Chef Romina

Chef Romina Rasmussen has come a long way from her Easy Bake Oven days growing up in Salt Lake City, UT. Her approach to baking encompasses both tradition and her own unique twist acquired during her extensive travels.

After training at the French Culinary Institute in New York, NY, Chef Romina perfected her skills working at Mesa Grill in New York City and the Mandarin Oriental Miami’s fine dining restaurant, Azul, before opening Les Madeleines in Salt Lake City in 2003.

A pastry pioneer, Chef Romina initiated the gourmet cupcake and macaron trends in Utah and put Les Madeleines on the map as the first bakery west of the Mississippi to offer the Kouign Amann.

In 2007, she was named Best Pastry Chef by Salt Lake magazine and both she and Les Madeleines continue to acquire accolades and both regional and national media recognition including: The Food Network’s Road Tasted with the Neelys and The Best Thing I Ever Ate, O The Oprah Magazine, Food & Wine, Better Homes & Gardens and Sunset Magazine.

Prior to her professional pastry life, Romina worked for AT&T in Hong Kong SAR, China and Miami, FL in public relations and sales respectively. She has lived in Los Angeles, CA; Washington, DC; Taipei, Taiwan; Hong Kong SAR China; Miami, FL; and New York, NY.

Chef Romina resides in Salt Lake City with her rescue cats: Nibs, Leeloo, and Charlotte. She is an avid traveler (hello, inspiration!), supports slow food and the ever-evolving local food scene, has an affinity for all food and volunteers with Salt Lake County Animal Services and Best Friends -Utah. She has served on the Local First board and currently serves on the board of Flourish.