Started as the Cafe Chef at the Forest City data center.  My role rapidly grew to directing the entire North American Data Center food program, opening and overseeing 22 cafes across the U.S.  

Long-time, well-established brunch, lunch, and dinner restaurant and event space in the popular Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn.  The New American fare anchored in French technique focused on sourcing the highest quality local and seasonal ingredients.  

As the Chef de Cuisine on the opening team for the re-design of the historic 761 room, midtown hotel as well as the adjoining 172 room luxury hotel and residence both managed by Highgate, I oversaw all aspects of all F&B outlets: restaurant and lounge, events, and the hotel market store.   

At the time owned by Jumeirah, well-known for their many luxury hotels and resorts around the world, I started as the Sous Chef for the hotel restaurant.  My role quickly grew into the role of Executive Sous Chef for the entire hotel.  In working closely with the Executive Chef/F&B Director, I oversaw and managed all F&B outlets: in-room dining, Southgate (the hotel restaurant), Lobby Lounge, Banquets/Events, and the hotel market store.

At the time, Ocean Grill was part of Steve Hanson's B.R. Guest Hospitality group.  This always busy seafood restaurant was known for sourcing and serving impeccable seafood.  Dinner was the main attraction but the brutally busy brunches ($30K in sales for Mother's Day brunch was the norm) were always a favorite for Upper Westsiders.  Unfortunate building and landlord issues closed the successful restaurant after 18 years.  The restaurant group has had multiple owners since Steve Hansen sold the company he founded in 2013.

These one-time, ultra chic members only club used to be bustling with an endless cavalcade of celebrities.  Maybe it still is?  I worked closely with the Executive Chef to create menus that were heavily focused on European cuisine with New American highlights, for all of the food and beverage outlets: main dining room, roof-top pool kitchen, in-room dining, and events.

At the time known as Hudson Yards Catering, I joined the team very shortly after they opened for business and played an influential role in the shaping and creating of the structure, menus and recipes, hiring, culture, and standards of restauranteur, Danny Meyer's catering company.  We did a variety of events ranging from contracts with museums (MOMA), large-scale events (3 course, plated dinner for 1500 people), to high-profile events (re-opening of the Hearst building in NY), small, intimate, and extravagant events in private homes, and so many more.

The first of three Danny Meyer projects I was part of.  I worked with Daniel Humm for a short time and most of the seven years at EMP was working for the first chef, Kerry Heffernan (Mondrian, Polo Club,).  The French-based, New American cuisine, opulent main dining room and private dining room, earned a spot on Zagat's "Top 20 Most Popular Restaurants in New York" and The James Beard Award for Outstanding Service in America.

Daniel Humm's Eleven Madison Park became The World's 50 Best Restaurant's world's best restaurant in 2017, has six James Beard awards, has earned a coveted four-star rating from the New York Times, and three Michelin stars.

Originating from a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park, I, along with the other sous chefs at Eleven Madison Park at the time, were tasked to create the original Shake Shack menu:

the shack burger, shroom burger, cheese sauce, French fries.  In addition to creating the original menu, we worked were responsible for all creating many of the back of house S.O.P.s and work out operational kinks, as well as supplying and helping train staff when necessary.

The first restaurant I worked at when I officially moved to New York.  The chef at the time was Rick Laakkonen and his unique take on New American taught me techniques that were new to me as a novice cook.  It opened my eyes, toughened me up, and the exhausting demands made me question my decision about getting into restaurants and cooking.  But I was determined.