/sites/all/themes/penton_subtheme_nrn/images/logos/footer.png
Nation's Restaurant News
Chefs on the Move: New hires at hotels and restaurants across the country
Bret Thorn Jun 10, 2022

1 46

X

1 46

ADVERTISEMENT

Maria Arenas has been promoted to pastry chef of ZuZu at the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale, Ariz. She comes from a family of bakers in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where her grandmother had a cake business and was a pastry director at a local culinary school. Arenas also studied pastry at the Escuela de Arte Gastronómico and the Instituto Argentino De Gastronomía in Buenos Aires and worked for a restaurant chain there before moving to Scottsdale and joining ZuZu in 2018. 

Jared Bacheller is the new executive pastry chef at Mooncusser in Boston. He spent seven years at L’Espalier in Boston, and when it closed he moved to Chicago and worked as pastry chef at Acadia, Sixteen and Entente before returning to Boston to work at Mooncusser. 

Patrick Beach is the new assistant sous chef of Cabana Beach Club at the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Previously he cooked at the property’s Vernon’s First Coast Kitchen & Bar and before that held various positions at the Deer Creek Country Club, The Lodge and Club at Pont Vedra Beach and The King & Bear Golf Course at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla.

Peter Belmonte is the new executive chef of The Williams Inn in Williamstown, Mass., and its restaurant, The Barn Kitchen & Bar. Most recently he worked for the Life-House Hotels Lenox Collection in Lenox, Mass., where he oversaw the culinary programs for The Church Street Inn, Ophelia’s Restaurant, Rookwood Inn and Birchwood Inn.

Jessica Bograd is the new senior director of culinary at City Barbeque, based in Dublin, Ohio. Most recently she was directory of culinary innovation and strategy for consulting firm CSSI Culinary & Marketing. She also is active on the competitive barbecue circuit.

Laurent Branlard is the new executive pastry chef of the Fontainbleau Miami Beach. He had spent the past 19 years as executive pastry chef for Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Fla.

Evan Campbell is the new executive chef of Poco Diablo Resort in Sedona, Ariz. Originally from Woodbridge, Va., he most recently was executive chef at The Stables at Belmont & The Franklin Inn in Richmond, Va., and prior to that was executive chef of The Trophy Room in Boston.

John Clements is the new executive chef of Mission Point Resort on Macinac Island in Michigan. He previously held executive chef positions at other Mission Point restaurants including Round Island Kitchen, Chianti, Bistro on the Greens and Boxwood Coffeeshop & Cafe. He also worked as executive chef of Lakewood Country Club in Westlake, Ohio, and at The Village Club and Plum Hollow Country Club in Southfield, Mich., and Birchwood Farm Golf and Country Club in Harbor Springs, Mich.

Sharde Cole is the new pastry chef at Emeril’s New Orleans. She has spent the past five years in the city working in the pastry kitchens of The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans, Willa Jean, Gracious Bakery and Bywater American Bistro.

Sean Collins is executive chef of Marina del Rey Hotel. He started cooking while working as a line cook alongside his uncle at the Ocean Trail Golf Course in Ranch Palos Verdes, Calif. He also has worked at Baltaire, Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel Air, Gordon Ramsay at The London West Hollywood, Bouchon Beverly Hills and Anisette in Santa Monica, Calif.  

Chris Crary is culinary director of 1 Hotel Nashville. Originally from Bucyrus, Ohio, he studied at the Johnson & Wales University campuses in Norfolk, Va., and Providence, R.I., and soon was hired as executive chef of Eclectic Grill in Providence. He went on to be kitchen manager of Florentine Grill in North Providence. He then moved to California and worked in restaurants including Jack’s in La Jolla, Whist and 41 Ocean in Santa Monica and Hyde Sunset Kitchen in Los Angeles, when he appeared on Season 9 of the Bravo TV series Top Chef. He then became executive chef of 1 Hotel West Hollywood before moving to Nashville to open a similar hotel there. 

Andrew Court is the new executive chef of the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile hotel. Originally from Birmingham, England, he earned a bachelor’s degree in food and tourism studies from the University of Birmingham and then studied hospitality management at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. He began his culinary career in Birmingham in 1982 and has since worked in Portugal, Bermuda and Canada, as well as the United States, where he moved in 2014 to be executive chef of The Fairmont San Francisco. He went on to be executive chef of The Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, Calif, and then executive chef of the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C. Most recently he worked as a consulting chef for The Elora Mill Hotel & Spa in Elora, Ontario, and other properties.

ImagesbyLaw

Sezer Deniz is the new chef of Area 31 restaurant at the Kimpton Epic Hotel in Miami. He started cooking in his hometown of Antalya, Turkey, at properties including Rixos Hotels, Calista Luxury Resort and Mardan Palace. He then attended culinary school in Miami and became chef de partie at Alinea in Chicago, followed by jobs at the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort in Miami Beach, Fla., the W Miami and J.W. Marriott in Ankara, Turkey. Most recently he was chef of The H Orlando.

Jay Donahue is executive chef of Shaker & Spear in Seattle. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., he got his start at John’s Island Club in Vero Beach, Fla. He went on to work as sous chef at other area restaurants including Costa d’Este Beach Resort & Spa, also in Vero Beach. He then moved to Seattle with Marriott Hotels and soon moved to Colorado to be sous chef of the Denver Marriott City Center.
Next he was banquet chef of Hotel Born, a Kimpton property in Denver and went on to be task force executive sous chef and assistant general manager for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants before joining Shaker & Spear.

Chris Fagan is the new chef de cuisine of Emeril’s New Orleans. He joined the Emeril group in 1999 as sous chef of NOLA Restaurant and since then has worked at Emeril’s Miami and then returned back to NOLA before taking his new position. 

Andres Farias is executive chef of the Omni La Mansión del Rio and the Mokara Hotel & Spa, both in San Antonio, Texas. Before joining that property he spent four years as executive chef of the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago and prior to that he was executive sous chef of the Trump National Doral in Miami. 

Efrain Duenas Photography

Aaron Fitterman is the new  executive chef of Nerai in New York City, where he was born and raised. He has spent the past eight years as executive chef of Aretsky’s Patroon, but also worked at such notable New York restaurants as Tabla, the Biltmore Room, Five Points and Public.

Marco Flores is the new executive chef of Hilton Aventura Miami. Most recently he was executive chef of the Fort Lauderdale Marriott North and before that he worked at Le Meridien by Marriott in Dania Beach, Fla., and the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, Fla.

Billy Haynes is the new executive chef of Leroy’s at The Kinney SLO in San Luis Obispo, Calif. After getting a culinary degree from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, he started as a line cook at Gary Danko in that city before becoming executive chef of the Holiday Inn Select in Bakersfield, Calif., and then executive at the Four Points by Sheraton in San Diego. After that he was banquet chef at Hilton San Diego Bay, a cook at Sandcastle Inn in Pismo Beach, Calif., and most recently executive chef of Las Brisas in San Luis Obispo.

Josh Healy has been promoted to chef de cuisine from executive sous chef of the Dallas location of Loro, Hai Hospitality’s Asian Smokehouse concept. He is replacing Mike Perez, who has been promoted to regional chef. Previously he was corporate executive chef of Dallas-based Neapolitan pizzeria Cane Rosso. He also has worked under multiple big-name chefs at prestigious restaurants including Matt McCallister’s Filament in Dallas, Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s The Edition Miami Beach, Jeff McInnis’s Yardbar Southern Table and Bar in Washington, D.C. and Giorgio Rapicavoli’s The Eating House in Coral Gables, Fla. 

Jorge Hernández is the new executive chef of Hotel Emma at Pearl in San Antonio, Texas. He spent more than 15 years with José Andrés’s ThinkFoodGroup, including as head chef of minibar in Washington, D.C. Most recently he was culinary director for The Mighty Union, overseeing culinary operations at the Carpenter Hotel in Austin, Texas and Suttle Lodge & Boathouse in Sisters, Ore.

Shinwoo Kang is the new executive chef of BLT Steak’s Washington, D.C., location. He spent three years as executive chef of Sushiko in D.C., followed by a stint as chef de partie at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in the same city. Next he was sous chef at Adour at the St. Regis in D.C., and then executive chef of The Lafayette, also in D.C. Immediately before joining BLT Steak, he was executive chef of BLT Prime by David Burke’s D.C. location.

Shaun King is the chef de cuisine of the recently opened Uchiko in Houston. Previously he was executive chef of Momofuku in Las Vegas and also worked at Mina Group’s Ramen Bar and The Dawson in Chicago.

Justin Koslowsky has been promoted to executive restaurant chef, from chef de cuisine, of Chemin à la Mer at the Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans. Before joining the property he was executive chef of Seaworthy, also in New Orleans and prior to that he was chef de cuisine of Josephine Estella at the Ace Hotel in New Orleans. 

Drew Kirkland is the new executive chef of Apron restaurant and The Rooftop at the Overland at the Kimpton Overland Hotel near the Atlanta airport. Originally from Tampa, Fla., he studied at the Florida Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach before joining that city’s PGA National Resort & Spa. Then he moved to Atlanta and worked under the tutelage of chef and restaurateur Kevin Rathbun, eventually working as chef de cuisine at Rathbun’s, Krog Bar and Kevin Rathbun Steak. He went on to head up the kitchen of Epicurean Atlanta Hotel before joining the Kimpton property.

Sebastian La Rocca is executive chef of restaurants at Hilton Columbus Downtown, where he will oversee the opening of three restaurants opening this fall: FYR, Stories on High and Spark. Originally from Argentina, La Rocca was most recently chef and owner of Eat Gastro Group in Costa Rica. He also has worked at the Four Seasons and the El Mangroove Autograph Collection in Costa Rica, Faena Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Hanbury Manor by Marriott Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom.

Juan Lopez has been promoted to executive chef from executive sous chef of the Hilton Anaheim, where he has worked since 1985. Prior to that he worked primarily with European chefs in banquet departments. 

Dagan Lynn has been named executive chef of Le Méridien Denver Downtown. Originally from Colorado, he went to culinary school in Portland, Ore., before moving to New York City and working at Alain Ducasse and Thomas Keller properties before joining Starwood Hotels and Resorts, working at The Westin Houston Memorial City, The Westin Minneapolis and the W Retreat & Spa Vieques Island in Puerto Rico.

Edgar Maldonado is executive chef of the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Originally from Venezuela, Maldonado has more than 27 years of food & beverage experience, including 18 with Marriott, International.

Alex Malmborg is the new executive chef The St. Regis Deer Valley in Park City, Utah. Most recently senior manager of food and beverage at Vail Resorts/Park City Mountain Resort in Salt Lake City, Utah, and before that the property’s “mountain dining executive chef,”, the native of Rowley, Mass.., got a bachelor’s degree from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., as well as a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the College of The Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. 

Nicholas Marino is the new executive chef of the Waldorf Astoria Chicago hotel. Most recently he was executive chef of the Omni Chicago Hotel, but he was the Waldorf’s executive sous chef in 2015. He also has held executive chef positions at the Hilton Des Moines Downtown and the Sorrel River Ranch Resort and Spa in Moab, Utah.

Philip Martin is the new chef/partner at Trio Palm Springs. Originally from Los Angeles, he attended culinary school in Pasadena, Calif., and then moved to New York City and worked at Bouley. He then returned home and worked at a variety of restaurants including Drago Centro, Red Medicine, The Bazaar by José Andrés and Alma. He was also campus chef of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Walt Disney Concert Hall. 

Chris Neff is executive chef of Noelle hotel in Nashville. Originally from San Antonio, Neff has spent nearly 20 years in professional kitchens, including jobs at hotel companies J.W. Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, The Four Seasons and Kimpton as well as Atlanta-based Fifth Group Restaurants.

Guara Pimenta is the new chef de cuisine of Yotel in Boston. Previously he was executive chef at a number of Massachusetts restaurants including Kingston Station and Les Zygomates in Boston and The Blue Ox in Lynn.

Michael Poompan is the new executive chef of The Slate Denver hotel. Most recently he was executive chef of the Ritz-Carlton, Denver. He began his career at the Renaissance Long Beach Hotel and went on to be opening chef of the Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage and then executive chef of the Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa in San Diego. 

Jonathan Rodriguez is the new executive chef and food & beverage director of Sal y Mar at the Aloft and Element Hotel in Tampa, where he also will oversee F&B for catering and meetings. Most recently he was executive chef of Sea Salt in St. Petersburg, Fla. He also has worked at the Trump National Golf Club Westchester in New York, the Opal Sands Resort in Clearwater, Fla., and at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Fla. 

Jacqueline Rojo is the new pastry chef of The Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park in El Paso, Texas. The El Paso native earned an associate’s degree in baking and pastry from the Art Institute of Austin and then worked in a variety of Texas restaurants including the Lakeway Resort & Spa in Lakeway and the InterContinental SFA Hotel in Austin. Most recently she oversaw the baking and pastry department at the El Paso Country Club.

Michael Rostafin is the new chef de cuisine of The Ritz-Carlton, Boston. Starting his career as a caterer in Connecticut, Rostafin went on to work at Bobby Flay’s Bar American at the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Conn. His résumé also includes work at Ça Va Brasserie at the InterContinental Hotel in New York City and at the InterContinental in Boston. Most recently he was executive chef of the Provincetown Inn in Provincetown, Mass.  

Peter Rudolph is the new executive chef of the Cape Arundel Inn & Resort in Kennebunkport, Maine and its fine-dining restaurant, Ocean. Most recently he was executive chef of Union Restaurant at The Press Hotel in Portland, Maine. 

Rudolph has spent much of his career working for Ritz-Carlton properties, starting in Atlanta and then moving to the hotels at Marina Del Rey and Half Moon Bay in California. Prior to working at The Press Hotel he was executive chef of Madera Restaurant and Madera Bar at Rosewood Sand Hill Hotel & Resort in Menlo Park, Calif.

Jeremy Shigekane is the new executive chef of 100 Sails Restaurant & Bar at Prince Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawaii. Most recently he was chef and owner of M by Jeremy Shigekane, also in Honolulu, and before that he was at The Royal Hawaiian, Hoku’s at the Kahala Hotel and Chai’s Island Bistro. Before moving to Hawaii Shigekane worked in kitchens in New York City, including Bouley and Café Gray, and San Francisco Bay area restaurants including the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay and Hawthorne Lane. 

Dawn Taylor-Cole is the new executive chef of the W hotel I n San Francisco. Previously she was chef of The Clancy, Autograph Collection in San Francisco and before that was executive chef of The Cliff Royal Sonesta Hotel, also in San Francisco. Before that she was executive sous chef of the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco.

Eric Theiss is the new executive chef of J.W. Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, Calif. Most recently he was executive chef of Hotel Paseo, also in Palm Desert, and before that he was director of operations and executive chef of Renaissance Esmerelda Resort & Spa, Indian Wells in Indian Wells, Calif.

Chai Trivedi is executive chef of Hidden Leaf, which opened in New York City in early June. The New York native got into cooking by traveling and apprenticing with chefs in Southeast Asia before returning home and working as sous chef at Sapa before becoming executive chef of Pranna. He went on to be executive sous chef of Buddakan and then executive chef at the Eventi Hotel. Next he ran the kitchen at the Renaissance New York Midtown followed by a stint as executive sous chef at Lafayette Grand Café and Bakery. Prior to joining Hidden Leaf he was executive chef of the Hotel Indigo Williamsburg in Brooklyn.

Drew Van Leuvan is the new culinary director of Farm Burger, an Atlanta-based chain specializing in grass-fed beef burgers. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., Van Leuven worked under such chefs as Jean-Louis Palladin, Guenter Seeger, Wylie Dufresne, Joel Antunes, Sam Mason and Mark Dommen. He spent eight years as the executive chef of Seven Lamps in Atlanta and most recently was executive chef of Ecco Buckhead.

Madison Daley

Julieta Vera is the new executive chef of Howm Cocina and Cocktails in New York City. Previously she spent seven years as executive chef and manager of Porteño Restaurant, also in New York City. Before that she taught culinary arts at the Instituto Argentino de Gastronomía in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

Stephen Yen is the new executive chef of Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J. He is a graduate of the French Culinary institute (now the International Culinary Center) in New York City and former executive chef of Tao and Catch, also in New York. Most recently he was corporate executive chef of Paige Hospitality in New York.

Next Up
30 restaurant executives on the move in March
Start Slideshow ›