Executive Chef Dan Giusti at 1789 Restaurant announced the appointment of Mallory Staley as the new Pastry Chef for the historic Georgetown landmark.

A native of Frederick, Maryland, Staley is returning to the Washington, DC, area after creating desserts for New York City clientele and some notable restaurants.

Prior to accepting her new position at 1789 Restaurant, Staley served as the pastry chef at the Oak Room in the legendary Plaza Hotel since August 2009. There she was responsible for creating and executing a menu of desserts based on seasonal ingredients, managing a staff of five, and producing cakes for weddings and special occasions.

She was recently honored for the second time to present the dessert course at the James Beard House while working at the Oak Room.

During her eight-year career in the Big Apple, Staley has worked for a number of top chefs. Her first pastry job was at Hearth Restaurant under Chef Marco Canora. Here she oversaw the entire pastry department in the absence of the pastry chef and learned to specialize in Italian-American desserts. From 2004 to 2006, Staley served as the pastry sous chef at Lever House Restaurant under Chef Dan Silverman. During her tenure, the restaurant was nominated for the James Beard Foundation’s “Best New Restaurant.” She also freelanced for two catering companies making petit fours, breads, and custom cakes.

Staley began her culinary career in Maryland in 2002 as a pastry chef at The Turning Point Inn before moving up to become the pastry chef at The Stone Manor Inn in 2003. She then relocated to Manhattan in 2004 to earn her certificate from The French Culinary Institute