Chef Salvatore Martone has been appointed as the new Tasting Coach for Club Coupe du Monde Team USA. With a distinguished career and a wealth of experience in the pastry arts, Martone is set to bring valuable expertise to the team’s international competitions.
Currently, Martone serves as the Corporate Pastry Chef for Joel Robuchon USA, overseeing the New York and Miami locations. This role is part of the Bastion Collection, a renowned hospitality group with nine Michelin stars across its properties in New York, Miami, Houston, and Geneva, Switzerland.
Everything I see, I ask, “can it be a dessert?”
Chef Salvatore Martone
Martone’s career in pastry began with humble origins as a pizza maker before he transitioned to bread making, which eventually led him to the world of pastry arts. Growing up in Naples, Italy, Martone gave few hints of the artistry that would come to shape his career. He never took formal art classes, but his sharp eye for chocolate was evident early on. “My mother had to hide the Nutella,” he told Pastry Arts Magazine, “but I usually found it anyway.”
He started his formal education at the Hotelery School in Naples, Italy, and continued his studies at Instituto Superiore Arti Culinarie in Venice. Seeking further specialization, Martone attended The French Pastry School in Chicago.
“It’s funny what stays with you,” Martone said in his interview with Pastry Arts Magazine. “The chemical composition of ingredients in food; that formula I remembered. It was fascinating to me how the molecules acted and how things changed when you put them together. Like that, you had something brand new.”
His professional journey includes notable roles such as the Executive Pastry Chef at Joel Robuchon Restaurant and L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon at MGM Grand Las Vegas from 2013 to 2017, where he played a key role in maintaining the restaurants’ Michelin star status. He also worked as Executive Pastry Sous-Chef at these establishments from 2005 to 2008. In New York City, Martone served as the Pastry Chef at the Four Seasons Hotel, overseeing L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, a Michelin two-star restaurant. His innovative contributions earned him first prize at the StarChefs International Pastry Competition in 2011.
Martone’s extensive experience also includes positions as Executive Pastry Chef at The Ojai Valley Inn and Spa in California and as a member of the opening team at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. His commitment to professional growth is evident from his continued education and teaching roles at prestigious culinary schools across the USA.
In 2012, Chef Martone won the 3rd Annual StarChefs.com International Pastry Competition. Then in 2015, he was named one of the top ten pastry chefs in America by Dessert Professional Magazine and was nominated for the James Beard Award for Best Pastry Chef. He has shared his insights into pastry making in various interviews and media features, including Pastry Arts Magazine, where he discussed the blend of precision and creativity required in the field. Martone has also appeared on culinary podcasts and radio shows, offering perspectives on industry trends and his experiences with leading chefs and restaurants.
“I mean, most important, of course, it has to taste good,” says Chef Martone. “People get too intellectual. Think with your tongue. If you focus on the process, the results will follow. If you make a movie in order to get an Oscar, it will be a bad movie. I don’t want to make a publicity stunt. I hate wasabi ice cream, so I don’t make it for you just because I can.”
Martone believes that there is always room for growth and that an open-minded attitude is essential. He stresses that thinking or saying “I already know everything” only limits one’s potential. Instead, he encourages observing others, mixing things up, and stepping out of one’s comfort zone.
As Tasting Coach for Club Coupe du Monde Team USA, Chef Salvatore Martone’s extensive experience and dedication to pastry arts will be instrumental in guiding the team toward success. His appointment highlights the team’s commitment to excellence and continuous culinary innovation.
