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Prior to landing in Dallas, I was responsible for the culinary department at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City that saw more than $26 million in annual food and beverage sales. Located in an exclusive new development in the Time Warner Center on Columbus Circle, the Mandarin Oriental New York gave me entree to cultivate the allegiance of Manhattan’s dining elite.
Since the Mandarin has breathtaking views of New York’s skyline and Central Park, the hotel has a nice slice of the Big Apple. The city’s society and civic leaders hold their most prestigious parties and galas there. Learning to please their discerning palates is invaluable to any culinary career. Liza Minnelli was pretty close to the mark when she sang, ‘If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere!’
A highly decorated United States Marine, I earned my cooking stripes at the School Craft College in Livonia, Michigan, in 1997. My leadership abilities and proficiency in the kitchen quickly proved a winning combination, catching the eye of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, which put me in charge of The Grill at its property in Dearborn, Michigan. During my tenure at Ritz, the restaurant was rated number one in the company by J.D. Powers and Associates – and scored in the top ten in Conde Nast Traveler’s 1999 U.S. rankings.
My reputation established, I was recruited by the Mandarin Oriental Miami in 2001, to oversee five outlets, including the Café Sambal. While there, the Food Network’s The Best of named Café Sambal “The Best Lunchtime Hotspot.” It was at Mandarin Oriental that I refined my own version of French Asian cuisine that has become my signature in New York culinary circles. At the New York property, which I helped open, I was part of the executive team that garnered the industry’s top honors for 2004 – from Conde Nast Traveler’s “Hot List” and The Robb Report’s “Best of the Best” to Food and Wine’s “Best New Wine Lists” and Travel & Leisure’s “15 Hotels to Watch – The World’s Best.”
I'm a Michigan native. My wife, Michelle, and I have two boys, Malachi and Gideon. When I'm not in the kitchen, I enjoy practicing the martial arts.
Premios, Reconocimientos, y Sociedades
Praise for The French Room at the Adolphus Hotel:
- The 2006/2007 Zagat Survey named it the #1 hotel restaurant in America.
- Travel & Leisure chose it for its rankings of “America’s Top 50 Restaurants” and the “twenty-five best dining experiences in the world.”
- USA Today recently featured the Zagat Survey's 100 Top Hotel Restaurants in America. Based on on food quality, decor, and service, The French Room is #1. "The French Room is only one of two Zagat rated restaurants worldwide to receive ratings of 29 (of 30) across the board in the last five years." - Tim Zagat
- "A Religious Experience....Five Stars for Food, Service, and Ambiance" - Dallas Morning News
- "One of World's Top 25 Dining Experiences" - Travel & Leisure Magazine
- "Top 11 American Restaurants" - AOL Food
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