Eric DiStefano of
Coyote Café
Eric DiStefano was born and raised in
Hershey, Pennsylvania. He developed a passion for food at his mother’s
table. From his mother’s prodigious garden came heaps of tomatoes, fresh
basil, onions, a multitude of zucchinis. Sunday evenings, friends and family
gathered around sumptuous groaning boards of pasta, meatballs, Braciola,
crusty loaves of bread from Memmi’s bakery slathered with butter and fresh
garlic and of course, plenty of red table wine to quench those thirsts.
Eric began the natural evolution of his stellar career with a 5-year
apprenticeship at the Hotel Hershey, doing under mentors Heinz Hautle and
Rory Reno, and went on to work at the Breaker’s Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida
and The Registry Resort in Scottsdale. He had returned to become Chef de
Cuisine at Hotel Hershey, when, handed the telephone one night during dinner
service, he was told, “Hey Chef, there’s a French guy on the phone.” That
apocryphal call was in fact from Chef Daniel Boulud, calling to ask Eric to
come to New York to discuss an opportunity he had for him in Santa Fe.
The owner of Hacienda del Cerezo, an extremely high-end inn, had put in a
call to Boulud to ask, “Who is the best up and coming young chef on the
Scene?”
The answer Boulud gave, was Eric DiStefano.
Eric and his wife, Jeanne, arriving for the interview, having never visited
Santa Fe, were amazed and intrigued by the architecture and landscape. He
debuted, and was immediately offered the job, which he accepted.
After a year and a half, having developed a loyal following, Eric was ready
to head back East, when friends, photographer Peter Vitale, and Santa Fe
gallery owner Ron Messick, mentioned that Cliff Skoglund of Geronimo was
looking for a chef…and the rest is certain to be culinary history writ big.
Lane Warner,
La Fonda Hotel
Lane Warner, certified executive chef (CEC), joined La Fonda in 1993 as
executive sous chef. He was named executive chef in 1999 to head up an
award-winning culinary team.
Under his creative direction, our La Plazuela restaurant has garnered
rave reviews for his exceptionally sophisticated spin on Nuevo Latino
cuisine as well as his interpretation of traditional New Mexican dishes.
Using fresh, locally grown ingredients as well as the freshest fish,
poultry, beef and lamb available, Lane creates menus and oversees meal
preparation for the restaurant as well as catering and banquet patrons.
He is a 1990 graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America
in Hyde Park, N.Y. He trained under George Fenely, CEC, at the Fort Wayne
Country Club in Indiana; with Todd Downs, CEC, at the Park Place Grill, also
in Fort Wayne, and with Maurice Zeck, CEC, at La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe.
After completing culinary school, Lane became a certified executive
chef in 1998. In 2001 he achieved a second important goal when he won the
coveted American Culinary Federation gold medal in hot food competition.
He has also won numerous medals from the American Culinary Federation.
He was selected 1997 Chef of the Year by the Chefs of Santa Fe chapter of
the ACF; and he served a term as President of the ACF Chefs of Santa Fe from
1997 to1998. He served as a culinary instructor at the Santa Fe Community
College from 1994 to 1999. He was the Apprentice Instructor and team coach
for the Santa Fe chapter of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) from
1996-99. His team took two bronze and two silver medals at that time.
Lane’s talents have also been recognized by other organizations: In
2000 he took the “Best Clear Soup” Award at the Santa Fe “Souper Bowl”, a
benefit for The Food Depot, Northern New Mexico’s food bank. He won for Best
Chunky Soup in the 2005 competition. Click here for his recipe for his Duck
Shrimp and Andouille Gumbo.
In 1996 Lane was awarded 2nd place, Kitchen Employee of the Year from
the New Mexico Lodging Association. The same year he earned Best of Show at
the Kraft Food Show and won the hot food Mystery Basket competition.
In 2002 Warner cooked at the James Beard House in Manhattan for
Historic Hotels of America. In 2003 he won gold and bronze medals at the
American Culinary Federation’s International Hotel & Restaurant Show in Las
Vegas, Nevada.
When Warner’s not in the kitchen, you’ll find him hunting, fishing or
training his dogs.
Joseph Wrede of
Joseph's Table
Kim
Müller of La Mancha in The
Galisteo Inn
Kim Müller, chef at La Mancha Restaurant, in
Galisteo, New Mexico, has worked in the restaurant industry since 1973. As a
college student, with aspirations of coaching collegiate tennis, Kim
supported herself by working in restaurants from San Jose, CA to State
College, PA. Making the decision to pursue a career as a chef in 1983, Kim
moved to New Jersey and began her education in the “school of hard knocks.”
From a southwestern chile – centric restaurant in Greenwich Village, to a
high – profile South Street Seaport seafood restaurant, Kim spent 5 years in
working in New Jersey and New York, before heading back to California, in
1988, to be the Chef at the acclaimed Border Grill, owned by chefs Susan
Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken.
Kim moved to Santa Fe in 1994 to head up the
opening of a new restaurant. When that project hit a snag she moved on to
Café Escalera, working with David Tanis, a Chez Panisse alum. This was the
beginning of Kim’s passion for seasonal, simple cuisine. In 2003, after a 7
year hiatus from the restaurant business, Kim returned to the restaurant
life and helped open two new restaurants in Santa Fe, Santa Fe Bar & Grill
and the relocation of San Francisco Bar & Grill.
In 2004 Kim was offered the position of Chef de Cuisine
at the venerable Compound Restaurant, a Santa Fe institution since the
1960’s, purchased by Mark Kiffin in 2000. In 2005 Chef Kiffin received the
James Beard award for Best Chef of the Southwest. During this time Kim
became very involved with Slow Food, signing on as a Co-Leader of the Santa
Fe convivium.
In 2006 Kim was selected to be one of 70 U.S.
Chef-Delegates to Slow Food’s Terra Madre conference in Turin, Italy. Since
returning from Italy, Kim has become even more committed to supporting local
farms, sustainably raised meats and ocean – friendly seafood, participating
in the Santa Fe Farm to Restaurant Project, supporting the Santa Fe Farmer’s
Market and serving locally raised lamb and organic produce.
In March of 2007, Kim took over the kitchen at La
Mancha restaurant at the historic Galisteo Inn, in Galisteo. It was the
opportunity to support local producers and have the freedom to cook the best
of the season that drew Kim to this new venue and the restaurant has found
new life with the support of the Galisteo village, and Santa Feans alike.
In 2008, Kim will be a participating chef in the SFRA
Culinary Arts Ball, Santa Fe Symphony & Chorus Wine Auction dinner, and the
Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival Gala in July.
Click the links below to learn more about:
The
Chefs
The
Santa Fe Symphony
Orchestra & Chorus
The Foundation
Board of Directors
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