Feast of the Fields - Participating Chefs

Kirk Avondoglio

www.peronafarms.com

Executive Chef Kirk Avondoglio, Perona Farms, Andover, New Jersey is an exciting contemporary chef who is sought after from his home state's Drumthwacket, the official home of the New Jersey Governor in Princeton, to California, the Far East and Brazil. He participated in the First Festival of Master Chefs, held at the International Hotel in Mexico City and has given several seminars at Columbus Isle in The Bahamas for Club Med Resorts.

He has been recognized by Art Culinare, the James Beard Society, The New York Times, New York Newsday, Asbury Park Press and the Chicago Tribune as one of America's top contemporary chefs.

Kirk has hosted James Beard Dinners and has cooked at The James Beard House in New York City on many occasions, and has appeared on "Ready, Set, Cook" on TV's Food Network Cable Channel.

In 1992, Kirk established Perona Food Specialties, featuring his salmon products after trying his hand at smoking salmon in his great-grandfather's smokehouse.

Since that time, Cook's Illustrated Magazine has rated his smoked salmon the number one smoked salmon in the world. It is now shipped worldwide to the finer hotels, restaurants, and to discerning chefs.

Kirk is a graduate of the New York College of Culinary Arts. He and his wife, Mary, reside next door to Perona Farms. A picturesque and rambling 100 plus acre oasis established by his great-grandparents in 1917, Perona Farms is a Sussex County landmark.

David Britton

www.springwaterbistro.com

“To nourish as well as nurture guests -- that is our ultimate goal.”

David Britton, Chef/owner of Springwater Bistro, brings to the table more than two decades of experience in the United States, the Islands of Hawaii and Southern Europe. Chef Britton blends a mixture of classic and modern European culinary techniques in the kitchen. His international influences combined with a strong French foundation create a modern American style.

Born in Arizona, his mother encouraged him to understand the basic principals of a home kitchen. “She is a home economist by profession and simply insisted all her children learned to cook.” I always remember a gourmet club coming over for dinner, having to prepare our own school lunches and “family meal once or twice a week. Homemade ice cream was a weekend tradition. A high school food arts teacher suggested pursuing a culinary career.

Now just eighteen, he began cooking shortly after graduating high school at the Mobil Five Star Arizona Biltmore Hotel. Britton then enrolled in the American Culinary Federation Cooks Apprenticeship offered by the Biltmore, a rigorous three year training program focusing on classic European and international cookery. Then, he subsequently worked at a series of premier world-class hotels -- The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, La Costa Resort and Spa, and Century Plaza’s “La Chaumiere” -- all located in the Golden State.

After wearing the top toque as Executive Chef at the Manele Bay Resort and Spa on the island of Lanai in Hawaii, Britton crossed an ocean and a continent to work at the renowned Inn at Little Washington. After the Inn, the Sagamore Resort on Lake George enticed Britton where he was Executive Chef at the Trillium Restaurant, earning a AAA Four-Diamond award as well as a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.

Now firmly established on the East Coast, Chef Britton is dedicated to carrying on his tradition of excellence with his own restaurant. Springwater Bistro is a leading advocate of local regional fare. Innovative menus are created and
David Britton written daily based on the availability of product, and the abundance of upstate farms keeps the kitchen of Springwater full of artisan ingredients.

A current member of the Chaine de Rotisseur and Chevalier de Taste Vin, David thoroughly enjoys meeting people who share a passion for food and wine.

“I have a humble philosophy; it simply takes a lifetime to learn how to cook. There are so many incredible influences; we are involved in such a dynamic profession. Always surround yourself with those of similar interests and be willing to accept new ideas.”

Fortunately, David has had an opportunity to work with some of the finest Chefs in the industry -- Patrick O’Connell, Kirk Avondoglio, Hubert Keller, Julian Serrano, Alan Wong, Gunter Seger, Michel Richard, Daniel Boulard, Ming Tsai, and Emeril Lagasse.

David lives in Upstate New York with his wife Cristina and their three children, Davin, Xander, and Madeleine.

Springwater Bistro is located in Saratoga Springs, New York, approximately 40 miles north of Albany on Route 87.

Robert P. Irvine C.E.C. MCFA (CG)

Robert, a native of England, began his culinary training at the age of fifteen upon entering the Royal Navy. As he began his classical European training, his passion for the culinary arts was apparent, as was his talent, so much so that he quickly caught the attention of his superiors. A short time later, Robert was promoted to service aboard the Royal Yacht, Britannia. His travels took him all over the world preparing outstanding cuisine for royalty, presidents, and high-ranking dignitaries on both daily and state occasions. Upon completion of his duties of ten years, his travels took him to consult in Bali, Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh City before choosing his next challenge on board cruise ships as Chef on the SS Merdian, MS Norwegian Crown and the world famous, five-star MS Crystal Harmony. In 1996, he joined Renaissance Hotel Group and one year later moved to the Trump Taj Mahal, an award winning casino resort, where he spent three years as Executive Chef. In June 2000, Robert joined Caesars Atlantic City as Director of Culinary Operations/ Executive Chef. Robert is now the President of his own consulting firm: Irvine Group.

His educational and professional honors include a Certified Executive Chef in the American Culinary Federation; a B.S. in Food and Nutrition from Leeds University, England; Chef Professional of La Toque Blanche International; and recipient of the Chef's Five Star Diamond Award from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences, 1998-2003, one of the greatest honors bestowed by one's peers. Robert was also awarded the 2001 Culinary Excellence Award at Carnegie Hall by the Culinary Institute of America and the American Tasting Institute. Robert's greatest honor in 2001 was to be Chef at the Inaugural Dinner for President George W. Bush, as he did in previous years for President George H.W. Bush. Being a part of history is great!

One of the most rewarding aspects of Robert's work is to see dedicated culinarians who work with and for him have fun, succeed, and go on to bigger and better ventures.

During his career to date, Robert has had the pleasure of working with some of the world's greatest chefs including Michel and Albert Roux, Wolfgang Puck, Graham Kerr, Charlie Trotter, Craig Shelton, Scott Martin Cutaneo, Jean Joho, Roy Yamaguchi, Eric Blauberg, Michel Richard, David Burke, Marcus Samuelson, Jose Guiterrez and Roberto Donna, to name but a few.

In his spare time, Robert is the Culinary Director for the Taste of the LPGA, which is the most prestigious event on the LPGA Tour. Robert is also a Trustee of the American Academy of Hospitality Science's Five Star Diamond Award, representing all three Michelin Chefs worldwide. In addition, Robert serves on numerous judging panels and culinary committees.

Recently, Robert has had the pleasure of co-hosting/presenting or being featured in national, regional and local food shows which include CNN's Headline News; Discovery Channel's Behind the Scenes; Travel Channel; CBS's The Morning Show; CN8's Fretz Kitchen, Cooking With Paul Dillan and Seeking Solutions with Suzanne; and NBC40's Health Watch with Robin Stoloff.

Robert describes his style as visually stunning, with classically based flavors and a flair for combining the unusual:

"If you are a Chef, your life is devoted to giving pleasure to other people." We are creative and what we create is gone almost instantly; but there's always the thought that maybe tomorrow we will create something even more spectacular"
Robert's philosophy is: If you are going to do it, do it right, don't take short cuts, spend time researching, and most of all be dedicated to whatever and whomever you are working with and have lots of fun doing it. If you do not do the above, it's time to change your career direction.

Married for eight years, Robert and wife Karen reside in Absecon, NJ, with their two lovely daughters, Annalise and Talia.

Hubert Des Marais

It is not surprising that the culinary artistry of Hubert Des Marais is celebrated far and wide. Named one of “America’s Ten Best New Chefs” by Food & Wine magazine and frequently seen on PBS’ “Great Chefs of the Southeast,” Des Marais directs the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach’s three dining venues, including The Restaurant, which holds the American Automobile Association’s Five-Diamond Award.

In addition, Florida Trend magazine has presented Des Marais with the Golden Spoon Award, positioning The Restaurant among the “Top 20 in Florida” for ten consecutive years and South Florida magazine’s Critics Choice Awards named The Restaurant “One of the Best of the Year.” Of the cuisine, Palm Beach Illustrated recently noted, “be prepared for something unusual -- for once, everything is right.”

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Des Marais is noted for his southeastern regional cuisine, characterized by an inspired blend of the traditions and flavors of the Deep South, Caribbean, and South and Central America. Menus in both The Restaurant and The Ocean Bistro (the more informal of the hotel’s two dining rooms) typify this innovative style and include such favorites as Yellowtail Snapper with Watermelon Relish, Lemon thyme and Tangelo Sauce and Guava Braised Short Ribs of Beef with Truffle Scented Cress Salad, Okra and Sweet Corn.

The source for much of Des Marais’s inspiration is found in his tropical herb and rare fruit garden. Located just beyond the kitchen door, it is a verdant patch producing quantities of Jamaican pink guavas, Meyer and Ponderosa lemons, carambola, five varieties of edible ginger, lemon verbena, pineapple sage, and seven varieties of basil, to name just a few. The garden’s focal point: a new state-of-the-art greenhouse, constructed under the direction of the President of the Orchid Society, where Des Marais cultivates orchids and exotic tropical herbs. But the truest testament to his passion for freshness is his extraordinary network of suppliers. This network of local fruit and vegetable growers, farmers, ranchers, and fishermen allows Des Marais to create menus that showcase not only the freshest, but the most interesting regional products Hubert Des Marais available. From Northern Florida, for example, come 30 varieties of garden greens, as well as heirloom vegetables and tomatoes.

While the menu primarily showcases the regional bounty of South Florida, Des Marais goes further afield for many signature ingredients. From the Caribbean, comes hearts of palm, hog snapper, and conch and from Europe, crones (Chinese artichokes).

His inspiration for many new ideas and ingredients comes through traveling, whether on vacation (Italy and Asia are at the top of his list) or “at work” as a guest chef (Four Seasons properties in New York, Chicago, Punta Mita, Aviara and Austin have showcased Hubert). He has been a guest chef aboard QE2, cooked at the James Beard House in New York many times, and was among a handful of chefs invited to cook for the James Beard Foundation Awards Gala.

His aim is simple, to prepare “deliciously healthy” food that is fresh, flavorful, and truly inventive in their marriage of textures and seasoning. Cooking Light magazine’s “Enlightened Chef” column showcased his “alternative cuisine,” spotlighting a 308-calorie Skillet-Seared Salmon with Curried Pineapple Essence. He is a two-time regional winner (1995 and 1996) of Evian’s Healthy Cooking Awards.

Des Marais grew up in North Carolina, in a family interested in art, theater, and cooking. His grandmother, whose culinary pursuits included everything from gardening to cultivating bees, inspired an early love of cooking. “I learned the basics of elegant Southern cooking and very formal entertaining. In Blowing Rock, we got out all the silver, even for everyday celebrations.”

Prior to joining Four Seasons, Des Marais honed his cooking and administrative skills at several of the South’s most luxurious hotels. These include the Ritz-Carlton Houston, where he was executive sous chef; Hawk’s Cay Resort in the Florida Keys, where he was executive chef; and South Carolina’ s famed Kiawah Island, where he was chef of The Charleston Gallery, the resort’s fine dining room.

Des Marais is actively involved in dozens of food-related organizations, including the James Beard Society, Chaine de Rotisseurs, the American Institute of Wine and Food, the American Culinary Federation, the Herb Society, the Rare Fruit Council and the End Hunger Network. He serves on the Board of Advisors of the Florida Culinary Institute. In spite of a non-stop schedule, he is a frequent participant in the many local charity events that mark the Palm Beach social calendar. On the occasional day off, he spends time with his wife and young son, tending to his rare fruit trees, growing orchids and sport fishing offshore.

Mark Graham

www.thewinebarofsaratoga.com

Chef Mark Graham joined The Wine Bar in 2001, and has created a seasonal and farm supported menu to complement the evolving wine list. Fresh ingredients and special attention to presentation is what makes the food at The Wine Bar so unique, thanks to “the wickedly talented Mark Graham,” wrote Metroland’s B.A. Nilsson.

Graham started cooking professionally in his high school years. He continued to work in restaurants while earning a degree in film, and it didn’t take long before he realized his passion lay in the kitchen. After graduation, he worked his way up the line at The Sherborn Inn near Boston. He moved to Lenox in 1993 for the executive chef post at The Seven Hills Inn, then did a stint at The Egremont Inn before heading to Napa Valley. He was working for a catering firm when a fortuitous meeting with Bradley Ogden led to a position at Ogden’s Lark Creek Cafe. Graham moved on to The Village Pub as Kirk Beyers’s sous-chef, then worked for Gary danko at Viognier and under Wolfgang Puck and Michael French at Spago in Palo Alto. Ready to break out on his own, Graham headed back to the Northeast. His sojourn in California crafting wine-friendly cuisine made him a perfect pick for The Wine Bar’s executive chef position. Thanks in part to Graham’s “impressive” cuisine, Steve Barnes of the Times Union wrote, “The Wine Bar is yet another example of why the Spa City has the best dining in the Capital Region.” The Wine Bar has grown from a 40-seat bar in 1999, with light fare, to a two-level establishment, with light plates, entrees, a selection of gourmet cheeses and house-made desserts. During the summer months, the patio is open -- a great spot to people watch while sipping wine.

Max London

Max London, 25, is the son of accomplished bakers Michael and Wendy London. Max, who grew up in the food business, discovered his own passion and talent for creating savory dishes during his stints at two Manhattan restaurants, Bayard’s and Aureole. Max was most recently head chef at Eartha’s Restaurant in Saratoga Springs for nearly three years. Max is currently in the process of opening his own restaurant, MAX Restaurant & Bar, next to his parents bakery Mrs. London’s, on Broadway in Saratoga Springs. It will be a full service restaurant and bar centered around the tapas style of eating. The restaurant is scheduled to open this fall.

Paul Parker

www.chezsophie.com

Chez Sophie Bistro, located just a few miles from Saratoga, New York, is the kind of French restaurant that beckons anybody who appreciates exceptional food and wine, lovingly prepared. Started in 1969 by Sophie and Joseph Parker, an untrained chef who learned to cook by her grandmother’s side in France, and an American artist, respectively, Chez Sophie Bistro has been part of the Saratoga landscape for over three decades, in several incarnations and locations. Eschewing everyone’s advice that nobody in upstate New York would eat in a restaurant that didn’t serve hamburgers or pizza, Sophie served snails and duck, filling a void that nobody knew existed. Few restaurants can claim such a long and celebrated life.

Sophie and Joseph’s son, Paul Parker, a former Ph.D. candidate in philosophy and his wife Cheryl, a former journalist, joined the family business in 1995 when the restaurant relocated to its current home in, of all places, a restored stainless steel diner. Writing for The New York Times in 1998, William Grimes lauded the restaurant, calling it “a tiny bit of France 3,500 miles from Paris, the neighborhood bistro that every Manhattanite dreams of—situated, unfortunately, in a neighborhood that takes 31/2 hours to reach by car.”

Paul Parker learned how to cook by his mother’s side. He began by washing dishes in the family restaurant at age of 12 and often helped his mother with prep. Parker worked in dozens of restaurants in Manhattan and for a time oversaw a catering business on Long Island. In 2001, when Sophie passed away, Paul and Cheryl bought the business from Joseph. Together they have committed themselves to maintaining the high standards that Sophie always insisted on. They have done such a good job, in fact, that customers who are unaware of Sophie’s death have stopped Paul or Cheryl in the dining room to comment on how good the food has been and to tell them that Sophie has not lost her touch. “Paul’s taste buds are all his mother’s,” observes his father.

“Sophie’s style was to be simple and elegant, and we want to continue that tradition,” remarks Cheryl. Thus, the restaurant continues to work extensively with local organic farmers and maintains a wine cellar with more than 300 French wines. Under Sophie’s tenure, Grimes described the food at Chez Sophie Bistro as “the kind of deceptively simple food, that for the French, makes life worth living.” In Sophie’s absence, Paul and Cheryl Parker, he in the kitchen, Paul Parker she in the front of the house, carry on this spirit, one elegant dish and glass of wine at a time.

When Sophie and Joseph C. Parker opened Chez Sophie in 1969, their son Paul was 6 years old and their daughter Ellen was 19. The family had first formed in post-War Paris, where Joseph was studying art on the G.I. bill with Paul Colin and Fernand Leger. He met a beautiful woman on a Metro elevator at Harvé-Coumatin - a war orphan on her first solo weekend outing after leaving the orphanage - and soon they were married young parents.

Joseph and Sophie returned to the U.S. with their baby daughter, and he started a successful commercial art studio, serving for a time as art director for Seagram’s. Sophie became a nationally ranked fencer, a fine tennis player, a mother for a second time and an elegant entertainer of Joseph’s clients.

In the late 60s, the family stumbled across an old bar and diner in upstate New York. Spurred by the untimely death of a good friend, they realized they were tired of putting Joseph’s art behind their financial obligations. They made a radical decision to close the art studio and relocate the family to rural Hadley, New York. They turned the old bar into a small summer restaurant with a wooded view of the Sacandaga River and lived in a tiny house next door on the secluded mountain road.

Sophie was a talented home cook who had learned from her grandmother in the Pas de Calais and from the nuns at the orphanage, but by no means a chef. She offered her services for six months as an apprentice to George Seitz, the chef and owner of The Arch in North Salem, in order to learn how a restaurant kitchen operates.

Warned that no one would eat at a place that didn’t sell pizza or hamburgers, Sophie stubbornly sold snails and duck, filling a void that no one knew existed. Finding ingredients was difficult. Sophie kept an extensive garden and worked with local farmers, and used simple, classic recipes to reveal the best qualities of her ingredients. The little restaurant attracted such a following that at times there would be a parade of limousines bearing horse-racing luminaries and members of the New York City Ballet and Philadelphia Orchestra heading from Saratoga up the twisty mountain pass.

Sophie and Joseph opened the restaurant every summer, eventually moving into downtown Saratoga Springs. Paul began helping wash dishes when he was just big enough to sit in the soap sink with the plates. Ellen (now an Obie- and Emmy Award-winning actress) also helped out each summer.

Eventually, Paul dropped out of Vassar College and went to work as a musician in Paris, London, New York and Memphis. Naturally, he supported himself in the restaurant business, working in both the front and back of the house (and even in the car - as a driver for Domino’s Pizza while he played in a rock band in Memphis.)

After meeting his future wife, Cheryl Clark, in Memphis, he returned to New York City so she could earn her Master’s degree in journalism. They relocated to Eastern Long Island, where he finished a degree in philosophy and comparative literature.

Meanwhile, Sophie and Joseph decided to retire. But rest and relaxation were so foreign to Sophie that in 1993 she took a job working with Paul for a Cordon Bleu chef on Long Island.

That experience made Paul rethink his plans to finish a doctorate in philosophy. He realized he missed his family and the restaurant business, and began talks with his parents about moving back to upstate New York.

The family decided to reopen Chez Sophie as a year-round bistro, with the same simple, elegant food and a more casual atmosphere. They bought a vintage 1950s stainless steel roadside diner just south of Saratoga Springs that had been “smiling” at Sophie for years. Hundreds of the original Chez Sophie customers visited the new Chez Sophie Bistro, which offered a more casual atmosphere and an á la carte menu with many of Sophie’s signature dishes. Paul managed the restaurant, Joseph served as host and Paul’s wife, Cheryl, learned about the restaurant business from Sophie, working her way up from dishwashing to pastry making. In 1998, William Grimes of the New York Times described it as “a tiny bit of France 3,500 miles from Paris - the neighborhood bistro that every Manhattanite dreams of.”

Sophie passed away in Feb. 2001 and Joseph sold the restaurant to Paul and Cheryl. Trained in traditional French cooking by his mother (as she was trained by her grandmother) Chef Paul continues the culinary and family traditions his mother loved. Cheryl, who retired from journalism in 2001, manages the dining room and website and works with her husband to maintain the extensive wine cellar. Their son, Nicholas Charles, was born in 2003. Later that year, Joseph married Nancy Griffis, a widow and former school administrator who is now a licensed massage therapist. The two maintain an art gallery and massage studio at the old restaurant in Hadley and help out at the bistro on weekends.

Larry Schepici

www.sargos.com

Chef Larry Schepici has over 25 years of culinary experience. Born and trained in Boston, he has worked for many renowned restaurants prior to taking the helm as Executive Chef at Sargo’s at Saratoga National Golf Club. Chef Larry has showcased his talents and has earned numerous awards, as well as voted the Chef of the Year by the American Culinary Federation. Chef Larry’s extensive culinary background includes The Hawk in Plymouth, Vermont earning them a Four Diamond rating, and Raffael’s, in Boston, a Four Star Restaurant. He was also Chef/Proprietor at The Basin Restaurant in Killington, Vermont, where his restaurant was written up as the most innovative and skillfully prepared cuisine in the area. His culinary experience led him to Tavern at Sterup Square, Troy, New York, where he won several awards, as well as earing the Tavern the prestigious DiRonA Award of Excellence for four consecutive years. Chef Larry has received numerous awards, including Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals, as well as represented and won a Bronze medal for the United States at the Hotelympia 2000 Salon Culinaire “Master Chef’s Grand Prix.” The competition included countries such as France, Turkey, Ireland, Scotland, and Italy. Since arriving at Sargo’s, Chef Larry had earned a Best New Restaurant in Upstate New York Award by the New York State Restaurant Association, a four star write-up in August of 2001 from the Times Union, as well as the 2003 Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator Magazine. In August of 2002, Sargo’s was awarded a “Perfect Emphatic Four Star Rating” by Bill Dowd of the Times Union, one of just two restaurants in the entire capital district and the only one in Saratoga. As a member of the Confrerie del la Chaine des Rotisseurs, Larry has a passion for wine and was awarded the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in March of 2004. In January of 2005, Chef Larry was invited to the internationally recognized James Beard House in New York City, where he performed culinary magic with a spectacular seven course wine dinner, featuring foods from local farmers in each of the seven courses. Continuing his never-ending quest for culinary excellence, Chef Larry was recently in February of 2005, the recipient of the prestigious Four Diamond Award from AAA, making Sargo’s the only restaurant in the Northeast to hold that status.

Matthew Secich

www.theinnaterlowest.com

Chef Matthew Secich spent his growing-up years in Columbus, Ohio. His family roots are from the Youngstown area where his grandfather’s family settled from Croatia. His first memories of cuisine are as a child having the luxury of the attention of his grandmothers who ingrained in him the heart and soul of cuisine. Their influence is present everyday in his kitchen.

“In the kitchen we use no recipes, I draw a picture and we create a new dish.”

Any time the young Secich watched one particular grandmother cook he observed that she never used recipes. He asked her “How can you cook without a recipe?” she answered “I cook from the heart.” “You must be free to create from within.” The true secret of a great cuisinier was passed on with the words. In his teens, Chef Secich worked at Muirfield Golf Course in Dublin, Ohio. This was his first introduction to a restaurant kitchen. He spent five years washing dishes, and prides himself as “doing the job of three dish washers.”

After high school, Matthew enlisted in the US Army and was a part of a Long Range Recon Team and a Cavalry Scout attached to Killer Troop 3/3 ACR. Upon leaving the military, Secich attended Texas Tech University and chose elementary education as his major; he also played Lacrosse for Tech. While in college, Matthew met his wife, Crystal. At this time he started to work at a restaurant with Crystal and began to remember all the wonderful memories and lessons his grandmother gave him. Matthew left Texas Tech to look at attending culinary school.

Matthew & Crystal married, then moved to Columbus, Ohio, where Matthew studied under the only true American Culinary Federation Master Chef, Hartmut Handke. This was the turning point for Secich; the Master pushed him to attend a culinary school. Johnson & Wales University in Charleston, South Carolina, was the next move for the couple. While attending Johnson & Wales, Matthew studied under Master Chef Karl Guggenmos. Chef Guggenmos guided Matthew in competing in culinary competitions sponsored by the American Culinary Federation, and rather than participating with students he competed in the “Professionals” category. Matthew won 2 gold and 8 silver medals in a nine month period; this feat has never been accomplished by a student in Johnson & Matthew Secich Wales’ history. During culinary school Secich also had the fortune to study under Chef Ken Vedrinski at The Woodlands Resort & Inn, Summerville, SC. Chef Vedrinski also had studied under Master Chef Hartmut Handke in Columbus, Ohio.

Upon graduating from culinary school, Matthew & Crystal moved to Virginia to work at the Inn at Little Washington under Chef Patrick O’Connell. Matthew Secich left the Inn at Little Washington after a year and moved to New Jersey to study under the most influential chef for Secich, Chef Craig Shelton at The Ryland Inn. Under the direction of Chef Shelton, Matthew became the Executive Sous Chef and Crystal became the Director of Guest Services of The Ryland Inn.

“The time studying under Chef Shelton changed my life and created the Cuisiner that I am today.”

After leaving the Ryland Inn, Matthew Secich has traveled to France to study under Pierre Gagnaire at Restaurant Pierre Gagnaire and with Guy Martin at Le Grand Vefour. During his European ‘tour of duty’, Chef Secich was in England to study at La Manior Aux Quat’ Saisons under Raymond Blanc. Upon Chef Secich’s return to the US he went to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where he was discovered by David & Cheryl Kenny, the proprietors of The Inn at Erlowest. Currently Chef Secich is creating the most innovative and heartfelt cuisine in the Adirondacks.

Stephen Topper

Chef Topper grew up in this area of upstate New York in the small town of Galway. He is no stranger to farm fresh product as his family operated a small hobby farm raising their own beef, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, and rabbits. Topper got his formal education at Johnson & Wales University completing his bachelor’s degree in culinary arts in 1997.

Early in his career Chef Topper spent time working in Washington D.C., Virginia, and West Virginia before coming home to upstate New York. He worked at The Sagamore Resort on Lake George for seven years moving up through the ranks to the position of Executive Sous Chef. His next move was to assume the role of Executive Chef at The Friends Lake Inn in Chestertown where elevating the quality of food to match the impressive wine list won many awards. Wine Spectator’s Grand Award, along with hardware from Santé Magazine, and several medals from local American Culinary Federation sponsored competitions all came in short order under Topper’s direction.

Leaving the inn to join forces with David Britton of Springwater Bistro, the duo set out to take on the foodservice at Saratoga Polo –Catering and Events. Topper is the Chef de Cuisine at Saratoga Polo leading a culinary brigade through un-chartered territory and delighting patrons all along the way.

When he’s not in the kitchen, you can often find Topper in the fields and forests or on the streams and lakes of New York pursuing his other passions; hunting and fishing. As an avid outdoorsman who takes pride in the utilization of the resources afforded to him through living in rural New York, Topper has his roots in this area.

Suzanne Tracht

www.thejar.com

Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Suzanne Tracht began her culinary career during college, where, as an apprentice to renowned chef Siegbert Wendler at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa, she spent three years learning the complexities and demands of the professional kitchen. She worked her way through nearly every job in the restaurant, including dishwashing, pantry and cooking vegetables, mastering enough skills to move to Los Angeles in 1988 and break into the city’s already growing restaurant scene.

After completing stages at the Westin Century Plaza Hotel & Spa and the prestigious Hotel Bel Air, Suzanne became sous chef at the new Noa Noa restaurant in Beverly Hills in 1991, one of the first Cal-Asian fusion restaurants to introduce the flavors of the East to those of the West.

Following this achievement, she joined the critically acclaimed Campanile restaurant as sous chef in 1990 where owners Mark Peel and Nancy Silverton provided the guidance and freedom for Suzanne to prepare delicious food made with quality and simplicity, a style that defines her culinary trademark today.

In 1994, Suzanne became the executive chef of Jozu, a restaurant praised for its imaginative menu blending Pacific Rim flavors with California Cuisine. The restaurant experienced a successful run, but Suzanne dreamed of opening her own contemporary chop house in Los Angeles.

Her ambition was realized with the opening of Jar in 2001 and business continues to thrive four years later. Suzanne is finally cooking the foods close to her heart and experiencing the greatest triumph of her career. “I love feeding people,” says Suzanne. “I like to cook what I like to eat, using wonderful ingredients and cooking them simply. Jar is just the perfect environment for making my favorite foods and we provide a warm and relaxed setting that makes it the neighborhood restaurant I’ve always imagined.”

Food & Wine magazine named Suzanne among “America’s Best New Chef’s 2002” and she has been recently featured in the Los Angeles Times, More and Bon Appetit magazines. Jar has received stellar reviews in Los Angeles, Angeleno and Los Angeles Confidential magazines. In her three star review of the restaurant, Los Angeles Times restaurant critic S. Irene Virbila says, “Tracht’s attention to detail sets Jar apart. It's not only good, it's absolutely reliable. How rare is that?” Brad Johnson of Angeleno gives Jar four stars saying, “I can’t think of anyone who makes a better pot roast than Tracht.”

Patric Kuh gives Suzanne the highest accolades in his review of Jar. “Suzanne Tracht has a French sense of proportion, and Italian appreciation of minimal intervention, and a Japanese awareness of modulation. She might have the most finely tuned and modern sensibility of any cook working in L.A.,” says Kuh in his review for Los Angeles magazine, December 2005. Kuh also named Jar as one of Los Angeles’ top 25 restaurants in Los Angeles magazine’s January 2005 issue.

Suzanne has two children, Ida and Max, who can often be seen doing their homework at Jar. She balances out the pressures of running a busy restaurant with spinning class, hiking in the Hollywood Hills and riding her bike at the beach.

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