Longman & Eagle's Pastry Chef Jeremy Brutzkus | Chicago

It's been a good year for Longman & Eagle, full of endless accolades, a perpetual crowd and a Michelin star.

But as the Logan Square restaurant celebrates its first birthday this week, we're most excited about the recent addition of its debut pastry chef, Jeremy Brutzkus.

Remember Division Street's glamorous Cocoa Rouge, which closed in 2009? That was Brutzkus' handiwork.

Now, he's crafting desserts ($9 each) that match–and occasionally exceed–Longman & Eagle's savory dishes in whimsy and style.

A layered trifle is inspired by syllabub, a historic British dessert, with gin-spiked honey custard supplanting the traditional wine. Brown-butter cake, date cream, saffron-lemon curd, and that unusual custard meld into a sophisticated parfait with a final surprise–carbonated bubbles in the saffron-cream topping.

His new baba au rhum presents the cake's rum souse in altered form, as translucent cubes of boozy gelée. Even Brutzkus' doughnuts (pictured) are far from straightforward, being faintly savory with Gruyère and grated hazelnut, then paired with whipped goat cheese.

Even more news from L&E: The restaurant is taking limited reservations for overnight stays in its well-appointed rooms, and is also now open weekday mornings, when Brutzkus leaves his inventive mark on breakfast pastries.

Longman & Eagle, 2657 N. Kedzie Ave.; 773-276-7110 or longmanandeagle.com