Keegan Gerhard, Miles Davis of Deliciousness
Keegan Gerhard, a one-time cyclist, originally pursued a career in culinary arts simply to have a source of income that would allow him to train for the Olympics. Convenience soon gave way to passion, as Gerhard found himself running the kitchen of a French bistro in San Diego. Keegan was named one of the nation’s top 10 pastry chefs of 2002 and 2004 by both Chocolatier and Pastry Art & Design magazines, and serves as Emcee and Host of the live Food Network Challenge Series for the Food Network. Keegan compares his pastry making style to jazz music, saying “70 percent is based on enduring principles or the foundation of the style, then the great musicians give you the 30 percent which is a surprise.”