I grew up in NYC... a wonderland for a foodie such as myself, and after graduating college I realized that my life was meant for entertaining others and helping them to enjoy life.
After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, I became a private chef for NYC elite and then moved to Napa Valley to open a restaurant with my former mentor and friend Vincent Nattress. I have since worked with many chefs including Jacques Pepin, Martin Yan, Bradly Ogden, and Julia Childs, to name a few...
I was named "Top 10 Sous Chef in America 2001" by Food and Wine Magazine, the restaurant I helped open was named a Top 10 Restaurant in the Bay Area by the San Fransisco Chronicle, I have catered events for presidential candidates, Napa Valley winemakers, and gallery openenings for prominant NYC artists.
Having worked at prestigious wineries in the Napa Valley teaching wine education, cooking classes, and catering private events led me to recieve a Level 2 Diploma from the International Sommellier Guild. Recently I won the National Pork Board's Taste of Elegeance Competition for the western region and also the Italian Culinary Instutute for Foreigner's "Sintonie" Olive Oil Competition. I will be representing the United States in an international culinary competition in Italy.
Working on Television for Cooking shows and TV News demonstrations has been a wonderful way to integrate my education I received in College as a Media Communications major. I love being in front of the screen as well as working behind the scenes to make it happen.
Most recently I was a Chef Instructor at The Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Las Vegas, and at The Culinary School of The Rockies where I taught the French Immersion Culinary Arts program, taking my students to live and work in Avignon, France, the heart of the Rhone Valley, and the Farm to Table professional Chef programs.