HOtELiEr Profile Gabriel Nahas Gabriel Nahas serves as the Executive Chef at the DoubleTree by Hilton Sonoma Wine Country. Nahas has been working at the DoubleTree by Hilton Sonoma Wine Country for five months and has quickly made his mark in building a garden on the property. The garden serves as a source of organic fresh vegetables which are incorporated into the restaurant and catering menu of the property. Tell us a little about yourself. I have a beautiful 15 month old baby girl named Natalie, and the most wonderful wife, Janel—they inspire me to be the best father, husband, and chef every day. How did the idea of a garden at DoubleTree Sonoma come about? I was the sous chef at Zazu about five years ago. The restaurant had an enormous garden and I learned how to produce and use fresh vegetables on a menu. As soon as I started working at the DoubleTree, I asked General Manager Steve Jung and Food and Beverage Director Kate Humphries if I could start a garden program. They were more than accommodating to the idea. I believe cooking with organic fresh products produces the best and most nutritious meals, and having the garden promotes this. We hope to expand the garden soon! 16 California Hotel & Lodging Association SPRING 2015 Executive Chef, DoubleTree by Hilton Sonoma Wine Country What is grown in the DoubleTree Sonoma’s garden? It is winter right now, so we are growing a lot of kale and chard, beets, onions, arugula, and fresh herbs. We will start the heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, and cucumbers this month! What are some examples of how you use what is grown from the garden? We use as much as possible for our restaurant on property, Bacchus. For large groups, we offer a farm-to-table dinner option, where we buy local organic vegetables and heritage organic meats and supplement the meal from our garden. our guests love frolicking in the garden, picking fresh vegetables, and talking with our chefs about how they are used in the kitchen.
CHLA lodging News Spring 2015
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