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After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, Melissa J Rodriguez started her professional culinary career with Elaine Bell Catering and at Oceana. In 2006, she was hired as a line cook at Daniel Boulud’s flagship Restaurant Daniel, where she quickly rose the ranks to sous chef. After five years at Daniel, Melissa joined the team at Del Posto where she was soon promoted to Chef de Cuisine. Two years later, Melissa was named Executive Chef, making her the first woman at the helm of a restaurant awarded four stars by the New York Times. Like most New York restaurants, Del Posto closed in March 2019. In the summer of 2020, Melissa partnered with Restaurateur Jeff Katz–with whom she worked for almost a decade at Del Posto to acquire the space previously occupied by Del Posto at 85 Tenth Avenue. In 2022, the team opened a trio of restaurants in that space: a fine Italian restaurant called Al Coro; a subterranean cocktail bar called Discolo; and a pizza restaurant next door called Mel’s. Just months after it opened, Al Coro was awarded two stars from the Michelin Guide.
With an illustrious culinary career spanning 18 years, Chef Jorge Fiestas, a graduate of George Brown’s culinary program, stands as a true Toronto culinary icon. He has honed his craft through dedicated stints at the city’s finest establishments, steadily ascending the ranks to become the esteemed executive chef of the Buca brand. Chef Jorge’s adherence to Italian tradition while complimenting the menu with locally-sourced ingredients has produced a constantly evolving menu that displays the beauty of local ingredients paired with the finesse of Italian cuisine. His talent and dedication helped earn Buca on King multiple Best Restaurant awards, solidifying his reputation as a culinary force to be reckoned with. Chef Jorge’s creative prowess graces the menus of Buca on King, Buca Yorkville, Buca Vaughan, and Cucina Buca. His innovative approach to Italian cuisine has not only delighted patrons but also earned a coveted spot in the Michelin Guide, a testament to his unwavering commitment to excellence. Chef Jorge continues to inspire and redefine the gastronomic landscape of Toronto with his passion, expertise, and culinary ingenuity.
Ever since he was a child, Emmanuel Renaut had always been focused on reaching the top in each of his chosen disciplines, and cooking was no exception. After finishing catering college, he packed his bags and set his sights on Paris. More than 30 years and a prestigious career later, Emmanuel Renaut has recently fulfilled his childhood dream of taking over one of the legendary addresses in Chamonix, the Auberge du Bois Prin. Winner of the coveted France’s Best Craftsman accolade, Emmanuel feels a sense of self-fulfilment in performing countless consulting missions, such as for a major US group that happens to be one of the leaders in the cruise tourism industry. Recognized for his originality and widely considered a pioneer, the three-starred chef receives requests from clients around the world.
Chefs Erica & Josh Karbelnik started their culinary journey at the age of 17, and honed their craft in the industry over 18 years, learning from some of the best chefs across Canada, including Chef Mark McEwan and Chef Scott Jaegger. Erica was the winner of Top Chef Canada Season 9, while Josh was a finalist along side her, and both were winners of Chopped Canada Season 3. Erica represented Canada in the 6th World Tapas Competition in 2022 and Josh and is now representing Canada in the 7th World Tapas Competition this November. Erica is also the chef ambassador for the NBA and was named one of the Top 30 Most Inspirational Women of 2021 by Marquee magazine. Together they co-own Karbs Catering & Private Events, bringing Michelin style dining into the comfort of your own home, offering customized tasting menus, as well as full restaurant set ups, with the highest quality of ingredients. Classically French trained, the couple brings middle eastern flavours into their food. With Erica’s Moroccan heritage, and the couple’s global travels, their food brings bold, rambunctious flavours with elegance and poise.
For Jonathan Goodyear, a love of all things culinary started early. Jonathan’s first job in the kitchen was as his mother’s assistant, lending a hand wherever she allowed. It was on a European adventure that Jonathan realized cooking was his true passion and after attending George Brown College for the culinary arts, his career in the industry catapulted. After working in some of the most celebrated restaurants across North America and Europe, Jonathan took on the challenge of competing on Top Chef Canada. It was there that he learned the value of good healthy competition, making it all the way to the grand finale. In 2014, Jonathan joined Magna Golf Club as the Executive Chef and Director of Food & Beverage with nearly 20 years of experience in the luxury restaurant and hospitality industry. Jonathan continuously strives to build upon his passion for providing exemplary dishes and unparalleled experiences.
In 2015, as Chef/Owner, Patrick opened Alo, which was awarded a rare four stars in the Globe & Mail and named Toronto’s Best New Restaurant in Toronto Life magazine. He was named Outstanding Chef of 2017 (repeating again in 2018, 2019 and 2020) by Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants, the same year Alo was titled the nation’s best restaurant.
Following Alo, Patrick opened an internationally-flavoured bistro, Aloette; a new American restaurant, Alobar Yorkville; a space for private-dining, Salon; and a takeout-and-delivery-optimized edition of Aloette in Liberty Village.
One of the country’s leading chefs, a cookbook author and a “farm-to-table” pioneer, James Walt continues to inspire his guests, creating compelling regional cuisine based on local, sustainable ingredients. A graduate of the Stratford Chefs School, his impressive culinary career spans several of British Columbia’s leading restaurants including a four-year tenure at Sooke Harbour House and as opening chef to Toptable Group’s sister restaurant Blue Water Cafe in Vancouver. James was also Executive Chef to the Canadian Embassy in Rome, Italy; an experience that helped shape the way he cooks today.
James is Whistler’s only chef to cook at the celebrated James Beard House in New York City where he has performed on three separate occasions. He has been voted best chef in Whistler by Pique Newsmagazine and was inducted into the British Columbia Restaurant Association Hall of Fame in 2011.
James continues to oversee Araxi, The Cellar by Araxi, Bar Oso and Il Caminetto.
Executive Chef Brooke McDougall began his noteworthy career in the fall of 1991, starting at the lively Blue Mountain Resort in Collingwood as an aspiring line cook. Ever determined and ambitious, this culinarian rose through the ranks to swiftly become Chef de Partie, a postion he retained for 5 years.
While taking an apprenticeship under Executive Chef Scott Gerrie at Carriages Restaurant, Brooke embarked on the Culinary Management program at George Brown College. It was during this time that Brooke was introduced to Mark McEwan. Mark was impressed with Brooke’s abilities but held off employing him until the completion of his schooling. Brooke used the motivation to complete his studies in just over a year, and began working for Mark at North 44 upon graduation in 1996.
The rest, you could say, is history. Brooke rose through the ranks and quickly found himself as Executive Sous Chef at the esteemed Toronto landmark. When Mark opened Bymark in 2002, Brooke was a natural choice for the position of Executive Chef, a position that he continues to hold today.
Chef Brooke has been a key part in assisting of opening new establishments with in the McEwan Group over the years. Known for his strong leadership in the kitchen, Brooke believes in taking simple food to the next level by using the best ingredients and preparing them with care and skill.
Daniel Boulud is Chef-Owner of several award-winning restaurants and the Feast & Fêtes catering company. While he hails from outside Lyon, France, it is in New York that he has truly mastered the dining scene and is today considered one of America’s leading culinary authorities. Raised on his family’s farm in the village of Saint-Pierre-de-Chandieu, the chef remains inspired by the rhythm of the seasons and menus driven by fine ingredients. Since arriving in the US in 1982, Boulud has become renowned for the contemporary appeal he adds to soulful cooking rooted in French tradition. Among Daniel Boulud’s many notable New York City restaurants is his flagship, two-Michelin star, DANIEL.
Boulud’s culinary accolades include James Beard Foundation awards for Outstanding Restaurant; Outstanding Restaurateur; Best Chef, New York City; and Outstanding Chef of the Year. He has been named Chef of the Year by the Culinary Institute of America and Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur by the French government. Restaurant DANIEL has been cited as “one of the ten best restaurants in the world” by the International Herald Tribune, has earned multiple Michelin stars and Wine Spectator’s Grand Award. In 2021, Les Grandes Tables du Monde named him Best Restaurateur in the World.
David Hawksworth is a celebrated Canadian chef who realized his culinary vision at his first eponymous restaurant in the very heart of downtown Vancouver. At Hawksworth Restaurant, which opened in 2011, he has created the ideal setting to deliver compelling contemporary Canadian cuisine; a demonstration of his European-trained technical ability, deep appreciation for local ingredients and an absolute insistence on only the very best quality.
Hawksworth Restaurant Group’s latest addition, Nightingale, opened spring 2016 in Vancouver’s Coal Harbour joining Hawksworth Restaurant, Hawksworth Catering and Bel Café. Echoing the original Hawksworth Restaurant’s focus on exemplary service in an extraordinary setting, Nightingale’s social approach to dining off ers seasonal and vegetable forward dishes that showcase local ingredients with global influences.
A native Vancouverite who spent a decade honing his talents in Europe working in Michelin-starred kitchens, David Hawksworth soon emerged as one of Canada’s leading culinary talents upon his return to Vancouver. In 2005 he was named Chef of the Year by Vancouver magazine and in 2008 David became the youngest chef inductee into the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame.
Named Restaurant of the Year in 2012 by both Vancouver magazine and Maclean’s magazine, Hawksworth restaurant has held the title of Best Upscale Dining by Vancouver magazine each year consecutively since opening. Canada’s Best Restaurants currently recognizes Hawksworth to the top 10 across the country and number one in Western Canada, Hawksworth has firmly anchored himself at the helm of the Vancouver – and Canadian – dining scene.
Graduating from no prestigious cooking school, Fred Morin has long forgotten all about the art of plating good looking food, favoring instead the good ole flavors of la vieille France. From the daily task of heading the tiny kitchen 10 years ago he now mostly cooks ingredients that don’t touch each other for three adorable yet very talkative offspring, Henry, Ivan and Eleanor. He doe’s sometimes cooks overly complex and poorly budgeted ambitious classic French meals at home for his wife Allison.
His life is stilled ruled by brief but intense bouts of diverse endeavours that somehow all come back to restaurant and cooking, be it gardening, trying to fly fish in Alaska, preparing very large first aid kits or building bread ovens. In recent year, he casually alternated between yoga, foie gras and green juice with an elegance only rivalled by the likes of Beau Brummell and little Lord Fauntleroy.
For more than a decade, Brandon Olsen has been the culinary brain behind some of the city’s most beloved dishes: The sweet breads and tuna at The Black Hoof, the Basque cake at Bar Isabel, the Euro sea bass en croute at La Banane and those frame-worthy chocolates at CXBO. One pandemic, a career implosion and a sojourn into carpentry later, and Olsen is back with Restaurant Le Melon, a mobile restaurant concept. “My wife, Brittany, and I officially launched Restaurant Le Melon in January. The name actually goes back to my time at La Banane—the space above the restaurant used to be a strip club and then later a burlesque bar, so we always joked that if we opened a place upstairs, we would call it Les Melons. My classic dishes include: my tuna crudo, salmon and caviar with aji amarillo, fried chicken, chicken liver mousse, Basque cake. These dishes trace my history in the Toronto food scene, from The Black Hoof to Bar Isabel to La Banane.
Eron Novalski is a partner and Executive Chef at both Noce and Aria Restaurants. Naturally curious and always driven, he fell in love with this profession at a very young age, spending countless hours in the kitchen with both his maternal and paternal grandmothers. After graduating from high school, he enrolled in culinary school at George Brown.
Shortly after, he left Canada to broaden his knowledge and experience at culinary school in Chantilly, France. There, he worked closely with an amazing professor that recognized his profound discipline and passion and was later offered the opportunity to nurture his creativity by interning at the prestigious “La Tour D’Argent”.
After a few years with Noce, Eron knew that the nature of simplicity and Italian cuisine is what he adored. His lifelong dream of opening his own restaurant would be realized when Guido and Elena provided the opportunity to participate in the opening of their second restaurant, Aria.
At Aria, Eron has had the opportunity to showcase all that he has learned from his mentors, using simple, fresh ingredients with new cooking technology – blending the traditional and innovative.
Although though he embraces new culinary technology, he has not forgotten the heritage of his partners and the impact of his upbringing. Together, Guido, Elena and Eron have also revamped Noce into a mecca for fine Italian food, using the most primitive of cooking methods – wood.
Eron continues to draw his inspiration from his travels, exploring fresh markets and discussing with locals what is available – he desires to use what is known to be Canadian and wild. Today, Eron is a part owner of two restaurants, and he still sources fresh, simple, clean ingredients to serve the clientele of Noce and Aria.
Stefano Secchi is the chef and partner of Michelin-Starred Rezdôra, a rustic Italian restaurant highlighting the cuisine of Emilia Romagna in New York City’s Flatiron neighborhood. Brought up in a home with a strong sense of Sardinian heritage, Stefano has dedicated his career to the craft of Italian cooking.
He spent several years honing his skills in Modena at the famed Osteria Francescana under Massimo Bottura and perfecting the art of handmade pasta under the tutelage of Nonna Laura Morandi at Hosteria Giusti and in Piemonte, just outside of the white truffle region of Alba, working with Michelin-starred chef Davide Palluda at All’Enoteca.
Chef Masaki Saito joined the Canadian culinary scene as a two-star Michelin chef, having earned this prestigious recognition in 2017 and 2018 in New York. He brings with him a new Edomae-style sushi that has earned him recognition and praise. His passion for fish developed early with an educational background in marine biology. Chef Masaki Saito always knew he would one day be a sushi chef. The epiphany occurred when the chef at his favourite restaurant in Hokkaido passed away, and the quality of the food then changed dramatically. He sought to understand the process involved in maintaining that quality. His grassroots approach enabled him to develop a true expertise in mastering sushi.
Knowing how to select and prepare the fish, the rice, the vinegar and the wasabi, and their proportionality in each dish is a refined skill. Every cut from each selected blade, the proper thickness, the presentation and the overall impression, is a high art. It begins with understanding nature: the motion in its stillness, and the stillness in its motion; the complexity in its simplicity and the simplicity in its complexity; and the right balance to appeal to all the senses to achieve optimal quality.
FK established back in 2010 is a critically acclaimed award-winning restaurant and has been rated a Top 10 Restaurant in multiple publications. In addition to the top 10 lists, FK (Frank’s Kitchen) has been a media darling for many years and has been widely and highly critiqued by the city's top reviewers. We have been featured numerous times in both local and international publications.
Chef Frank Parhizgar is a Michelin star trained chef in Lyon who worked in Italy and also under Jean-Georges Vongerichten in New York. By the time he was 30, he was the Chef of one of Toronto’s top restaurant institutions, Centro. He most recently brough home the Silver Award in the prestigious Golden Plate competition which has Toronto’s top chefs competing. Chef is also a rarity in that he is one of the few Chefs who is sommelier certified and continues to study for his Advanced Masters.
Chef Frank is a master cheese maker and baker and subscribes to the everything made in house/scratch kitchen philosophy. We are a fine dining, ingredient driven restaurant with a focus on an ever changing a la carte menu and tasting menus. Our food program is matched only by our dedication to a fitting wine program. Though it hasn't been officially announced yet, we have just received the coveted Wine Spectator Award for our wine program.
Our crew are top career professionals who I have secured from the best restaurants in the city and have been with us for 12 years. We presently have 3 sommeliers on staff. Our staff share our passion in all thing’s food and wine.
After a life time in working and running the top dining rooms in Toronto, we opened our own 12 years ago which we built from the ground up, including the full design. We have a loyal long-time clientele and we are a destination restaurant for visiting celebrities or international travelers.
As one of Canada’s premier chefs, Lorenzo Loseto is renowned for his innovative approach to cooking, his emphasis on bold flavours and textures, and his use of seasonal, natural, and sustainable food.
In his role as Executive Chef at GEORGE Restaurant, Chef Loseto oversees the culinary direction of all properties under the Verity Group of Companies umbrella including the restaurant, Verity Club, The Ivy at Verity, and Sweetgrass Spa.
With a passion for providing the best of Canadian cuisine combined with his classical training and international influences, Chef Loseto has earned critical acclaim and several awards including the 2014 Gold Medal Plates Canadian Culinary Champion.
At the helm of Canadian fine dining, Chef Loseto continues to create inspiring food experiences, ranking GEORGE as one of the best restaurants in Canada.
Chef Kim Haugen has been cooking professionally for 22 years. He started in South Australia where he grew up, and moved to the UK as the Shoreditch House's sous chef at the young age of 23.
As most Australians do, he first arrived in Canada via Whistler and eventually made his way to Toronto, working at Soho House, Montecito, Beverly Hotel and The Goodson, until stepping into his new role at VELA. As a head chef of VELA, Chef Kim Haugen is excited to help mentor the next generation of chefs.
He loves to please guests with approachable dishes done in an entertaining way, and believes that food should be fun and enhance the overall dining experience.
For as long as Chef Marvin can remember, cooking was something he wanted to do. He wasted no time enrolling in the Culinary Management Program and Italian Post-Graduate program at George Brown College in Toronto.
Having the opportunity to work at a Michelin starred restaurant, La Contea di Nieve in Piemonte really changed Marvin’s vision about food at a young age. After returning home from Europe, Chef Marvin was part of the opening team at Dailo in 2014. In 2017 Chef Marvin moved to Asia and became the Senior Chef de Partie in Hong Kong at Vicky Cheng’s renowned Michelin starred and Asia’s 50 Best restaurant VEA.
In 2018, Chef Marvin returned back to Toronto and took on the role as Chef de Cuisine at 7 Enoteca in Oakville. During his 4 years as CDC, Marvin was one of the finalists in the prestigious San Pellegrino Young Chef Competition, taking home the “Fine Dining Food Lovers Food for Thought Award.” In 2020 he was also nominated as “Top 30 under 30” from Food and Service Magazine.
For nearly three decades Jamie Kennedy has been instrumental in shaping the culinary landscape in Canada. His innovative approach to gastronomy, commitment to sustainable agriculture and advocacy of local food have been unwavering.
Throughout his remarkable career, Jamie has applied the slow food philosophy in every aspect of his downtown restaurants and flourishing catering business. His seasonal methods of cooking and involvement with the local food movement continue to inspire progress in agricultural and gastronomical communities across Canada.
In the coming years, Jamie looks forward to cultivating his farm and vineyard with plans to open a tavern on his farm in Prince Edward County.
Notably an influential leader in the culinary industry, Chef Jason Bangerter’s career spans nationally and internationally, working alongside some of the world’s greatest chefs.
Chef Jason’s unbridled passion for excellence is fueled by his dedication to supporting and developing sources for sustainable, responsibly produced ingredients. He has successfully crafted a talented team that shares his philosophy and vision. Living by example, he is equally proud of his role as an innovator and a mentor, continuing to have a profound effect on Canada’s culinary scene.
Langdon Hall Country House Hotel and Spa welcomed Executive Chef Jason Bangerter in 2013. Chef Jason’s philosophies have grown since by creating a “taste of place,” with a focus on the freshest and most flavourful ingredients on the property and surrounding
Meet Chef Mark McEwan, the "father of modern Canadian cuisine" who revolutionized Toronto's culinary scene with innovative restaurants like ONE, North44, Bymark, Fabbrica, and Diwan.
Chef McEwan began his career as the executive chef at Toronto’s upscale Sutton Place Hotel. This was a great honor as he was the youngest chef in Canada to hold this position. There he had the privilege of cooking for Pope John Paul II when the Pontiff visited Toronto in 1984 and subsequently opened North 44, which set a new standard for Toronto’s culinary scene. He went on to launch McEwan Catering, Bymark, ONE, Fabbrica and Diwan which have all been recognized as top restaurants in Canada by leading publications like Miele Guide, OpenTable and Toronto Life Magazine. Inspired by global food halls, Chef McEwan opened McEwan’s Groceries which have 2 locations across Toronto.
Next up: Chef McEwan showcased his innovative approaches to Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian cuisine with Diwan at The Aga Khan Museum. Now, Chef McEwan mentors budding chefs in his kitchens—through his bestselling cookbooks and as head judge on Food Network’s hit series Top Chef.
With a storied career working in some of the country’s most esteemed kitchens, Andy Kitko leads the kitchen team at Oceans as the Executive Chef. Kitko got his start in the hospitality industry as an apprentice to Chef Sylvain Portay at The Dining Room at San Francisco’s Ritz Carlton Hotel, and later, continued to master his craft in Michelin-starred restaurants such as Café Boulud and Aqua.
With a strong culinary foundation, Kitko later went on to become the Executive Chef of several DC and Philadelphia-based restaurants like Cedar, Oyster House and Butcher & Singer. Continuing to climb the ranks, he joined One Group as Regional Corporate Chef for the Northeast Region, specifically focusing on the STK brand. It was in his most recent role, however, as Executive Chef at New York’s Estiatorio Milos, where he truly found his passion for executing a seafood-focused menu with a simplistic approach.
At Oceans, Kitko believes that the kitchen is the soul of the restaurant. He leads the culinary team in creating elevated yet approachable dishes that highlight locally and globally sourced seafood paired with seasonal produce.
Tony Loschiavo is an Italian born industry professional born in the Calabria region of Southern Italy. Tony is an experienced chef, sommelier, restaurateur and caterer.
After having worked in numerous capacities in some of the city’s finest establishments, including Noodles, Fenton’s and the Windsor Arms Hotel, Tony opened L-eat catering in 1983 and Paese Ristorante in 1989.
Both businesses operate with Tony’s philosophy of quality without compromise. Tony maintains a 2000 square foot organic garden where we harvest herbs, vegetables and fruit for daily use in Paese. His focus is on quality, sustainable ingredients that are handmade and house-made.
Chef Sash Simpson is a Toronto-based chef with an unforgettable story. At eight-years-old, Simpson wandered the streets of Chennai, India, as an orphan. In a remarkable twist of fate, volunteers from the Families for Children orphanage found Simpson while combing the streets. Without hesitation, they took him in. Soon, Simpson’s charm won over the likes of the charity’s founder, who adopted the 9-year-old and brought him to Toronto to live with 31 brothers and sisters from around the world.
Simpson was quickly exposed to international cuisine and his family encouraged him to start working at North 44, a legendary five-star restaurant in the city, as a dishwasher and busboy. With no formal training, Simpson’s natural talent saw him quickly rise through the ranks from Junior Sous Chef to Executive Chef. Nearly two decades later, Chef Simpson is one of the city's most sought-after chefs, with a thriving catering business and many high-profile clients.
Sash Restaurant and Wine Bar is Chef Simpson’s premiere restaurant. Located in the cosmopolitan neighbourhood of Summerhill, Toronto, Simpson’s signature blend of globally inspired, locally-sourced and seasonal ingredients marry his past and present life, offering patrons a flavourful journey in an approachable fine-dining atmosphere.
Chef Jackie Lin began his sushi career at the age of 18, and after 12 years of traditional apprenticeship he opened Shoushin in 2015. He uses wild caught seasonal fish only and apply proper techniques to pursuit the ultimate balance. Chef Jackie also emphasize on the harmony of the sushi rice and fish and it shows his vision on his ideal way of Edomae-style sushi – simple and delicious.
Shoushin has been awarded in Canada 100 Best every year since opening and is recognized as one of the best sushi restaurants in North America. Chef Jackie will continue to lead his team to bring the ultimate tailor-sushi experience to the diners.
Massimo Renzi, born and raised in Rome, was inspired by the reading of Pellegrino Artusi to venture into the culinary arts. He attended the “Cordon Bleu” and the “Café de Paris” cooking schools in Rome, to refine his cooking skills. Then he crossed the Atlantic Ocean and settled in Toronto, bringing with him his own visions of modern Italian cuisine. He learned the importance of continuity in quality, care, responsibility, and high standards, striving to follow these principles throughout his career. Chef Renzi has a deep respect for cooking and high-quality ingredients allowing him to create and produce a multitude of refined and delicious dishes.
His passion for cooking constantly inspires his way of working and the whole restaurant, at all levels, is meant to work like him. His main aim is to ensure his customers understand completely the essence of Italian cooking. He aspires to convey “passione, cuore, amore” to everyone who enters “Sotto Sotto Ristorante”, trying to realize his vision as a chef.
Toben Kochman, Co-Owner/Chief Culinary Consultant, of TOBEN Catering, has an impressive culinary history. He was formally trained at the Cordon Blue School of Culinary Arts, following which he worked at the two-star Michelin restaurant, Apiscius in Paris and the acclaimed Susur Restaurant before launching Toben Food by Design in 2005 with his sister Elana. Over the last 17 years the brother sister duo have catered every type of event imaginable, from celebrity galas, luxury brand events, Tech conferences, to intimate dinners with the Dalai Lama - you name it this company has done it. Toben’s team of highly skilled passionate chef’s change their menus seasonally tapping into regions and trends from all over the world. Always focused on supporting fresh, local product, Toben’s cuisine is truly hand crafted & customized to each and every event.
César Troisgros, born in Roanne, France, is the eldest son of Michel and Marie-Pierre Troigros. He began his culinary training in 2004 at the Paul Bocuse Institute, before continuing his culinary apprenticeship in the best restaurants, such as Michel Rostang in Paris.
César continued to hone his culinary expertise, traveling the world to work with esteemed chefs such as the Roca brothers in Girona, Spain, Thomas Keller in Napa Valley, and Claude Troisgros’ in Rio de Janiero, before returning home to assist with the opening a new Troisgros restaurant in Ouches, France.
Concerned by ecology and biodiversity, César has partnered with Vivre Bio en Roannais, an organization committed to the development of organic agriculture and ecological practices in the Roanne region. His active participation in the safeguard and preservation of the Bean of Auvergne, a disappeared heritage variety no longer available at public markets, is integral in sowing the agricultural future of the Roanne region.
César is also Vice Delegate and Representative for Chefs with Relais et Châteaux in the Great East Rhône-Alpes region. He was promoted Knight of the Order of Agricultural Merit in 2019, and received a Michelin Green Star in 2020.
BIO COMING SOON...
BIO COMING SOON...
Marco Zandona is proud to serve as Executive Chef at Via Allegro Ristorante. His wide range of culinary skills - ranging from lovingly delicate details to elaborate presentations - has been refined over the years from humble beginnings in his mother's garden, to participating at the finest Michelin Star restaurants.
Being a Grand Award-winning restaurant, Via Allegro fully believes in providing the best in products, service and care for our patrons. Chef Marco completely embodies and empowers these qualities to lead the restaurant into the future.
