SPRinG 2016 California Hotel & Lodging Association 15 What challenges have you encountered in your position? it can be challenging when we don’t receive a group’s food and beverage requirements within the advised timeline. it’s our constant goal to accommodate food preferences, and the more advance time we have, the better job we’re able to do. Although we have more consistency than many hotel culinary teams, we work as a very tight team so any time we have a staff member leave it presents a challenge. What is a typical workday like for you? Being ahead of the game is a major priority in my daily routine. i start each day by meeting with my culinary staff to discuss our top priorities, the groups we have coming in, special menu requests, etc. i attend a lot of planning meetings throughout the day. The Westin St. Francis is an extremely busy hotel so our culinary team is always creating custom menus for groups of several hundred people. What advice do you have for those interested in entering the hospitality industry? it is very important to gain experience by working in a variety of restaurants. Chefs who are new to the industry should not be afraid of switching jobs in order to learn new techniques from different chefs. On a personal level, it’s also very important to foster good working relationships with colleagues and to not allow egos to get in the way. Have you won any awards? yes, i am so honored to have been voted “Chef of the year of the Pacific Coast” by the American Culinary Federation. i have won the “inspirational Award” from Westin, and the “Antonine Careme” medal from the Chef’s Association of the Pacific Coast. in 2012, i won the California Hotel’s & Lodging Association’s “Stars of the industry” award for outstanding manager of the year, and “Lifetime Achievement” award at the San Francisco Hotel Council’s Hotel Heroes annual awards. What is your favorite type of food to cook? That is like asking me who is my favorite child (chuckling). As a chef, i love all the foods that i get to work with. Especially seasonal products—they are simple, healthy and fresh.
CH_LA Lodging News Spring 2016
To see the actual publication please follow the link above