Chef Veronica Laramie : eVe

Pastry Chef Veronica Laramie was born and raised in Lima, Peru.  After graduating from College with an Advertising degree she decided to move to Paris, France to attend Le Cordon Bleu.  A year later she graduated with the Grand Diplome in both Cuisine & Pastry and moved to Miami.  It was in Miami that she quickly moved up through kitchens to take lead positions.  She stared at the bottom, first taking a position as a stage at Mark’s South Beach and in less than a year and a half was offered the Pastry Chef position at Wish Restaurant located in “The Hotel”. In the fall of 2005 she moved to Chicago and started working at Charlie Trotter’s restaurant,  during her 2 years there she rose to become the Pastry Sous Chef and worked with some of the most influential and highly regarded chefs of our times; Charlie Trotter’s was truly a turning point in her career.  Later, in 2007 she moved to Colorado, her husband’s home state, and worked as the Pastry Chef of Q’s Restaurant at the Hotel Boulderado.  In the summer of 2009 Chef Veronica and her husband Christopher moved to Berkeley, CA to start a new adventure, their first restaurant. This fall will be the grand opening of

“eVe” Restaurant.  It will be a small 30 seat, high-end restaurant offering classically modern, avant garde prix fixe menus.

Chef Jonathan Bennett: Moxie

Diver Scallops, Favas, Bronze Fennel, Micro Lemon Balm & Housemade Fromage Blanc

 

Moxie’s executive chef, joined the restaurant in 1997, three years after graduating near the top of his class from the Culinary Institute of America and after brief stints at some of the top restaurants in the country including the prestigious Homestead resort. Like other celebrity chefs that dot the culinary landscape, Bennett has the uncanny ability to select, then mix, compatible ingredients in his head and create dishes that are extraordinarily different, yet do not deviate wildly from what’s acceptable.

“I remember the flavors of ingredients and what they work best with. That’s the way I plate most of my stuff. I don’t do Asian influences, but most of my dishes borrow philosophically from that cuisine: sweet and sour, salty and sweet—that whole combination of complements and contrasts, textures and flavors, is what I bring to our kitchens at Moxie.”

Chef Ann Blackwood:

Kalahari Resorts

One of fifteen children, Ann Lesch Blackwood began her cooking career at age 5, learning from her mother and older sisters while adapting family recipes from garden fresh products that were always prepared from scratch.  After high school, her curiosity and creativity in the kitchen led her to become directly involved in the catering industry working for Rosemarie Catering and Chocolatier.  It was during this time that Ann distinguished herself as the areas most unique and extraordinary event specialist and chocolatier.

Ann has had the distinct privilege to apprentice under the late Bill Hogan, master chocolatier of the former Fanny Farmer Candy Company and The House of Bauer, Robert Bennett formerly of Miel Patisserie, Colette Peters, and Elaine Gonzales, Roland Mesnier as well as many others.  She has had the distinct honor to be the guest chocolatier for Charlie Trotter.

As an aspiring chef, Ann combined her unique talent and love of foods with the knowledge and experience of other professionals in the industry, culminating in the establishment of her own company, Casually Elegant.  Founded in 2002, Casually Elegant served individual clients and numerous organizations throughout the United States until December 2007.  Currently, Ann serves as the Pastry Chef at Kalahari Resorts in Sandusky, OH, America’s largest indoor water park.

She has appeared as a guest on radio programs, performs demonstrations in chocolate and pastry all around the Northeast Ohio area and participates in Sweet Charity’s Chocolate Fashion Show in Washington D.C., judges local culinary competitions for area schools and county fairs & has performed demonstrations in chocolate and pastry during the Fabulous Food Shows and was chosen to represent the state of Ohio for the International Women’s Forum (IWF).  She also contributes to various charitable organizations with local school and community event fundraisers. As one of 30 chefs from around the US, Ann has participated in Veggie U raising funds for children’s health and well being through the esteemed Food & Wine Celebration at the distinct Culinary Vegetable Institute in Milan, OH.

Ann is a member of the American Culinary Federation and is published in the Cambridge Who’s Who for Professionals 2007-2008 edition.  She resides in Norwalk, Ohio with her husband Eric and three daughters Nichole, Caroline, and Catherine.

Shawn Brozic:

The Wyndham, Playhouse Square

Diver Scallops, Favas, Bronze Fennel, Micro Lemon Balm & Housemade Fromage Blanc

 

Chef Shawn Brozic began his culinary career in 1993, working in local restaurants in northeast Ohio.  Upon graduating from Pennsylvania Culinary in 1996, he worked for William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh’s prestigious Grand Old Lady.  In 2001, he moved backed to Ohio and joined the Ritz-Carlton Cleveland holding the titles of Chef Tournant, Banquet Chef and Executive Sous Chef.  He also had the pleasure of being part of the opening teams and task force for the  following

Ritz-Carlton properties: Naples Golf Resort, Pentagon City, Bachelor’s Gulch , Miami South Beach, St. Thomas and Central Park South ,  Manhattan.  Chef Brozic is currently the Executive Chef at The Wyndham Playhouse Square, located in Cleveland, Ohio, harboring  the 2nd largest theatre district in North America.

Bob Buehner :

Stages at the Cleveland Playhouse

Pulled Pork with Chilled Ohio Corn Syrup and Truffle

Robert W. Buehner, Executive Chef/General Manager of Stages at The Cleveland Play House leads the staff in transforming a previously private Theatrical Dining Club to now a Fine Dining French Bistro restaurant open to the public.  Robert has been the Chef at this location since 1999. 

Prior positions that Buehner held include Chef at Avon Oaks Country Club 1990 – 1999, a prestigious and active member club located on the Westside of Cleveland. He was also Chef at the Oberlin College Inn, located at one of Ohio’s prominent universities.  While Chef at Oberlin, Robert was introduced to Byron Bardy and Anton Flory, both Certified Master Chefs.  Both chefs played an integral part in Buehner’s education, mentoring him to advance his skills and aiding in his training at Hyde Park, New York, NY.  Throughout his career, Buehner has established many professional and personal relationships which have shaped his success, one most note worthy with the Jones Family since 1983.

Leo Bushey III : The Hartford Club

Seared Maple Leaf Duck Breast, Cream Leeks and Beetiful Blend

Connecticut native Leo C. Bushey, III is the Executive Chef of The Hartford Club. Since he was 13 years old, Chef Bushey has been passionately involved in the restaurant industry for most of his life while raising the bar in the culinary scene in Connecticut. With his humble beginnings at family style restaurants, he quickly progressed through the culinary landscape where his talents were quickly recognized and nurtured by the country’s leading chefs, including James Boyce, Alex Stratta, Peter Hoefler, and Edward Flattery. Chef Bushey received his degree in culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island in 1994. In 2004, he was inducted into the prestigious Les Amis D'Escoffier Society and is a standing member of the James Beard Foundation and The Chaine des Rotisseurs.

Following six years as a Sous Chef at The Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, Five-Star for Mobil Travel Guide and Four Diamond designation from AAA,  Chef Bushey was part of the opening task force team of another world-class property; the exclusive St. Regis Resort in Monarch Beach, California which received both Five-Star from Mobil Travel Guide and Five Diamond designation from AAA.

Upon returning to Connecticut, Bushey became the Executive Chef/Partner at the acclaimed Acqua Oyster Bar. Renowned for his ability to combine exotic ingredients to create culinary masterpieces, Acqua, through Chef Bushey,  quickly garnered a reputation as one of the state’s premier restaurants, featuring pristine seafood perfectly paired with an ever-expanding wine list to rave reviews.  Bushey went on to  win the highest mention from the New England Cable Network (N.E.C.N.) the Platinum Plate Award and placing 3rd out of 100 “Best Restaurants in New England” and won best new restaurant in Connecticut by the Connecticut Magazine.

With his experienced, inventive approach to the culinary arts and dynamic leadership skills,  Chef Leo Bushey was recruited by the Hartford Club to be it’s Executive Chef in 2007. Being a truly passionate gourmand who seeks only the highest quality ingredients from coast to coast to explore flavors and innovative techniques in an effort to share his passion for an unforgettable dining experience celebrated at the Hartford Club. 

Chef Bushey’s work also includes many favorable events and participation throughout the northeast. Events which include, Celebrity Chef and Sommelier induction of Master of Wine Serena Sutcliffe, Connecticut Culinary Masters Classic with food critic and writer John Mariani, and the Art of Food and Wine paired with Celebrity Chef and Author, Chef Michael Ginor of Hudson Valley Foie Gras.

In addition to his commitment for creating exquisite cuisine and long hours in that pursuit at The Hartford Club, Chef Bushey serves on The Board of Directors for Share Our Strength, Fight Against Hunger, Mohegan Sun Celebrity Chef Gala (which raises thousands of dollars each year to fight child hunger), he is also a member of the Farm to Fork, a collaboration of farmers and chefs throughout Connecticut to promote local harvest that supports events hosted by C.P.T.V. and the Department of Agriculture. Though his cuisine is extraordinary, his philosophy when he cooks is, “Simple but effective”.

Erika Dupree Davis:

Ponte Vedra Inn and Club

Sour Cream Lemon Poundcake with Blueberry Compote and Thyme Sorbet

Erika Davis, Executive Pastry Chef at The Ponte Vedra Inn and Club, lives for her pastry arts. Erika supports all of Ponte Vedra dining outlets by creating the finest and freshest of baked goods and dessert delicacies. Chef Davis joined Ponte Vedra in June of 2007 and has established a pastry crew to wow and marvel the guests and members with favorites such as Banana Rum Crème brulee garnished with peanut butter croutons, Warm Chocolate Lava tower with espresso truffles or the Gourmet Donuts.

Playing in strawberry patches and making grape jelly from the grapevines on grandmother’s farm, Erika found her passion for cooking at a young age. A native of Illinois, Ponte Verde’s executive pastry chef took her first cooking class at the age of 12 and had a lucrative cookie business in middle school. Her family always knew that one day she would have a career as a chef, but she knew from an early age that it would be as a pastry chef.

During culinary school, Davis worked for Master Baker Duane at Baker’s Loaf where she established her breads and cake decorating skills. Erika received her culinary arts degree from Oakland Community College in Farmington Hill, Mi, in 1990. The famed Golden Mushroom Restaurant offered Erika a position under Master Chef Milos Cihelka and Executive Chef Steve Allen. From there, Chef Davis moved on to Pike Street Restaurant as the Executive Pastry Chef. Recognition of her talents came fast. As the first black woman pastry chef she was voted "Chef of the Month" by the Detroit Free Press. Erika also worked with Chef Keith Famie and opened The Forte Restaurant in Birmingham, Mi.

From that early dedication grew a grand passion that led Erika to the pastry shop of "The South’s Grand Hotel". Chef Erika joined "The Peabody" in 1998 as pastry supervisor. For the first ten months, she worked alone, without an executive pastry chef assistant, and supervised a staff of eighteen to keep the hotel’s guests well supplied with delicious desserts and pastries. She was soon promoted to assistant pastry chef. In July 2004 Erika was named Executive Pastry Chef of The Peabody Memphis and was the first black woman to hold such a post.

Chef Davis is a well-traveled Chef having worked in Michigan, Missouri, and Tennessee. In May 2006 she helped re-establish the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Miss. after hurricane Katrina struck. As Beau Rivage’s Executive Pastry Chef, Davis coordinated the production and distribution of all desserts and bakery items for the 1,740-room MGM Mirage Resort’s 12 restaurant outlets and significant catering and banquets programs. She supervised a staff of 24, and maintains quality and quantity of all desserts in all areas of the resort including the golf club.

Davis has made numerous television cooking appearances and has served as a judge for the Food Network’s Rock N' Roll Pastry Challenge. In June 2006, Erika was recognized by Black Enterprise Magazine as one of the nation’s top chefs. In October 2006, Davis was selected by Ebony to be one of 20 featured chefs in the invitation-only "Taste of Ebony" cooking extravaganza in New York City for an eclectic mix of 600 tastemakers and noted individuals spanning all industries.

Aaron Deal : Tristan

Atlantic White Tuna, Sun Gold Tomato Conserve,

Long Peppercorn

Aaron Deal wasn’t “born with a spatula in his hand,” but the minute he hit the line in a Boone, NC kitchen, he knew he’d found his home. “I loved the feeling that I could make people happy by creating food they will remember – food that would mark a wonderful day in their life,” says Deal, who now heads the kitchen of this AAA Four-Diamond restaurant. Deal worked in numerous kitchens and took university-level business classes before he answered the call to culinary school. Through hard work and a studious approach, he graduated Summa Cum Laude from Johnson & Wales, and took a job in a private club in Charleston, SC. Over the years, he moved into fine dining at Tristan, and recently ascended to the top spot in its famed kitchen. Deal says he’s influenced by seasonality and regionality, and loves nothing more than discovering hidden gems when he’s traveling here and abroad. A recent visit to Mexico City yielded an experience with food that “just popped. That’s what I try to do here – create food that makes a flavor statement.” Deal has contributed to numerous charitable causes and has also cooked at important food events like the Epcot Food and Wine Festival and the James Beard House. “I was so moved standing in that kitchen, to think of the great chefs I’ve studied and followed. It’s an honor to be in this profession, and to bring happiness to people each night.”

Craig Deihl : Cypress

Heirloom Tomato Salad

 

Before assuming the position of Chef de Cuisine and soon after, Executive Chef of Cypress, Craig Deihl, trained for nearly five years under Hospitality Management Group, Inc. (HMGI) Executive Chef/Vice President Donald Barickman and Magnolias Executive Chef, Don Drake. A native of Danville, PA, Deihl is a graduate of Johnson and Wales University in Charleston, SC. He cites his style of cooking as American regional with ethnic – especially Asian – overtones, and injects these new age influences into the classic wood grilled cuisine at Cypress.
Deihl is inspired by the challenge of playing a prominent role in Charleston’s most exciting new restaurant, and under the guidance of Chef Barickman, is well on his way to changing the face of cuisine in the Holy City.

Paul Del Favero:

Mesa Grill, Caesars Palace

Michael Delligatta :

Michael Anthony's at the Inn,

The Inn at Versailles

Moroccan Dusted and Pan Seared George's Bank Jumbo Scallops with a Fresh Organic Heirloom Tomato, Pineapple and Red Onion Pico d'gallo with Mixed Baby Greens and a Fennel Marmalade Vinaigrette

Michael Anthony Delligatta, executive chef, Midmark Corporation, was born in Ohio and grew up in southern California. Delligatta was an aircraft tooling engineer for twenty years but something had been missing. For years, he had been “wowing” friends with his cuisine at dinner parties hosted by he and his wife, Telisa. So, in 1997 he realized his long-time dream - moving to Sidney, Ohio, and opening Michael Anthony’s Pasta & Grill. After being open for approximately six years, Delligatta was approached by a representative of Midmark Corporation about operating the restaurant, The Inn at Versailles in Versailles, Ohio. Michael and his wife, Telisa, accepted the offer, he as the executive chef and she as the dining room manager, and closed their restaurant in Sidney.

At what is now known as Michael Anthony’s at The Inn at Versailles, Michael has committed himself to continuous improvement by always reinventing himself, his cuisine and his staff to at all times be the best and to always provide the customer with a superlative dining experience. Chef Michael’s enticing menu only hints at the unforgettable cuisine available. Discover culinary delights that are sure to dazzle any palate, coupled with unsurpassed ambiance at Michael Anthony’s at The Inn at Versailles.

Jeff Fisher : Touch Supper Club

Rack of Lamb with Heirloom Tomato Feta Compote, Purple Cauliflower Puree, St. Germaine Cored Salmon, Cornacopia, Savory Curd, Cream Fresh, Maui Onion

Jeff Fisher’s mother taught him how to cook at a young age in their home in Kingston, N.H. She endowed him with the knowledge and benefits of using fresh products from the family’s own garden. His first job in a professional kitchen was at the age of 12 as a dishwasher at the Pond View Restaurant in New Hampshire. Some years and many kitchen positions later, Fisher made his way to Ohio to play basketball and football at Ashland University.

While attending college Fisher continued to follow his love for fine dining by working as a sous chef at the local country club. His talent and love for the culinary world began to pave the way for what would later become a successful career.

After college, Chef Fisher accepted a position at Johnny’s Restaurant in the heart of Cleveland. There he worked alongside many top chefs and began cooking with wonderful ingredients from around the world. That experience broadened Fisher’s vision of quality and consistency. He has since continued to focus on creating home-cooked meals which celebrate fresh ingredients.

Chef Fisher has worked as executive chef in several of Cleveland’s fine dining establishments such as Sushi Rock, Johnny’s, Snickers, and Martini’s. He has brought his talent and passion to the table every time. Fisher also partnered for a short while to open a restaurant in Tremont, Ohio. As a young accomplished chef, Fisher is always looking for new ways to demonstrate his talent and passion for food.

Beej Flamholz : Personal Chef

Maryland Crab Salad - Heirloom Corn and Citrus Vinaigrette

Beej Flamholz LLC is a Personal Chef catering service which prides itself in offering personalized chef ideas and event planning. A Maryland native, Executive Chef Beej Flamholz has had the pleasure of cooking for the Governor of Maryland, State Senator's and clients throughout the Baltimore/Washington area. After graduating from The George Washington University in 2002 Beej attended Advanced Classes at the Culinary Institute of America and the Viking Culinary School in Cancun, Mexico. He has also travelled around the world to study the flavors of food in Sweden and Taiwan. Recently Beej won the All-Star Chef Cook-off during the 2007 Culinary Vegetable Institute Food and Wine Celebration.

Phillip Foss :

Lockwood, Palmer House Hilton

Deconstructed Buffalo Wing

As a two-year-old, Foss was always in the kitchen watching his mom cook. Aware that young Phillip wanted to get in on the action, Foss' father built him a cardboard stovetop and let his son’s imagination and future career take him away. Years later, Foss got his first restaurant job as a short order cook in his hometown of Milwaukee. With a passion for the behind-the-scenes speed and intensity of a kitchen, Foss quickly worked his way into better restaurants. And then came a break. An employer noticed Foss' cooking talents and referred him to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York.

After graduating from the CIA in 1991, Foss joined the New York City dining scene with a job at the New York Times four-star rated Lafayette restaurant in the Drake Swissotel. There, Foss basked in the shadow of one of the country's leading chefs, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who gained international acclaim for his innovative interpretation of classic French cuisine. Foss then went to the Quilted Giraffe, another four-star New York Times-rated restaurant, and under the tutelage of Barry Wine, worked every station in the kitchen. Here he learned how unique food presentations can make conceptually simple dishes more innovative and ethereal.

Recognized as a rising haute-cuisine star, Foss was hired by one of the world’s best restaurants, Le Cirque. There he worked as an entremetier preparing vegetables, pastas and accompaniments, on the fish station as a poissonier, and as a saucier, preparing and perfecting sauces, soups and meat dishes. After more than three years, he was made a sous chef.

Foss went on to help open Le Cirque 2000 in the Palace Hotel. "This was the first time in my career where I took on a leadership position," Foss explains. "People looked to me as the go-to person for Le Cirque’s standards." At Le Cirque 2000, Foss had the privilege to cook for several U.S. presidents, including Nixon, Reagan and Clinton, and for Pope John Paul II, whom he served lobster bisque. Bill Cosby was his favorite celebrity. "His charisma was amazing. He sat in the kitchen and we made him a private dinner with roast chicken and truffles. To date, that was the best roast chicken I ever made."

Foss acknowledges the additional challenge in making great dishes that let the flavor and freshness of the ingredients shine through, rather than falling back on the legerdemain of heavy sauces.  "Making a good roast chicken is something almost everyone can learn," Foss added. "But making a standout dish takes years and years to master."

After Le Cirque 2000, Foss traveled the world learning about indigenous ingredients and perfecting cooking styles from France, where he worked with super chef Jacques Maximin, as well as Israel, where he worked at the King David Hotel serving dignitaries such as Condoleezza Rice and Tony Blair. Foss' time with three-star Michelin chef Maximin made a lasting impression. "Maximin's uncompromising attention to detail and the quality of the products he used were incredible. Most everything came straight from the farmer to the plate." Foss also worked as a private chef in Palm Beach, Florida where the families of Winston Churchill and Donald Trump enjoyed his cookery. In addition, Foss also 'hung his toque' in the kitchens of Bistro Margot in Chicago (which earned three stars in the Chicago Tribune), the Four Seasons in Maui, and the AAA five diamond Newport Room in Bermuda.
"Cooking is and always will be a mixture of art and science.  One of the things I love best about being a chef is the constant challenge to adapt and advance what was previously considered 'the best there is.'  There is no recipe in the world that you can follow like a rote play book when you're striving to bring out optimal flavor from the freshest, finest ingredients every day, and make each dish and presentation a unique experience," notes the Chef.

At the helm of Lockwood, Chef Foss has complete discretion with one requirement: perpetual innovation. And that's just fine with Philip Foss. Of all his many culinary accomplishments, he's most proud of "Never being complacent and having an open mind to do new things, yet always honoring the traditions of where the cuisine has come from."

Chef Richard Gras:

Salt at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia

Hawaiian Tuna Tartare in Heart of Palm, Summer Melon, Heirloom Tomato, Lemon Balm

Chef Simeon Hall :

Valentines Boathouse

With the passion to impact young upcoming chefs through the sharing of island-influenced cuisine, the award-winning executive chef of the Valentines Resort and Marina has been an active member of the Bahamas Culinary Association for over a decade, serving as Junior President when he was only 21. In his late teens, Chef Simeon served as an outstanding apprentice at the Nassau Marriott & Casino in the Bahamas while attending the Bahamas Hotel Training College. During this time, he became a certified culinarian and gained public recognition at various competitions.

These triumphs opened doors for Chef Simeon to work as Executive Chef for the most exclusive resorts in the Caribbean.  In 2004, Chef Simeon dominated the Taste of the Caribbean by taking home the Gold Medal as well as other awards for ‘Most Innovative Caribbean Menu’ and ‘Individual Hot Food’.

In 2008, Chef Simeon partnered with distinguished collegue, Chef Kenny Gilbert of Cappella Hotels, to form the Restaurant Management Group, Ltd., where he now serves as the Director of Product Development.

Chef Dale Hawkins: Stonewall Resort

Dale Hawkins is Executive Chef for Stonewall Resort near Weston, West Virginia. "I love preparing delicious food. I enjoy it more when I can share it with company as at the resort, or with family and friends. That is truly one of my greatest joys in life". Chef Hawkins has incorporated this passion for food, as well as many of the personal beliefs and experiences that he has collected throughout his life's journey into Stillwaters, the restaurant at Stonewall. The Stillwater menu reflects the seasons, local harvests and that the world is becoming smaller. It draws on products from local family farms, while at the same time takes advantage of increased availability of specialty foods from across the globe. Chef Hawkins' ultimate mission is to use the freshest, high-quality ingredients for every component on the plate.

Kenny Gilbert: Capella Hotels

For Chef Kenny Gilbert,“It’s all in the roots.” Whether those roots are the roots of the food he so passionately works with everyday, his strong family roots, or the roots he cultivates with members at the club, which is a Platinum Club of America’s ‘Five Star’ Private Clubs, the philosophy is the same. “With all things, it’s important to have strong, carefully nurtured roots.”

Chef Kenny Gilbert’s roots began with scrambling eggs in his mother’s kitchen in Cleveland, Ohio. In Tiger Woods-like fashion, it was at the young age of three. By the age of seven, he was perfecting his techniques at his father’s backyard barbeque grill. By the age of 13, it was a traditional, multi-course Thanksgiving dinner for 12. Not long after that he graduated to cooking for his entire high school swim team and for all of the family gatherings. But his childhood passion was not just about the actual cooking. As an insurance executive, his father frequently entertained clients in their home. Early on, he grasped the impact food could have on people. “There was a look that came across people’s faces when they took that first bite. And then there was the social enticement of the food that I loved too,” Chef Kenny reminisces. At just 10 years old, he already enjoyed using food to socially connect with people, in addition to giving people the opportunity to connect with one another. He knew he wanted to be a chef.

After graduating in 1992 from one of the country’s most esteemed culinary schools, the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts, he was offered an opportunity to join The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. Located just one hour north of his mother’s childhood town of St. Augustine, Florida, Chef Kenny saw an opportunity to return to his family’s roots and experience firsthand the culture and the food his Southern mother had introduced to him as a child. The chef worked his way through the kitchen working in gardé manager, the butcher shop, banquets and the pastry shop, as well as on the line of the all-day dining restaurant.

In 1993, Chef Kenny was offered the opportunity to work alongside Chef Matt Medure, executive chef of the resort’s fine dining restaurant, The Grill Room. As Chef Medure’s lead cook and sous chef, the two would make history in 1995 by earning the restaurant its first AAA Five Diamond award and the only one for the entire state of Florida. After Chef Medure’s departure to open his own restaurant in 1996, Chef Kenny Gilbert, at the age of 23, would assume the role of executive chef, the youngest in The Ritz-Carlton company. Under Chef Gilbert’s tutelage, The Grill Room would continue to earn the coveted AAA Five Diamond award for the next seven years.

Over the next few years, he would continue to perfect what was now his signature style of cuisine, international cuisine with a Southern influence. Chef Kenny Gilbert would open an innovative new restaurant, Caxambas, in the restaurant-savvy community of Naples, Florida--owned and operated by Joseph Freni, one of the founders of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. He then joined the team at The Lodge at Sea Island Georgia, a AAA Five Diamond and Mobil Five-Star resort, as executive chef, overseeing five restaurants. It was here he garnered the honor of personally cooking for the G-8 leaders of the world.

In late 2004, the chef once again joined his long-time friend and mentor, Chef and Proprietor Matt Medure, this time as corporate executive chef for the acclaimed restaurant company, the San Marco Group of Restaurants. In late-2005, Chef Kenny returned to The Ritz-Carlton to serve as executive chef for The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club & Spa, Jupiter, the first private country club community to be built by the hotel company. He was responsible for managing the property’s five dining facilities, including a signature Ritz-Carlton dining room, poolside bar and grill, and in-home dining services and catered events. 

“It’s my greatest joy to work with my chefs--to assist them in achieving their dreams. I feel like my dream has come true. Now I just want to give back by giving to them. That’s what gives me the greatest satisfaction,” reflects Chef Kenny. Introspectively, he adds, “I still carry the same focus, the same philosophy, the same love for food that I had as an apprentice. I still love how good food brings people together. I still look for that look when they take their first bite…the one that says I exceeded their expectations. It’s important to stay humble and stay grounded. Ultimately, it’s all about the roots. Stay true to your roots, cultivate strong roots, but give back by planting new ones.”

Dean Holliday:

Bon Appétit Management Company at Oberlin College

Tuna Carpachio with Beet and Watermelon Radish Slaw

After beginning his culinary career at Tommy’s Restaurant in Cleveland Heights in 1986, Executive Chef Dean Holliday realized his talents with the all-natural flavors and textures of fresh local foods. Upon completing his training, Chef Holliday moved on to work in the kitchens of renowned restaurants and private clubs in Cleveland. Under the talented chefs at Giovanni’s, En Provence, Barriceli Inn, Shoreby Club, Weymouth Country Club, Cleveland Skating Club, Z Contemporary and others, he was able to develop his style around the fusion of regional cuisine influences.

Using his custom catering experience, Chef Holliday reinforces the preparation from scratch of local, seasonal produce and fresh meats for Bon Appétit at Oberlin College. Through his cuisine, he promotes sustainability by purchasing from producers who do not use petroleum-based fertilizers on their crops or antibiotics and growth hormones with their livestock. With his love for outdoor activities alongside his wife and children, Chef Holliday excels in the overall reduction of his team’s environmental carbon footprint by measuring, composting and recycling the waste from his kitchen.

 

Zane Holmquist:

The Stein Eriksen Lodge

Tomato Waldorf Salad

Named after a Norwegian mountain by proprietor (and 1952 Olympic gold medal skier) Stein Eriksen, the Glitretind restaurant, located within the Stein Eriksen Lodge, was dubbed “the highest gastronomic peak in town” by Bryan Miller in the New York Times. The Glitretind’s sophisticated menu of New American cuisine, executed by chef Zane Holmquist and his able team, is accented with just enough international flair to thrill the worldliest Park City visitors. Zagat voters declared the restaurant “perfect,” and Condé Nast Traveler named the Lodge the “top mainland United States resort,” in part for the exquisite pleasures created in the Glitretind kitchen. As executive chef, Zane Holmquist leads the talented food and beverage team at Stein Eriksen Lodge and oversees the Lodge's biannual menu development as well as the management of overall kitchen operations and special events. A graduate with honors of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., Holmquist displays his culinary versatility through the variety of dishes served to the Lodge's guests, which range from Seared Foie Gras and Crisped Bananas to Braised Utah Boneless Buffalo Short Ribs to the famous Stein's Wild Game Chili. The majority of Holmquist's award-winning dishes feature local produce and organic products, and the chef was invited in 2005 to showcase his work at the renowned James Beard House. Holmquist joined the food and beverage team at Stein Eriksen Lodge in 2000 and was promoted to executive chef in 2001. Prior to the Lodge, he served as executive chef and food and beverage manager for Goldener Hirsch Inn in Park City where, under his watch, the Inn won top honors for its ski resort food from Condé Nast Traveler and earned five consecutive Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence. He also founded the upscale restaurant, Fuggles, in Salt Lake City in 1994 and served as the banquet chef for the Hyatt Grand Champions Indian Wells, a Mobil Four Star property. The chef's passion for food extends to his enthusiasm for community involvement and he is a participant in the annual Taste of the Nation, a culinary event to support the fight to end hunger.

Truman Jones:

Muse at The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland

Chef's Garden Carrot Smoothie with Anise Hyssop Syrup and Dried Fennel Caviar

With years of experience to his credit, Chef Truman Jones now proudly leads the culinary teams that serve banquet functions, MUSE restaurant, in-room dining and Lobby Lounge on 6 at The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland. 

Chef Jones’ passion for cooking was present at an early age, but it was not until he made the decision to attend the Baltimore International Culinary College in 1993 that he began honing his culinary career.  From the outset he was determined to understand and master each role in a kitchen, and he did so by choosing to work with those chefs from whose talent and leadership he was certain he could grow. 

Several Mobil Five Star and AAA Five Diamond rated restaurants have benefited from Chef Jones’ gifted hands and leadership.  His beginnings were in his childhood hometown of Montgomery, Alabama, but his culinary aspirations have led him to travel and work extensively both throughout the United States and abroad.  Among his previous positions, Jones has worked as the executive sous chef at Campton Place Hotel in San Francisco and Cascadia Restaurant in Seattle, as the chef de cuisine at The Dining Room at Salish Lodge and Spa, Washington, and as the chef de partie in the famed kitchens of restaurants like Lespinasse, Seeger’s and Mas de la Bertrand in Provence, France.  Chef Jones’ culinary history also includes previous posts at other properties within the varied and vibrant Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.  As chef de partie of The Restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta, chef de cuisine and restaurant executive chef of Medici Café and Terrace at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas and most recently as the executive sous chef at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay at The Ritz-Carlton, Powerscourt, Jones has a record of developing creativity through empowerment and providing the confident leadership that has helped create and sustain award-winning culinary teams.

Marlin Kaplan :

LUXE Kitchen & Lounge

Seared Duck Breast with Seet Corn Pudding and Peach Habanero BBQ Sauce accompanied by Fresh Lavender

Blueberry Lemonade (The Bloom)

Anna Kim : Sans Souci

Sweet Corn Gazpacho & Gazborsht Ying Yang. Served with Cucamelon and Sun Gold Tomato Brochette. Micro Basil Garnish. Crispy Chickpea Cake. Sweet Tomato & Popcorn Shoot Salad with Truffle Oil

Chef Kim was born and raised 20 minutes east of Cleveland in the small village of Timberlake, Ohio. She is the oldest of 5, and a lifelong cook who learned from her Mother and Grandmother the secrets of baking. Her Family recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies is the envy of the Hotel Staff.

Anna finished her B.S. in Biology and moved to Scottsdale, Arizona to attend Culinary School where she cooked her way through college as a private chef & caterer. 

 Upon graduation from the Scottsdale Culinary Institute in 2004, she spent 2 years at the Zinc Bistro, a French Bistro in Scottsdale. The Bistro taught her an intense sense of urgency, and high standard of perfection. Her passion lay in the culinary field rather than science as evidenced by her rapid rise at Sans Souci. Her education has influenced her organizational skills as well as her ability to multi-task. She has always had a natural tendency to want to learn exactly why a food product behaves the way it does under different conditions, and why certain techniques produce the results they do. This tendency has enabled her to utilize her background in both science and cooking. She moved back to the Cleveland Area with her (now) husband Edward Kim (a fellow culinarian) in early 2005 to be closer to her family. She spent 3 months as the pastry chef at 3 Birds in Lakewood then moved to Sans Souci in August 2005, where she worked her way up from line cook to culinary supervisor to Restaurant Chef (November 2007).

Johannes Klapdohr:

Old Edwards Inn

Johannes Klapdohr was born in the town of Bad Kreuznach, Germany into a Family of four generations of Hoteliers, Restaurateurs and Chefs, in the beautiful wine region Nahe.

At an early age he discovered his love and passion for the culinary arts and helped in his father’s kitchen with exciting assignments such as picking feathers of pheasants or preparing finely diced heirloom potatoes for the famous family recipe of Fülsel Kartoffel served with a whole roasted suckling pig during wine harvest season.

It was these experiences that would inspire him to begin his professional culinary career and to become a member of the German Chefs Association.

He started his apprenticeship, a combination of culinary school and full time job at a restaurant, under Rainer Knichel in a small hotel in the Hünsruck Mountains where he learned classical French cuisine combined with the regional products farmed, raised or hunted. The most popular seasonal items were wild game (delivered in the fur), forest mushrooms and berries in the fall and the preparation of charcuterie, cooked and smoked hams and blood and liver sausages all made in-house in the summertime.

With this valuable basic education Chef Klapdohr graduated as Chef and took his first position as commis de cuisine at the Haenish Schloβ & City Hotel Group, which owned five boutique hotels in the area surrounding Stuttgart.

Under Executive/Corporate Chef Alois Neises, he enjoyed the classic, uncomplicated, regional but very flavorful swabian cuisine and made his way up quickly through the kitchen brigade.

One of the hotels “Schloβ Hotel Monrepos” housed one of Germany’s first Italian fine dining restaurants “Bugatti.” This venue introduced Chef Klapdohr to the Mediterranean and the northern Italian style of cuisine. No pizzas! Everything was made from scratch and all pastas were homemade.

By the age of 21 after working as executive chef for one season he recognized his passion for fine dining and the desire to work in Michelin star restaurants and prompted his decision to “start all over” in some of the finest establishments in the country.

He began studying at the Relais & Chateau “Hotel Bareiss” in the black forest which has been in the top five of German hotels for decades, went to Franz Raneburger’s famous restaurant “Bamberger Reiter” in Berlin, and to Karl Ederer’s “Gasthaus Glockenbach” in Munich.

Munich was especially attractive for a young chef at the time, because of the intact infrastructure of small farms, the traditional markets and, of course, the great restaurants.

Karl Ederer’s cuisine was different from any one elses at the time and matched perfectly the philosophy of Chef Klapdohr, who has studied nutrition and was very interested in sustainable food preparations combined with regional, healthy ingredients served in fine dining restaurants with an over-riding respect to nature and environment.

The mise en place was basically defined as: whole, sustainably grown vegetables in containers, at your station and wait for the orders to come in! Everything a la minute: proteins and vegetables prepared together in one pan to merge the flavors (a complicated process considering the different cooking times of the variety of ingredients used) and then plated with simple elegance.

The respect for animals meant to use all the parts, and recipes often included tripe, heart, liver and tongue. The animals were always delivered whole and only after the last part of the leg or shoulder was sold, another cow arrived at the kitchen door, cut in 4 and carried by 2 chefs down to the walk-in cooler for aging, together with lambs, goose, pigs and of course in the fall season venison and pheasants, dozens by the week.

In 1992 Karl Ederer was collaborating with Karl Ludwig Schweisfurth to open the Restaurant “Schweinsbräu” of the “Hermansdorfer Landwerkstätten” a project to create a fully self sustainable business operation surrounded by farms that would grow and raise products ecologically and in harmony with nature to be produced, prepared and sold in its own restaurant and retail shop.

It was a perfect microcosm of chef and farmer working/living close together in a responsible and sustainable environment and a real-life example as to how things should be.

After Karl Ederer’s recommendation, Chef Klapdohr started working for Eckard Witzigman, one of only four chefs in the world to be named “Chef of the Century” by Gault Millau, in his world renown, “Restaurant Aubergine”.

This was a very different style of cooking: novel cuisine to perfection in a brigade made of great chefs, classically divided in “parties de cuisine” with an abundance of culinary knowledge and the best products the world can provide.

Compared to the styles above, although the philosophy of using the freshest ingredients was the same, it was the extreme attention to detail, no compromise of the flavor and presentational concepts, combined with the incorporation of many traditional cooking techniques such as braising, confit and newer ones like sous vide, that made the difference and guaranteed ultimate consistency.

With this “final” accomplishment for a Chef, he left Munich and rejoined with Franz Raneburger at his newly opened high volume “Restaurant Schloβ Glineke” in Berlin as Executive Chef. There he combined fine dining and the usage of regional products with the challenge to serve large audiences of up to 350 guests at the restaurant, which was rewarded 15/20 points in the Gault Millau only 8 months after opening.

In 1996, three month before the Olympic Games, it was the Atlanta Hilton & Towers looking for international talent and Chef Klapdohr with little, or better, no English knowledge accepted the position of Sous Chef with the plan to return to Germany after one year.

Shortly after his arrival, he recognized and appreciated the great opportunities that Atlanta had to offer. At the time when its restaurant scene developed faster than anywhere else in the country, Atlanta presented many eclectic and new restaurant concepts opening on a monthly basis.

In 1998 he was assigned the position of Chef de Cuisine at the prestigious and famous Restaurant “Nikolai’s Roof” – Atlanta’s finest award winning restaurant at the time.

It was here where he created a style of cooking that combines southern regional cuisine with the best ingredients to be found in the world, which quickly earned him a place in the best 100 Restaurants in 1999 by Zagat and the Mobil four-star award, making it the only four-star restaurant in downtown Atlanta in 2000.

1998 was also the year Chef Klapdohr discovered The Chef’s Garden in Huron, Ohio, with its traditional as well as unusual products that were sustainably grown with a great commitment to quality. The vegetables, herbs and micros soon became a staple on his menus and created an excitement for his chefs as well as guests, with creations such as:

“Vitello Tomato” an Ida Gold Tomato filled with braised Veal Cheeks in Gremolata Demi-Glaze or The “Pea-riffic” Lobster and Toro Custard with Ginger Shoots: featuring 4 different stages of the pea plant, starting from the sprouts to snow peas, peas and flowers closing the pea’s life cycle.

This was a perfect illustration of the symbiosis of Mediterranean, Classic French, Global and Regional Cuisine while using sustainably grown and raised products.

In 2001, Chef Klapdohr started participating in The Chef’s Garden Food & Wine Festival, an “Annual Celebration of Vegetables” hosted at The Culinary Vegetable Institute.

It was there where he heard the first time about a great resort on the coast of Georgia that has started to rebuild an icon of American Hospitality: The prestigious Sea Island Resorts.

3 years later in 2004, Todd Rogers, the Executive Chef of Sea Island Resorts brought him on board as the Executive Chef of “The Lodge at Sea Island” their Mobil five star, AAA five diamond Hotel, which it has received since its opening in 2001.

The constant research of selecting the finest products in the region, as well as globally, has become Chef Klapdohr’s ultimate passion. To nurture, develop and create sustainable, healthy cuisine that is environmentally responsible continues to be the essence of his culinary philosophy.

He joined The Chef’s Garden Company on December 2007 as Executive Chef of The Culinary Vegetable Institute to further support the dedication of the Chef and Farmer Concept™ in order to provide the best available sustainable products to our guests and families.

Timothy Maxin:

Muse at The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland

Chef's Garden Carrot Smoothie with Anise Hyssop Syrup and Dried Fennel Caviar

The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland proudly announces the addition of Timothy Maxin as the Chef de Cuisine who is behind the creative new menus in MUSE.  

Chef Maxin has long understood that having a grasp of every facet of restaurant operations is an essential quality for a successful chef.  Following this belief and working his way up through restaurants has led him to where he is today, and he brings an understanding of the value of the team effort into the kitchen at MUSE.  Maxin received his formal culinary education at The Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, and was then accepted into an externship program at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island.  The four-month experience turned into two additional years of training at the property when Maxin accepted a full-time position in The Grill Room kitchen. 

Originally from Canton, Ohio, Maxin returned to the area to be near his family at the end of 2004 after his first experience with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.  Over the years Maxin has worked in various positions at several casual and fine dining restaurants in the Canton and Cleveland areas, including the Schwebel Garden Room in Kent and the Canton Club in Canton where he was the Executive Sous Chef.  Recently, he served as the Executive Chef at Little Chicago Bistro in Canton.  With a light American style cooking style and a passion for the combination of natural, seasonal flavors, Maxin’s cooking philosophy is simplicity cooked to perfection.  In creating the menus in MUSE, Chef Maxin has put the flavors first, allowing them to speak for themselves and the success of the meal.

Jaimie McFadden : Cuisiniers

Stilton Bread Pudding with Petite Wild Rhubarb, Upland Cress and Vanilla Grass "Salad"

Jamie is a graduate of Baltimore’s International Culinary College and the La Varenne Cooking School in Burgundy, France.  He has worked abroad in Ireland under Master Chef Peter Timmins and has cooked as a Guest Chef at the James Beard House in New York City.  His reputation as an award-winning chef in Central Florida was earned at various high profile restaurants including his own restaurant, Mimi’s Café & Wine Bar. He co-founded Cuisiniers in 1998 with partners Connie Clark and Jackie Parker.  In 2007 Chef Jamie was named one of Central Florida’s top 20 Chefs, the only chef/caterer to receive this award.  Also, in late 07’ Chef Jamie’s cooking continued to reach new heights while having the honor of cooking live on the “Today” show during there segment of “Dinner in the Sky.

Michael Martir: Harvest Restaurant

Lemon Cucumber White Bean Salad over Crostini with Chilled Tomato Gazpacho

Originally from New York City, Chef Michael Martir remembers at a very young age his great uncle going to work as a chef at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. His mother also spent 12 years at the Russian Tea Room as a server. The restaurant industry was in his blood—growing up he had jobs in deli’s, fast food restaurants and even a diner. However, his family balked at the thought of a career in the industry and insisted he go to college. Coming from a background of hard work but limited finances, he decided to get a job on a commercial fishing boat to pay his way through college (and which provided an education in fish along the way).

Stationed out of Greenport and Montauk, Long Island, Chef Michael took small jobs in the Hamptons when the fish were not running. Working as a dishwasher and prep cook at such notable establishments as Nick and Toni’s, Sapore de Mare, was all it took to give him the ‘fine dining’ bug. Chef Michael moved back to NYC, where he began his culinary career as most young chefs do—taking jobs to build a resume. With stops at Le Cirque with a young Daniel Boulud and Tribeca Grill with Don Pintabona and Drew Nieporent, Chef Michael decided to go to Paris and experience cuisine through a different eye. This brief time instilled the importance of the chef and farmer relationship, something he could not find back in the states at the time.

After a brief stint in Paris, Chef Michael returned to the U.S. but, missing the European attitude towards cooking as a career instead of a job, he decided to get out of the industry all together. He talked to a friend who told him to get involved with the James Beard Foundation. He came as a volunteer one night and the rest was history. “I distinctly remember the night I was assisting Michael Ayube from Cucina Café in Brooklyn when I happened to look up. Julia Child and Jacque Pepin were walking in. They were coming in for a board of trustees’ dinner and here I was prepping for them.’’ That’s heavy pressure for someone at an impressionable age. The next day he quit his “normal” job and called to volunteer full time for 13 months, while picking up odd banquet jobs along the way to pay the bills.

After leaving James Beard, his next position was in public relations as a nationwide chef co-coordinator for such clients as Conde Nasts’ Bon Appetit, City-Meals-on-Wheels, and Wines of Spain. During this time Chef Michael worked with many notable chefs such as Charlie Trotter, Julia Child and Jean-Louis Pallidan. After moving to Baltimore to work with Chef Peter Timmins of Greenbriar fame at Baltimore Country Club, and also working in Washington D.C. for Capitol Restaurant Group, Chef Michael’s wife convinced him to move to Charleston, South Carolina, where he hooked up with Robert Carter at Peninsula Grill.

The next stop was at the renowned Charleston Place in Charleston, where his friend Bob Waggoner recommended him. While Chef Waggoner did not have a permanent place for him, he referred him to a job at The Palmetto Grill in the Charleston Place Hotel.

In 2001, Chef Michael moved to Cape Cod to serve as Executive Sous Chef at Wequassett Inn Resort and Golf Club. After five years he made the move all chefs do in their careers, he went for the executive chef position and joined internationally acclaimed Chatham Bars Inn.

Chef Michael’s cuisine is shaped by a philosophy that  he practices: That is, simple preparations and the daily involvement of working with his staff. He says “The industry today has to realize that it takes more than one person to make a guest experience memorable and that we have the responsibility to train young people about the realties of the industry. I train my staff in every way to succeed in the industry, the most important ingredient is from them…Effort.”

Chef Michael’s success began by teaching proper technique and then allowing his chefs to explore their creative side, while serving food the way it was meant to be. “My philosophy on food is quite simple,” he says. “It should be as fresh as possible, carefully selected with simple preparations that allow the natural product to shine through and complimenting each dish with textures and supporting flavors, with a wide variety of choice that reflects national, international and most importantly regional tastes. In short, the very best of modern cuisine.

In 2006 Chef Michael joined Smithfield Foods as corporate executive chef and the following year became the Global Director of Culinary Services. After 3 years of living through the corporate world of food and how it’s presented to the public he followed his true passion of opening his own restaurant, Harvest. 

Harvest is a place to sit down and have an exceptionally prepared meal rooted in culinary excellence for a reasonable price but as it exists at the intersection of performance and everyday life, it turns an ordinary business proposition into a social sculpture. Harvest makes available all the physical elements and activities of an ordinary restaurant for customers along with cooks, servers, farmers, activists, community members and educators to develop creative projects that extend the vernacular of food to social, political, economical and environmental issues.

Harvest Restaurant is philosophically serving SOLE food or Sustainable, Organic, Local, and Ethical.  SOLE food is part of a larger movement to change the way that people eat, and the sources of their food. Chef Martir believes that eating SOLE food will help people to live longer, healthier lives, and will also benefit the environment. He also believes that it is important to combine all of the elements of SOLE, as food could be organic but not ethical, or local but not sustainable. It is hoped that SOLE food will enhance our connection to the environment, food producers, and our food. Adherents of the SOLE food movement range from proponents of slow food worldwide to major corporations, which are trying to change the way they care for their employees and the world.

Accordingly, Chef Michael participates in as many food events and programs as he can. This feeds his creative interpretation of food, nourishes his desire to stay abreast of the latest food trends and satisfies his need to continually build on his skills as well as maintain his friendships with chefs nationwide who share the same philosophy as himself. . “What's more, we are developing a program that truly inspires our industry, providing the platform from which young professionals can build their careers, farmers can understand how there products effect a local community and encourages the development of the next generation of hospitality professionals, because in the end it is all about what we give back.”

Charles Mereday: Battle House

Charles Mereday was named Area Executive Chef at the Battle House in March of 2007. Mereday brings with him an abundance of culinary expertise developed internationally. From kitchens in France to St. Croix, Virgin Islands to Philadelphia, Mereday has developed exceptional cooking skills with an appreciation for using the best ingredients possible.

Mereday has 12 years of professional Culinary Management experience as an Executive Chef, business owner, restaurant consultant and culinary educator. He graduated from Johnson & Wales University in Charleston and has been inducted in the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who in Food & Beverage. Mereday believes in using the best and freshest ingredients and develops his dishes around the best ingredients. In the Trellis Room, Mereday will feature local seafood items, as well as particular ingredients flown in from some of the world’s top vendors. His focus on quality ingredients is evident on every plate served in the Trellis Room.  The Trellis Room received the AAA four diamond award for 2009.

The historic Battle House hotel was originally built in 1852 and closed in 1974. After an extensive renovation, the hotel reopened on May 11, 2007. The Trellis Room offers fine dining in an inspiring setting. The restaurant’s stain glass ceiling dates back to 1908, while the show kitchen has a modern edge and showcases Chef Charles and his staff in action. For more information on the Battle House and the Trellis Room, visit www.rsabattlehouse.com.

Regan Reik: Pier W

Copper Salmon Tartare, Fennell Hysop Ice Cream

Chef Reik is a veteran of world-class dining. He works daily to present Pier W customers with contemporary and creative American dishes derived from sustainable and often local sources.

Chef Reik interned at the esteemed Alain Ducasse at the Essex House in New York under Chef Didder Elaina, Chef de Cuisine. It was there at the upscale, Michelin 3 Star restaurant that he gained an affinity for using the best quality ingredients to create impeccable courses. His experience in the kitchen at Alain became the cornerstone of his approach to cooking throughout his career.
Previous to Pier W, Chef Reik was Executive Sous chef of The Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn Michigan – a classic French style brigade kitchen and spent time at other Ritz-Carlton locations including as Chef de Cuisine in Battery Park, New York where he was a member of the team that developed the steakhouse concept which was later blueprinted for other Ritz locations. In New York, Chef Reik was featured on Fox Network’s Fox and Friends instructing the national audience on how to make holiday dishes like a chef. He spent time at the Ritz-Carlton in Cleveland as Executive Sous chef where he helped design the opening menu for Century Restaurant.

 

Jonathon Sawyer:

The Greenhouse Tavern

Chevre Salad with Ohio Goat Confit, Herb Salad and Sheep's Milk Cheese

Jeffrey Slough:

North Hills Country Club

Spicy Asian Duck Rolls, Asian Cabbage, Burnt Orange Tamarind Sauce

Jeff Slough was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  He is married with two grown children and resides in Brooksfield,Wisconsin (a suburb of Milwaukee.)

Jeff graduated from Mikwaukee Area Technical College in 1975 with a degree in restaurant hospitality.  He started his career at Grenadiers Restaurant in Milwaukee and worked theere for five years.  Then he worked a number of restaurant until he landed at North Hills Country Club in 1982 as Executive Chef and has been their ever since. 

Jeff has won gold and silver medals in various food competitions and now travels and works in restaurants around the country and abroad on his time off to further his education.

Jeff has also been involved in numerous charities for the community for the last 30 years.

Celina Tio: j u l i a(n)

"Carnitas Taco" with Egg, Cilantro, Lime, Beans and Rice

A typical day for Celina Tio used to involve shopping lists, Julia Child and The Galloping Gourmet reruns, baking and cooking for family and friends. That was when she was eight. Inheriting her passion for cooking and learning her culinary skills from the men in her life - her brother, father and grandfather - Celina knew at that early age that she wanted to be a chef. Having seen a woman with a TV cooking show, the thought never crossed her mind that she couldn't make a career of it.

While growing up Celina would save her allowance and birthday money to dine at some of the finest restaurants in Philadelphia. At 15 she started her career in the hospitality business as a bus girl in a hotel restaurant dining room where she began to learn the fine details of service and to anticipate the needs of the guests. After two years Celina moved on to serving. Then at 18 years of age, and having been accepted to Drexel University's Hospitality program, she begged her Kitchen Manager at Bennigan's to let her work in the kitchen: her “official” culinary beginning.

After graduating from Drexel University with a B.S. in Hotel and Restaurant Management and Minors in Business and Psychology, Celina contemplated going to culinary school but opted for the “hands on” experience of working her way up at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Philadelphia. She started as the breakfast cook and in just under two years - at the age of 23 - became the Chef of The Grill Room.

From the Ritz-Carlton, Celina moved to Orlando to work for Walt Disney World where she opened two of their specialty restaurants: Spoodles, which features Mediterranean cuisine, and Citricos, specializing in dishes from the south of France. She was chosen to be the Task Force Chef for Palo, the fine dining Italian restaurant aboard the M.S. Magic. Celina was then Chef of Narcoossee's for two years prior to accepting a position as Executive Chef of The American Restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri.

Having been at The American Restaurant just over four years Celina had already garnered many accolades and had been featured in local and national press. The Kansas City Star's food critic, Lauren Chapin, wrote: “Consider the skills necessary to ascend a peak: balance, calmness, concentration, focus and forethought ... Tio brings the same attributes to her professional life. Her dishes are composed and understated; her flavors balanced and concentrated.” Chapin went on to say that every dish she sampled was “technically flawless and perfectly flavored.”

Celina has not only wowed local critics, but was named one of thirteen “Chefs to keep your eye on” in Esquire magazine. John Mariani also praised his dining experience at The American Restaurant as one of seven “Best Meals in the USA” in his Virtual Gourmet column and recently wrote in Wine Spectator, “…Tio has matured into one of the more outstanding chefs in the United States today, with a style of her own ..." Celina was named 2005 Chef of the Year by Chef magazine and was just garnered 2007 Best Chef: Midwest by the James Beard Foundation. Chef Celina still keeps her days busy with shopping lists and cooking for her loyal guests, friends and family, much as she did when she was eight.

Omar Torres : Citron

Braised Kobe Beef Cheeks a la Gastrovac with Beets Puree

Omar studied Hotel and Restaurant Management at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico. He started his career in the culinary arts in 1992 when he joined the Hard Rock Café restaurant in San Juan where he worked as a banquet chef. Back in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Omar was in charge of catering for many artists and politicians such as Puerto Rican Governor Pedro Rosello and the world famous rock band “Boston” just to name a few. In 1999 he moved to Orlando, Florida, and worked at the TD Waterhouse Centre as the Arena Club Chef where he implied his passion for cooking. As the Arena Club Chef he was able to create and prepare fine menus for the owners and players of the Orlando Magic, NBA Basketball Team and their visitors. In 2005 he joined the AAA Four Diamond and Mobil Four Star Grande Lakes Resort (JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton) where he proudly works as chef of Citron, an American Brasserie. Omar has created great synergy with the food and beverage team and associates to continue improve guest and associate satisfaction while maintaining the budget. Omar’s passion for the culinary industry has made Citron restaurant one of the favorite options for dining in Orlando.

Lee Anne Wong :

Supervising Culinary Producer,

Top Chef

Chef Lee Anne Wong exchanged one creative calling for another when she abandoned her career in fashion design to attend The French Culinary Institute in 2000. She has since returned to the school as the Executive Chef of Event Operations, where she now composes original menus of her modern global fusion style, drawing on her artistic background for inspiration.
After graduating The FCI, she worked her way up through Marcus Samuelsson’s kitchen at Aquavit to become the restaurant’s sous chef. After learning all she could from Chef Samuelsson, she spent two years as the private chef for the head of a Fortune 500 company and as an integral part of the opening staff at Jean Georges Vongrichten’s much lauded Chinese restaurant, 66.
Chef Lee Anne returned to her alma mater as Executive Chef of Event Operations. In this post, she draws on her creativity to design and customize one-of-a-kind menus and events for the clients of the school’s International Culinary Theater. “I try to create menus that capture an artistic essence, with dishes that are a joy to look at, different, fun, and almost sculptural, while exciting the palate with subtle layers of flavor and unexpected tastes and textures,” says Chef Lee Anne. She also plays an important part in the education of the students at The French Culinary Institute as the host and coordinator of the school’s Chef Demonstration Program, working side-by-side with the culinary world’s leading luminaries such as Jacques Pepin, Andre Soltner, Tyler Florence, and Martin Yan. Lee Anne has established herself amongst her peers not only professionally, but also personally with friends such as Aaron Sanchez and Nils Noren.
Chef Lee Anne doesn’t just work with world famous chefs in her kitchen though; she maintains close ties to what’s going on in the industry by traveling the globe to complete stages in some of the world’s most respected restaurants and also by competing in culinary competitions. She has already worked at the French Laundry, Charlie Trotter’s of Chicago, Nobu Malibu, Trio, Casa Oaxaca in Mexico, and Cap Jaluca in the British Virgin Islands. In addition to working as a guest in various kitchens, Chef Lee Anne also conducts classes at the Culinary Vegetable Institute at Chef’s Garden in Milan, Ohio, and at The Chopping Block Cooking School in Chicago. She is also an active member in WCR (Women Chefs & Restaurateurs), the James Beard Foundation, and IACP (The International Association of Culinary Professionals). She has recently been appointed to the Board of Directors for The Gohan Foundation, an organization dedicated to fostering Japanese culinary and cultural heritage in the US, via chefs and other culinary professionals. In addition, Lee Anne was recently named “National Toastmaster” for Project by Project’s 10th Anniversary. Project by Project is a volunteer based organization which supports and partners with Asian American non-profit organizations and their goals, ranging in focus from children and families, to media and arts, to human trafficking.
In late 2005, Lee Anne flew out west to film Bravo’s new reality series “Top Chef”, a culinary competition showcasing some of the nation’s top new talent. Upon her return to New York, Chef Wong rang in 2006 by cooking an extravagant New Year’s Eve dinner at The James Beard House. These days she is as busy as ever, recently completing culinary consultation on the new Warner Brothers film “No Reservations”, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart. She also assisted in the production of “Chef’s Story”, a new TV series filmed at The FCI starring 26 of America’s greatest chefs including Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, and Rick Bayless, which aired on PBS in Spring of 2007. Chef Lee Anne returned from Los Angeles and Hawaii and was brought onboard as the Supervising Culinary Producer for Season Two of Top Chef. She is currently starring in her own weekly webisode series, “The Wong Way to Cook” on Bravotv.com., which is in it’s fourth season of production. Chef Lee Anne is also playing a vital role in the design of The FCI’s Culinary Lab, a state-of-the-art laboratory and classroom outfitted with today’s most cutting edge technology and equipment, slated to open in 2008. Here, she will work alongside visiting chefs and The FCI’s Director of Culinary Technology, David Arnold, in continuing to develop and showcase the next generation of avant garde cooking techniques.
Lee Anne is moving forward with her versatile pursuits in 2008, continuing her role as the Supervising Culinary Producer for Top Chef, recently completing Seasons Three and Four in Miami and Chicago in 2007. She is currently working on a food art book with published photographer, John Mark Sorum, and is in the midst of developing her own television food show. While she maintains her role at The French Culinary Institute, she continues to be in demand across the country, making guest appearances and consulting on new culinary projects.

Erica Wides : ICE

Pastrami-Cured Duck with Rye- Bread Pudding, Purple Kohlrabi and Easter Egg Radish Slaw, Pickled Heirloom Carrots and Micro Caraway

Chef Erica Wides is a teacher at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City.  She has also taught classes in Singapore, Tokyo, and Bogota, Colombia.  She has been featured on many television shows including the Food Network.  Erica has appeared in many magazines and newspapers such as The New York Times, The New York Post, Redbook Magazine and Harpers Bazaar.

Chef Erica received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from the School of Visual Arts in New York and training from the Culinary Institute of America and the New School for Social Research.

In addition to her job as a culinary and a baking/pastry instructor, Chef Erica serves as a personal chef and baking instructor in the New York area and has worked at several restaurants.