Mac Daniel Dimla
Providence | Los Angeles
April 2024
In need of a credit for school, Mac Daniel Dimla joined ProStart—through the National Restaurant Association—on a whim, but, it turns out, that was just the beginning for the Guamanian pastry chef. After winning back-to-back competitions in Maryland and Minnesota, Dimla secured a scholarship through the ProStart program and decided he might as well give it a shot. In 2016, he graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and, after an externship at Marea in New York City, moved to Los Angeles. Dimla went to cook at Kali, starting out on the savory side. When some friends of his needed help in the pastry department at Rising Stars alum Michael Cimarusti’s Providence, he decided to assist the team. Feeling drawn to the sweeter side of the kitchen, he left Kali and started working full-time as a pastry cook at Providence.
Under Rising Stars alum Jessie Liu, Dimla worked his way up to become her right-hand man in the kitchen. In 2019, when Liu left the restaurant, Dimla asked Cimarusti and Rising Stars alum Tristan Aitchison for a tasting. Despite being the underdog, he impressed Cimarusti and Aitchison and was promoted to pastry chef at Providence at only 23. Since taking over, Dimla has stepped into the leadership role, built a formidable in-house chocolate program, and developed new desserts based around seasonality and inventive technique. Outside the kitchen, he continues to support ProStart, judging the same competitions that launched his career and inspired his passion.
