local farmers and ingredients indigenous to the South. At Dolfy's, I’m bringing those influences together with Spanish flavors and techniques. I want the desserts to feel thoughtful and personal, but most importantly, I want people to really enjoy eating them.”
While her dessert menu is constantly evolving, guided by seasonal availability and relationships with local growers, guests can always expect three signatures: Manchego and Olive Oil Cake with seasonal fruit, Basque Cheesecake and Churros y Chocolate. Around those staples, Perdomo introduces rotating seasonal desserts that reflect what's available from local farms and markets, allowing the menu to change throughout the year.
An equally important part of the program is her ambitious selection of housemade ice creams and sorbets. Made in small batches with locally sourced and foraged ingredients and without commercial stabilizers, some flavors require two to three days of preparation due to a slow infusion process. Offerings rotate regularly, with creations such as salted honey ice cream with fudge ripple; chocolate espresso sorbet finished with Spanish olive oil and Maldon salt ;and orange-passion fruit sorbet accented with olive oil and Espelette pepper.
Her commitment to local sourcing is also personal. Perdomo plans to incorporate satsumas grown by her parents in Lacombe, across Lake Pontchartrain, alongside produce sourced from area farmers and markets. That connection to Southern agriculture informs a program that is as much about celebrating the region's ingredients as it is about introducing guests to new flavors and combinations.
Beyond dessert, Perdomo oversees Dolfy's wood-fired bread program, an integral part of the restaurant's dining experience. The offerings include wood-fired sourdough, pan de cristal (served throughout the menu), and a flatbread fired à la minute during service, arriving at the table fresh from the oven. Like her desserts, the breads reflect an approach that balances careful technique with the pleasures of food prepared and served at its peak.
Perdomo's path to Dolfy's began in New York, when Garcia and his partner, Sophia Petrou Garcia, visited one of her culinary residencies. Impressed by her cooking, Garcia offered her a position on the spot and later invited her to New Orleans for a pop-up that helped pave the way for her return. According to Garcia, "Sophia and I met Amanda in New York, and after tasting her food, I knew I wanted her to be part of what we were building at Dolfy's. She's an incredibly talented chef with a strong point of view, and she understands how to make something technically sophisticated feel approachable and delicious. What's exciting is that she's bringing all of that experience back home and reconnecting with the ingredients she grew up around. We've given her the freedom to make this program her own, and what she's creating adds another dimension to the restaurant."
Perdomo joins Dolfy's during an exciting period for the restaurant, which was recently named to The New York Times' Best Restaurants in America 2026 list. Led by Garcia and Petrou Garcia, Dolfy's draws inspiration from the Basque Country's culinary traditions, showcasing live-fire cooking, seasonal seafood and Spanish influences through a distinctly New Orleans perspective. With Perdomo leading the pastry and bread programs, that philosophy now extends from the first bite of bread to the final course.
Interviews are available upon request.
Dolfy’s, located at 4508 Freret Street in Uptown New Orleans, serves dinner Wednesday – Sunday from 5PM–10PM. For additional information and to make a reservation, visit www.dolfys.com and stay up to date on Instagram @dolfys_nola.
Media Contact:
Lauren Busch/Alexa Login
Brustman Carrino Public Relations
(305) 573-0658
About Dolfy’s: The second restaurant from rising star Chef Adolfo Garcia Jr. and partner Sophia Petrou, Dolfy’s is New Orleans’ first Basque restaurant. Named one of America’s best restaurants in The New York Times’ “The Restaurant List 2026,” the restaurant centers on a wood-fired oven and features fire-roasted meats, seafood, and vegetables designed for sharing, blending rustic technique with lively New Orleans dining energy. At Dolfy’s, Garcia melds classic Basque technique with the bounty of Louisiana and the Gulf, resulting in flavorful pintxos, appetizers, and main dishes like Arroz Meloso with crawfish, Gulf shrimp, saffron, and garlic aioli. Leading the pastry and bread programs is acclaimed Executive Pastry Chef Amanda Perdomo, a 2023 StarChefs New York Rising Stars Award winner, whose rotating seasonal desserts celebrate Southern ingredients through a Spanish and Basque lens, alongside signature creations including Basque cheesecake, Manchego and olive oil cake, and churros y chocolate. Creative cocktails and a bustling vibe complete the experience. Dolfy’s is the duo’s second restaurant, following nearby Chi Chi’s Chicken & Beer. Dolfy’s is located at 4508 Freret Street in New Orleans. For more information, visit www.dolfys.com and stay up-to-date on Instagram at @dolfys_nola.