Chef, MBA CEC CCE

I was born and Raised in Brooklyn New York. My first job in a kitchen was as a dishwasher at a summer camp when I was 14 years. Next I worked as a counter man at a Deli and Bagel shop making sandwiches and running the cash register. Eventually I was offered a job as a bartender at a neighborhood restaurant and bar.

Here is where I knew that this is what I wanted to do as a career. I loved the pace and energy of working in a front of house environment. I then spent the next several years working as a Bartender, server and dining room manager. I knew that to really become an expert at the restaurant game I needed to know how to run a kitchen. So I enrolled at the Academy of Culinary Arts and two years later graduated with an associate’s degree in culinary arts. I was hired as a line cook at a privately owned country club and quickly promoted to the sous chef position. I continued to work and pursue higher levels of education. I attended Johnson & Wales University and earned a Bachelors of Science degree in food service management.

Throughout my career I made many stops at great restaurants owned and run by great people. These stops include being the executive Chef at Magnolia Grill in Brooklyn, Frescos in Cape May and Six Tables in Boca Raton.

I am currently a culinary instructor at the Art Institute of Tampa. I hold a Masters Degree in Marketing and I am a currently working towards a Doctorate in Educational leadership.