Chef Ernst Dorfler and Gerry Sayers, owners of Five Sails Restaurant, Vancouver

On my last trip to Vancouver, I visited the Five Sails restaurant at the top of the Pan Pacific Hotel.  The restaurant has amazing views and equally amazing food, which I got to sample in a fabulous tasting menu.   I also got to sit down with owner and Chef Ernst Dorfler to talk a bit about his food.  Our interview is below.

Chef Ernst Dorflers’ diverse career began when he left his home in Sirnitz, Austria at the age of fifteen to become an apprentice at the Four Star Trattlerhof Hotel in Bad Kleinkirchheim. Armed with formal French and Swiss training Ernst left to see the world, enriching his cultural and gastronomic experience in Germany, Switzerland, South Africa and Canada.

Dorfler’s Canadian culinary adventures have taken him from the East to the West Coast. He commenced his Canadian “tour” at the Quebec Hilton in Quebec City, followed by the Westin Hotel, Waldens Restaurant and the Four Seasons Hotel in Edmonton and eventually bringing him to Vancouver in 1988 as Executive Chef of the Five Diamond, Pan Pacific Hotel.

From 1981 to 1992 Ernst competed in the culinary arts locally, nationally and internationally achieving over 30 gold medals. He has been proud to represent Canada at seven international culinary events and was a member of the acclaimed Canadian Culinary Olympic Championship Team in 1992, achieving the highest honor of gold medal for best overall team/country at the World Culinary Olympics in Frankfurt, Germany.

Chef Dorfler has continued to win praise and accolades from Vancouverites and visitors to the Five Sails Restaurant and the Pan Pacific Vancouver – both of which have been consistently recognized with the AAA Five Diamond designation since 1990.

Davidji is an internationally recognized meditation teacher, life guide, and public speaker. He travels the world sharing timeless wisdom on stress management, deeper life fulfillment, emotional healing, balancing business and wellness, getting unstuck, and taking your life to the next level. He is the author of several books, hundreds of articles, and is the subject of many videos.
Since 2003, davidji has lived and worked at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, CA which he refers to as “the sweet spot of the universe.” Having apprenticed under Deepak Chopra and David Simon for seven years, he is the Chopra Center’s lead meditation teacher and ayurveda instructor teaching thousands each month throughout the world to tap into the stillness and silence that rests within.

Davidji

The Chopra Center serves as headquarters of alternative medicine gurus Deepak Chopra and David Simon.  It houses a multitude of classes, daily meditation and yoga, seminars, workshops and treatments based on the principles of Ayurveda, an ancient healing system of India.   The Center combines mind and body techniques with natural spa treatments, including Oshadi, a herbal wrap to eliminate toxins; Pizichilli, a rhythmic therapy massage to enhance circulation; and Abhyanga, a two-therapist massage to enhance the immune system.

I sat down with Davidji, aka David Greenspan, for a chat at the Chopra Center at La Costa in Carlsbad about the center, how he came to teach there, and the mind/body connection.  Throughout our conversation a variety of people walked by and all of them had to stop to chat with David.  He greeted each person with a huge hug and every friend thanked him before leaving.  I also felt better after I talked with him than before our conversation, which I think is part of the reason he is one of the main reasons to visit the center.  He gave me a CD of his meditations and after a week I’ve reduced a good deal of stress following the CD.  You can purchase his meditation CD, DavidJi Guided Meditations, at his website, www.davidji.com.

René Lenger is the executive chef of Switch at Encore, the new signature resort in the  Wynn collection, where he serves modern seafood and steakhouse fare with an  emphasis on the finest market ingredients. Lenger joined Wynn Resorts in 2005 as  executive chef of The Country Club, A New American Steakhouse.

“At Switch, I hope to provide my guests with a truly unique dining experience,” says  Lenger. “The seasonally-inspired cuisine combined with the restaurant’s theatrics offers  an event that’s in a class of its own. There’s nothing like Switch in Las Vegas.”

Previously, Lenger spent seven years working alongside David Walzog, (former  executive chef of The Country Club, now executive chef of SW Steakhouse, also at  Wynn Las Vegas) at Strip House, Michael Jordan’s and Monkey Bar, where they were  both key members of the Glazier Group, a prominent restaurant company based in New
York.   Born in Vienna, Austria, Lenger grew up in a home where food played a major role. The  chef’s father was a professor at the esteemed Culinary Institute of Vienna and taught  Lenger at an early age how to make Austrian specialties such as taffelspitz and gulasch.  By the time Lenger graduated from high school, he was hooked on cooking and applied
to the Culinary Institute of Vienna where he graduated at the top of his class.

Upon graduation Lenger trained at Zu den drei Husaren under three-toque chef Ewald
Plachutta. While working under Plachutta, he would set off daily for the market, choosing
items for that evening’s menu.

By the early 90’s, Lenger seized the opportunity to come to New York to work at the
Rhiga Royal Hotel. To build upon his already impressive culinary background, he
decided to master pastry arts and accepted a position as assistant pastry chef at the
hotel. Lenger returned to Vienna in 1993 where he worked at another three-toque
restaurant, Altwienerhof, and then became an executive chef at Da’ Marcello. By 1996,
the chef was ready to move to the U.S. and was hired as executive chef at Theodore
Restaurant, a critically acclaimed Austrian-American brasserie in New York’s flatiron
district.

In 1999 Lenger was introduced to restaurateur Peter Glazier of The Glazier Group and
was immediately asked to helm the kitchen at the Glazier Group’s Strip House
restaurant in New York City (in addition, he later helmed the kitchens of Strip House
Houston and Palm Beach Gardens).  Under Lenger’s supervision, Forbes magazine named Strip House as one of the “Forbes
2003 All-Star Eateries in New York.” In addition, Time Out New York’s Eating and
Drinking Guide 2001 nominated Strip House as one of the year’s “Best New
Steakhouses.” Lenger is also a published author in Austria and has written several
books on culinary arts used at many schools throughout Eastern Europe.

Lenger incorporates his love for quality products at Switch, where he brings his
trademark flair to this dynamic dining destination.

Chef Frank Pabst

Widely recognized for his creative impetus and leadership in responsible seafood practices, Chef Frank Pabst leads Vancouver’s Blue Water Cafe’s brigade of expert chefs in what has been called “one of North America’s finest seafood restaurants.”

With tenures in Michelin-starred restaurants throughout Germany and France, including La Becasse (Aachen), the Hotel Negresco (Cannes) and Restaurant de Bacon (Antibes), Pabst was schooled in the rigorous classical technique that provides the foundation for his diverse cooking style today.

Directing the kitchens at Blue Water Cafe since 2003, Pabst has consistently demonstrated excellence, both in the procurement of impeccably fresh, sustainable seafood—Blue Water Cafe is a founding member of the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program—and in the execution of its cookery, showcasing his trademark “complexity without complication.”

My dad and I visited Blue Water Cafe for a tasting menu and we sat down with Chef Pabst to talk a bit about Blue Water Cafe and his philosophy on food.

Ethel M. Chocolate Head Pastry Chef, Jin Caldwell

On a recent visit to the Ethel M. Chocolate Factory I interviewed Jin Caldwell, who is their head pastry chef.  She was nice enough to give me a tour of the factory and picked out some great chocolates that she created.

For Caldwell,  the art of creating chocolate confections is the realization of a lifelong culinary passion. as the former chocolatier and pastry chef for Wynn-Las Vegas and the Bellagio Hotel, Chef Jin has worked under the direction of world renowned pastry chefs such as Jean-Phillipe Maury and Frederic Robert.   A graduate of  Le Cordon Blue Culinary School-Scottsdale, Arizona, Chef Jin has had a life long passion to create great cuisine.

Chef Jins’ culinary skills have earned her numerous awards and worldwide recognition. In 2003, she won the grand championship of the American Culinary Federation Culinary Challenge, with two “gold” and one “silver” medal. She has been featured in numerous national venues, including the Food Network and Rachel Ray programs Chef Jin also represented the United States at the 2006 World Ice Cream Cup in Rimini, Italy, where her chocolate-raspberry ice cream cake was judged to be among the world’s best.

In 2007, Chef Jin was invited to be one of 12 team captains selected for the prestigious national pastry team championships held in Nashville, Tenn. her 3-person “Team Caldwell” was also the first all-female pastry team to ever compete at this high level of culinary expertise, and earned a silver medal overall in the 13-hour competition. Team Caldwell also took first place in the chocolate entremet, frozen entremet & chocolate bon-bon categories.

Chef Jin sat down with me after our tour and talked about what probably is the best job in the world, creating great chocolates!

NASCAR racer Taylor Barton

I recently sat down with NASCAR racer Taylor Barton to chat a bit about poker and race car driving.   For over nineteen years the Las Vegas native has been competitively racing in motorsports.   He started at age 5 and has competed in over 200 competitions, locally and nationally, and has always placed in the top ten.  He currently races in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and is planning to compete in the 2010 NASCAR Camping World West.   Barton also spends a lot of his time volunteering and raising money for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Las Vegas.  One of his main sponsors is Full Tilt Poker.net.

Chef Bernard Derviex

My friend Paul and I were fortunate to have the chance to eat at one of the best restaurants in the Palm Springs area, Cuistot.  We had a fantastic meal and got to sit down with Chef Bernard Derviex for a quick chat, our conversation is below.

Chef Bernard

Bernard was born in Condrieu, France in 1953. His family operated a farm and this is where he gained his appreciation for fresh, tasteful food. His father wanted him to pick up a trade, so at age 13, he became an apprentice charcutier and worked in Vienne until 1972. He worked under the direction of Chef Paul Bocuse in Lyon, France from 1972 to 1974 as a cuisinier and with Roger Verge in Le Moulin de Mougin. Bernard was sent by Paul Bocuse to the United States in 1974 to work at Le Francais in Wheeling, Illinois as a saucier/sous chef under the supervision of Jean Bachet. He then worked at the Pump Room in Chicago, Illinois from 1978 until 1980 as Executive Chef.

Bernard was hired in 1980 at the Beverly Hills Hotel at the recommendation of Wolfgang Puck. He was Executive Chef at the hotel until 1986. After leaving the Beverly Hills Hotel, Bernard went to the Grand Champions Resort in Indians Wells and also to Aspen, Colorado serving as Executive Chef until opening Cuistot in 1987.

In 2003 Bernard and his wife Susan broke ground on their new location. The building incorporates a rustic French farmhouse theme conceived by the Dervieuxs and executed by Design Development in Agoura Hills, CA.

Valentino Dining Room, Las Vegas

My friend Sheila and I recently visiting Valentino restaurant at the Venetian.  Valentino is the sister restaurant to the world-renowned Valentino located in Santa Monica.  The stylish main dining room has warm wood paneled walls and vaulted ceilings with furnishings and artifacts from Italy including the terrazzo floor and Venetian glass found in the lighting decor.

The menu is extensive, offering a seven-course Chef’s Extravaganza which is a good choice if you want a bit of everything on the menu, or you can order a la carte items.  Choose from over 24,000 wines to go with your meal.

Wine room

Here are some pics of the entrees, lobster with black pasta and brick pressed chicken with spinach risotto.

lobster with black pasta

brick pressed chicken with spinach risotto

We interviewed Chef Pellegrini before we started eating, the interview and a bit about his philosophy and background in cooking follow.

Executive Chef Luciano Pellegrini

James Beard Award-winning chef Luciano Pellegrini was born in Bergamo, Italy and began his culinary experience in his mother’s kitchen.  At age 13, he enrolled at San Pellegrino, one of Italy’s most prestigious hotel schools. He spent his teenage years attending school and gaining experience at various restaurants throughout Italy. After graduation, Pellegrini was exposed to dining at its finest when working at Locanda dell’Angelo in Bergamo.

At the age of 18, after completing his required one-year of military service as a parachutist, Pellegrini started his culinary career and gained valuable experience and working inside the kitchen’s of some of Italy’s top restaurants.  In 1985, Pellegrini took what would be his career-changing step by moving to the United States to work with restaurateur Piero Selvaggio, who had achieved a solid reputation for bringing genuine Italian cuisine to California.

By 1987, Pellegrini was quickly developing both his cooking and kitchen leadership skills as a pasta chef at Selvaggio’s restaurant, Primi.  In 1991, Pellegrini was promoted to executive chef at Posto restaurant in the San Fernando Valley.

Looking to take his culinary skills to the next level, Pellegrini returned to Italy, and while there learned the art of grilling on the “fogolar,” a traditional, flavorful way of cooking on a wood-burning open hearth. He also spent a great deal of time with Bruno Libralon, a renowned Italian Chef and head of the Italian Chef Association, who is often referred to as the “King of Fish.” Pellegrini also spent time with a local sausage expert in order to perfect the art of sausage-making, something very important in Italian cooking. During different stages in his travels, Pellegrini has worked with some of the most creative and respected Italian chefs in the world including Gianfranco Vissani, Fulvio Pierangelini, Paola DiMauro and Nadia Santini.

Pellegrini returned to California to showcase his honed craft and it paid off as the James Beard Foundation listed him among the Top 10 chefs in Los Angeles. He maintained this position for six consecutive years.

In May of 1999, Pellegrini  moved to Las Vegas to become executive chef and partner of Valentino Las Vegas (Venetian Hotel & Casino), the sister restaurant to Selvaggio’s iconic Santa Monica location. Over the past decade, Pellegrini’s dedication and passion in the kitchen has solidified Valentino as one of the leading Italian restaurants in the southwest. Valentino Las Vegas has received numerous awards including the esteemed DiRoNA (Distinguished Restaurants of North America) Award of Excellence, six Las Vegas Life Epicurean Awards for Best Italian Restaurant in Las Vegas and a 2007 Epicurean Award for the city’s best wine list. Valentino Las Vegas has also received the Grand Award from Wine Spectator annually since 2002.

Pellegrini is also a partner at Giorgio Ristorante, a more casual restaurant concept located at Mandalay Place on the Las Vegas strip and PS Valentino Vin Bar inside Houston’s Hotel Derek.

Chef Akira Hirose

Chef Akira Hirose was born in Kyoto Japan and traveled to France to study the art of cooking.  He soon met renown chef Joel Robuchon and trained under him at the Nikko Hotel in Paris.   In 1981, he came to America and worked at the famous L’Orangerie before returning to Japan to open Azay le Rideau, a French retaurant in Kyoto.  He closed it after five years to return to Los Angeles with his wife.

He then served as chef at several well known restaurants in LA, including the Peninsula Beverly Hills, Citrus and The Tower.  He opened Maison Akira in Pasadena in 1998.  I visited Chef Akira at his restaurant and after a wonderful dinner we sat down for a chat about his background, philosophy about cooking, and his journey to open his own restaurant.

Chef Alex Stratta at his restaurant Alex, Wynn Las Vegas

Chef Alex Stratta graduated with honors from the Cailfornia Culinary Institute in San Francisco.  He studied pastry under Jim Dodge at San Francisco’s Stanford Court Hotel and during an internship at the Michelin three star Hotel du Paris in Monaco he was invited by Alaine Ducasse to join the cooking crew at Louis XV.  His relationship with Ducasse provided an opportunity to work with Daniel Boulud at Le Cirque in New York, where Stratta worked for two years.  In 1989, Stratta moved to Phoenix to become Executive Chef of Mary Elaine’s at the Phoenecian Resort, which shortly won a Mobil four star rating under his tenure.  While there, Stratta was featured in Food & Wine magazine as oneof “America’s Ten Best New Chefs.”   In 1998, after receiving the “Best Chef Southwest” James Beard Award, Steve Wynn recruited Stratta to be Executive Chef at Renoir at the Mirage.  Six months after opening, Renoir received Mobil Travel Guide’s highest rating of five stars.  In 2001, Stratta was chosen as Iron Chef Italian on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America” television show.   In 2005, Stratta opened his namesake restaurant Alex at the Wynn resort.  He also owns the more casual Stratta at Wynn.

Chef Stratta was nice enough to sit down with us during our huge tasting menu at Alex and share a glass of wine while I asked him about his career as a chef, opening up his restaurants in Las Vegas, working with mentors Ducasse and Boulud and his philosphy of cooking.  Here is our conversation: