Lisa Donovan

Lisa Donovan is a James Beard Award-winning writer and chef who has redefined what it means to be a Southern baker as the pastry chef to some of the South's most influential chefs.

Expertise: baking, pastry, foodways, social justice.

Experience: Lisa Donovan has been formative in developing, writing, and establishing a technique-driven, historically rich narrative of traditional Southern pastry in restaurants across the country and in print. She is a regular contributor to Food & Wine and has been a featured speaker at René Redzepi's globally renowned MAD Symposium, discussing the culture and responsibilities of restaurants. Lisa centers her work on advocacy and education. Her recipes and writing have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Eater, Literary Hub, and Saveur. She is the author of Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger, which earned her a Les Dames d'Escoffier International M.F.K. Fisher Prize in 2021.