Mario Beabraut has been named executive chef of Bourbon Steak at the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa, part of Michael Mina’s Mina Group, a company he has been with for nearly 10 years, starting at Bourbon Steak in Santa Clara, Calif. Before joining the company he was executive sous chef of Farm Shop Marin in Larkspur, Calif.

Camille Becerra is the new chef-partner of Ace Hotel Brooklyn, where she is working with executive chef Michael King and pastry chef Danny Alvarez.

With more than 25 years working in foodservice, she was previously chef and partner of Paloma in Brooklyn, and of Navy and De Maria, both in Manhattan.

Ashfer Biju is executive chef of the Baccarat Hotel in New York City, where he is working with culinary director Gabriel Kreuther. Most recently he spent 12 years as food & beverage director of The Pierre Hotel, also in New York. 

Originally from the Indian state of Kerala, Biju earned a diploma from The Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology in Kovalam in Kerala and began his career at Oberoi Hotels & Resorts in New Delhi, India. He worked at properties in Mauritius, Seychelles, the United Kingdom, and the Maldives as well as India before arriving in the United States.

Zachary Bjorklund is the new executive chef of The Bidwell Marriott in Portland, Ore. He’s a native of Oregon’s Willamette Valley and his culinary background includes working as chef de partie at The Ritz-Carlton Denver and chef de cuisine at The Armory Hotel in Bozeman, Mont.

Scott Burnett is the new executive chef of Cheeca Lodge & Spa in Islamorada, Fla. Originally from Ocala, Fla., he grew up working in his family’s bakeries and went on to work in restaurants across the United States and Mexico, including a number of years in New York at restaurants including Pastis, Veronika, Tribeca Grill, and Millesime.

Chris Castro is the new executive chef of the Omni Tempe Hotel at ASU. Previously he was executive chef of Anthem Golf and Country Club in Anthem, Ariz. And before that he was executive sous chef of the Enchantment Resort in Sedona, Ariz.

Augusto Caudillo is the new chef of The Steward hotel in Santa Barbara, Calif., near Goleta, Calif., where he grew up. He studied at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Las Vegas and went on to work at Fess Parker Wine Country Inn in Los Olivos, Calif., and then Lucky’s Steakhouse in Montecito, Calif. He then worked as a private chef and went on to run his own restaurant in the Central Coast’s wine country before joining The Steward.

Marco Collins is the new executive chef Two Mules Cantina at the Texican Court hotel in Irving, Texas. He got his start as an intern under chef Roland Passot at La Folie in San Francisco, and most recently he was executive chef of the Foxhall resort in Douglasville, Ga.

Patrick Dahms is the new area culinary director and executive chef of 11 restaurants under the Davenport Hotel Collection, based in Spokane, Wash., including Table 13 Restaurant and Whiskey Bar and the Palm Court Grill.

Born and raised in Luebeck, Germany, he went to culinary school in Hamburg, Germany and then apprenticed at the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Hamburg before going on to be executive chef at a variety of hotels including the Willard InterContinental in Washington, D.C., the St. Regis Aspen Resort, and the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. Most recently he was executive chef of The Hythe in Vail, Colo.

Bikram Das is the new corporate executive chef of Curry Up Now, a 20-unit Indian chain based in San Francisco. Originally from Bhutan, Das studied at the Institute of Hotel Management in Kolkata, India and then worked in that country in a variety of positions, including chef de cuisine of the Hyatt Regency in Kolkata and executive chef of Raajkutir hotel in the same city.

In 2020 he became executive chef of Amber India in the Santana Row area of San José, Calif., and went on to be executive chef of Mohi Social in Morgan Hill, Calif., before joining Curry Up Now.

Alvin Dela Cruz is executive chef of the Four Seasons Resort Lanai on the Hawaiian island of Lanai. Born in the Philippines and raised in the San Francisco Bay area, the graduate of the California Culinary Academy previously worked at the Montage Los Cabos in Mexico and the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills in California, as well as a variety of positions at different Ritz-Carlton properties.

Kate Diehl is the new executive chef of The Midnight Shift at the Cotton Court hotel in her hometown of Lubbock, Texas. She went to culinary school in Houston and began her career as sous chef of Hotel Valencia Riverwalk in San Antonio before moving back to Lubbock to open her first restaurant, Home Café, followed by The Crafthouse Gastropub, which closed in 2021.

Thomas Dritsas is the new corporate executive chef of Truluck’s, a 10-unit chain with locations in Florida, Illinois, Texas, and Washington, D.C. Most recently he was culinary concept chef oof Whiskey Cake and Ida Claire, part of FB Society, and he also was corporate chef for the Lone Star Steakhouse group, overseeing that concept as well as Sullivan’s, Texas Land & Cattle, and Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse.

Bella Fiattarone has been promoted to executive chef of Shaker + Spear at the Kimpton Palladin in Seattle. 

After graduating from The Culinary Institute of America in 2017 she worked as a manager-in-training and sous chef at the school’s fine-dining Bocuse Restaurant before moving to Seattle where she worked for the Ethan Stowell restaurant Cortina before becoming chef de partie at Canlis, and then at Charlotte Restaurant & Lounge at the Lotte Hotel. She also has worked at the Sea Pine Resorts on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina and at Aureole in New York City. She joined Shaker + Spear as sous chef in 2022.

Andrew Fox is the new executive chef of the Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe in New Mexico, overseeing all culinary operations including the property’s signature restaurant, Terra. The Michigan native has worked at a variety of hotels including Amangani in Jackson Hole, Wyo.; Vail Cascade resort & Spa in Vail, Colo.; Kessler Collection Resort & Spa in Beaver Creek, Colo.; and Bottlefish Restaurant in Beverly Hills, Calif. He also worked at the Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe previously, starting in 2017, before going on to be opening sous chef of Miss River, the signature restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans headed up by chef Alon Shaya.

Alberto “Beto” Gutierrez is executive chef of Boiler House at the Pearl in San Antonio. Previously he was chef of La Posada in his hometown of Laredo, Texas, The Driskill Hotel in Austin, and Añejo and The Tasting Room in Houston.

Edward Hong has been named executive chef of Delmonico’s, the landmark New York City restaurant that is slated to reopen in September. Most recently he was the chef of Journey, a multi-sensory restaurant concept also in his hometown of New York. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., he has also worked at Aureole, Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, and The Clocktower.

Theo Ioannou is the new executive chef of the Hilton Richmond Downton in Richmond, Va. Most recently he was executive chef of The Westmont at Short Pump in Glenn Allen, Va. Previously he was executive chef of other hotels including Hotel MdR, Sheraton Ceritos Hotel, Atrium, and Sutton Place Hotel, all in California.

Thomas Keller, the legendary chef and restaurateur behind The French Laundry in Yountville, Calif., and Per Se in New York City, among other restaurants, as well as a mentor to many chefs across the country, has entered into a partnership with Ty Warner Hotels & Resorts to oversee the food & beverage at the Coral Casino Beach & Cabana Club in Santa Barbara, Calif., including Coral Café, Fins, Poolside Dining, the Tydes, and La Pacifica. He will also be reworking those last two concepts.
Keller is one of the most decorated chefs in the country, with seven Michelin stars and numerous James Beard Foundation awards. He was also inducted into the Nation’s Restaurant News MenuMasters Hall of Fame in 2022.

Yoshikazu Kizu is the new executive chef of The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka‘anapali in Hawaii. Previously she was executive sous chef of The Ritz-Carlton Okinawa in Japan; H also spent five years as executive pastry chef of The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua on Maui.

Ricky Kusuda has been promoted to executive banquet chef of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort in Honolulu, replacing JJ Reinhart who is now the property’s executive sous chef. He has been working at the hotel since 2015, most recently as chef de cuisine of its Bali Oceanfront restaurant.

William Lochetto is the new chef de cuisine of the Turtle Bay Resort in Hawaii. Most recently he worked at The French Laundry in Yountville, Calif., and before that he was at Jean-Georges Philadelphia at the Four Seasons hotel in that city.

April Matsumoto is the new executive sous chef of The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka‘anapali in Hawaii. Previously she was a chef at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, also on Maui, and before that she was senior chef de partie at the London Marriott Hotel in England.

Guenter Moreno is the new executive chef of Torali at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago. Originally from The Philippines, he moved to Florida as a young teenager and attended the Florida Culinary Institute and then started working at the Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach, working up the ranks until his move to Chicago and his current position.

Chad Myers is the new chef de cuisine of Woodlands Restaurant & Lounge at the Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa in Galena, Ill. Previously he was executive chef of the Dubuque Golf & Country Club in Dubuque, Iowa., and also worked at Water Street Market in Bellevue, Iowa., Caroline’s at the Hotel Julien Dubuque, Dubuque Greyhound Park & Casino (now Q Casino), Potter’s Mill in Bellevue, Silver Spoon Restaurant in East Dubuque, and Copper Kettle in Dubuque.

Jose Ochoa is the new chef of Natalie’s at the Camden Harbour Inn in Camden, Maine. Most recently he was regional executive chef for the Barcelona Wine Bar chain, having worked his way up from sous chef.

He studied at the French Culinary Institute in New York City, which is now part of the Institute of Culinary Education.

Mark Pollard is the new chef of Culina Ristorante at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. His résumé includes stints Bix and Frascati in San Francisco, BOA Steak in Los Angeles, Sunset Beach on Shelter Island in New York, and Epic restaurant in Chicago.

Stephan Pyles, the pioneering Dallas-based chef, has entered into a licensing agreement with Mod Motels, the lodging company of entrepreneurs Lisa Lennox and Kirk and Cathy Bonner, to develop Interstate Inn in Stephenville, Texas, which is slated to open in the summer of 2024. 

Pyles has been a pioneer in developing modern Texan cuisine, having won two James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards and been inducted into the Nation’s Restaurant News MenuMasters Hall of Fame. 

He has created 23 restaurants in six cities over the past 32 years, including Routh Street Café, Baby Routh, Star Canyon, restaurant Stephan Pyles, Samar, Stampede 66, and Flora Street Café.

Alexandra Puglisi is the new pastry chef of Le Coucou in New York City. Originally from upstate New York, she attended Paul Smith’s College in Paul Smiths, N.Y., as well as The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., before moving to New York City to work in the pastry kitchens of such fine dining restaurants as L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Gabriel Kreuther, and Eleven Madison Park. During lockdown she opened a dessert pop-up, 32^nd & Tart and also tested recipes for publishing company Dotdash Meredith.

Adam Raskin is the new executive chef of The Knickerbocker hotel in New York City. The Culinary Institute of America graduate previously was the opening culinary director and executive chef of Great Jones Distilling Co., also in New York, where he designed the kitchen and bar and developed seasonal menus.

In his new position he will be overseeing the food & beverage at Charlie Palmer at The Knick, St. Cloud Rooftop, Jake’s coffee shop, and The Knickerbocker’s meeting and event space.

JJ Reinhart has been promoted to executive sous chef of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort in Honolulu, where he has worked since 2013 when he was hired as chef de cuisine of its Bali Oceanfront restaurant. He has been the property’s executive banquet chef since 2018.

Michael Salem, the former corporate chef of Burger King who is credited with developing it’s meatless Impossible Whopper, is now president of Recreate Foods in Phoenix, which specializes in plant-based chicken alternatives. After leaving Burger King, Salem also developed the menu of celebrity Kevin Hart’s vegan concept Hart House.

Victoria Shore has been promoted to executive chef from executive sous chef of the Thompson Savannah in Savannah Georgia. Originally from Atlanta, she was pastry chef at Cooks & Soldiers in that city and then sous chef at Double Zero and Recess. She joined the Thompson Savannah in August of 2021.

Stu Stalker, who spent years working at Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark, is the executive chef of the new Second Story at Little Saint restaurant in Healdsburg, Calif., as well as the whole restaurant’s culinary director. 

The Second Story is a more upscale section of the restaurant offering an elevated set menu.

Originally from Newcastle, England, Stalker spent five years cooking in his home country before working in Australia and New Zealand and then joining Noma in 2012. Most recently he ran Noma’s Popl, an upscale burger restaurant. 

Josh Su has been promoted to chef de cuisine from executive sous chef of Waterbar in San Francisco. The Anaheim, Calif., native fell in love with cooking when he was studying pre-med in college and has been working in kitchens for the past 14 years, most recently, before joining Waterbar, he was chef de partie at Benu, also in San Francisco.

Toni Susi is the new executive chef of Bar Enza in the Charles Hotel in Cambridge, Mass. He got his start at Todd English’s Olives restaurant in Boston 25 years ago and went on to run Sage Restaurant, also in Boston, and has consulted on restaurants in New York, Florida, and Massachusetts.

Danny Tippets is the new executive chef of The Katharine Brasserie & Bar in Winston-Salem, N.C. Most recently the executive chef of Great Wolf Lodge Water Park in Manteca., Calif., Tippets has spent most of his career in his home state of North Carolina, including Pine Lake Country Club in Mint Hill, Ballantyne Country Club in Charlotte, TPC Piper Glen Country Club, also in Charlotte, and Great Wolf Resorts in Concord.

Vasiliki Vourliotaki is the new executive chef of Kellari Taverna in New York City. Originally from Greece, she began working in restaurants in 2006 and first moved to New York in 2014 to work at Oceana. She went on to work in Paris at Hélène Darroze before returning to New York to work for the Livanos Restaurant Group, which owns Oceana among other restaurants, before joining Kellari.

David Wakefield is the new executive chef of Farm Bar Lakeview in Chicago. Most recently he had a brief consulting gig with Goose Island Brewery in Chicago, but before that he worked for the Alinea Group as sous chef of both Roister and St. Clair Supper Club, also in Chicago.