Bill Russell-Shapiro, Proprietor
Eric Vreede, Development and Operations Manager/Wine Director
Adam Keough, Executive Chef
Bill Corbett, Executive Pastry Chef
Vanessa Harris, Director of Events and Marketing
Ian Becker, Wine Manager and Buyer
Aaron Wasserman, Sommelier

Bill Corbett, Executive Pastry Chef

With more than a decade of pastry experience at some of the most highly regarded restaurants, he has risen rapidly among the nation’s top pastry chefs. At Absinthe, Arlequin Café, and Comstock Saloon, Corbett is excited to bring technique and innovation to his desserts and pastries, while keeping them accessible and well-balanced.

A Waterloo, Canada, native, Corbett worked his way up from dishwasher to kitchen manager to pastry cook during his youth. After several years kitchen-hopping, he traded Canada for Florida, and, shortly thereafter, moved to New York City to pursue his career in pastry. In 2004 he was hired by B. R. Guest Restaurants to work under Executive Pastry Chef Lincoln Carson, whom he credits for setting his foundation for classic pastry technique. Together, the two managed the pastry production for the group’s seven properties.

In 2005, Corbett honed his skills at WD~50 as pastry sous, learning how to integrate sweet and savory effectively from Pastry Chef Sam Mason. In 2007, Corbett held pastry-chef positions with two Greek restaurants, Dona and Anthos, where his desserts drew rave reviews from New York critics and StarChefs.com named him “Rising Star Pastry Chef.” In the fall of 2007, he moved to San Francisco, California, to become pastry chef at Michael Mina restaurant. In late 2009, Corbett joined the highly acclaimed Coi as executive pastry chef for chef-owner Daniel Patterson, where he solidified his technical foundation, allowing him to push into new terrain with his desserts.

At Absinthe Corbett plans to offer an approachable menu with appeal to the restaurant’s wide audience, while incorporating some unexpected ingredients and flavor combinations for an element of surprise. A few of the winter ingredients that diners can expect to see on his new menu debuting in January include quince, butternut squash, and citrus.

Corbett lives in Oakland.

Events Email Sign Up
Reservations

Back to Top