There’s a new head pastry chef at Destination Kohler.
Josh Johnson comes to Kohler after gaining experience at Vanille Patisserie, Payard’s Pâtisserie & Bistro in New York as well as at the Ritz-Carleton Chicago where he worked under Chef Sébastien Canonne, M.O.F., co-founder of and dean at The French Pastry School.
Johnson has also been the recipient of numerous accolades. He was the winner of the National Pastry Championship in 2011 and the Best Dégustation and silver medal overall award at the World Pastry Championship awards in 2012. He and his team brought home the bronze medal at the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie in Lyon, France in January 2015 and most recently, served as a presenter at the 2015 Kohler Festival of Chocolate in February.
Johnson will head up teams in pastry and bread production, as well as working closely with head chefs of all Kohler restaurants, as well as Anette Righi DeFendi of Kohler Original Recipe Chocolates.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
