Acerca de mí
I began my culinary career in Wisconsin, receiving a Culinary Arts
degree from the Milwaukee Area Technical College. My first job was
cooking at the Oakland Cafe in Milwaukee but soon moved to the highly
regarded Pfister Hotel where I trained as line and pantry cook.
The sunny skies of California beckoned however and I moved to Pasadena
in 1993, securing a position at Pinot Bistro under chef/founder
Joachim Splichal and executive chef Octavio Beccera.
Then for five years I was first sous chef, then chef de cuisine at the
Twin Palms in Pasadena working under chef/owner Michael Roberts. I was
then promoted to the position of executive chef at the Twin Palms in
Valencia.
In 2000, my association with Joachim Splichal continued when I
accepted a position as lead line cook at Patina in Los Angeles. I was
quickly promoted to sous chef for Splichal's Cafe Pinot, and then for
three years was executive chef at Pinot Hollywood. Ultimately, I
became executive chef at Nick and Stef's Steakhouse, another Splichal
creation where I assumed complete responsibility for all kitchen
operations of the 250 seat restaurant.
During my years in Splichal's restaurants, I made the acquaintance of
Walter Manzke, long time executive chef at Patina. Manzke, then
executive chef at David Fink's Mirabel Hotel and Restaurant Group,
introduced me to David Fink and I become Executive Chef at Cantintta
Luca, the Group's third restaurant, which opened late 2006 in
beautiful Carmel California.
Premios, Reconocimientos, y Sociedades
"Best Restaurant in Carmel" - Monterey County Reader's Poll (2008)