Experience

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  Johnson & Wales University

  • Providence, Rhode Island Area

  • Chef & Professor

    • Jan 2011 - Present
    • Providence, Rhode Island Area

    • Taught through lecture, practical culinary lab application, coaching and advisement over 400 students a year• Designed and updated curriculum for 11 different courses and acted as Curriculum Development Team Lead for three; contributed to two culinary/nutrition textbooks. • Advised a popular student club, Cooking Asia, hosting inner-campus cooking competitions, food cart series, events, restaurant nights, demos, charities and lab dates• Chaired the University Faculty Council Roles & Responsibilities Committee, member and contributor to Innovation Design, Student Awards, the Wellness & Sustainability, and College Curriculum committees• Pioneered advanced approaches to cuisine, including plant-based; Modernist; farm-to-table, specialized processes, food science, international and sustainability • Interviewed, judged, demoed and presented for numerous classes, events, competitions, regional & national conventions and conferences, magazine and television spots; promoting fine cuisine, University values and higher education

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  Chef Branden LLC.

  • Providence, RI

  • Restaurant Consultant

    • 2005 - Present
    • Providence, RI

    • For Businesses: Kitchen, service, menu and business designs• For Individuals: Catering, themed dinners in your home, cooking classes or "parties"• For Food Service Professionals: One-on-one private or small group culinary training, knife skills, cooking techniques• For Chefs: Competition judging, peer collaboration, coaching, mentoring• For All: Certified ServSafe and TAPSERIES Instructor/Proctor, hosting 2-day crash courses with examinations for certification

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  The Genesis Center

  • Providence, Rhode Island Area

  • Executive Chef & Chef Instructor

    • Sep 2006 - Jan 2011
    • Providence, Rhode Island Area

    •Directed a team of fifteen chefs and interns, providing on and off-site catering to local businesses, schools and private residences •Designed and directed thirteen 14-week comprehensive adult culinary arts courses emphasizing fundamentals of classic, contemporary and fine cuisine, professional development and National ServSafe Certification•Trained, graduated and helped employ over 144 adult students; 77% are currently working in Providence area businesses•Oversaw and planned numerous events and projects, including the largest food and wine pairing fundraiser in RI (Food for Thought); high-end offsite catering; writing The Genesis Center Cookbook; and hosting team cooking competitions•Practiced strong fiscal management of 5 accounts, lowering costs and raising profits via meal services, catering and lunch programs •Provided public appearances on radio and TV programs, authored culinary articles for food magazines, consulted and coached local chefs and restaurant owners to promote the Center’s mission

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  Accounting for Taste

  • Providence, RI

  • Head Chef

    • Dec 2005 - Dec 2006
    • Providence, RI

    •Designed, planned, and prepared menus for weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, and other Jewish temple events •Operated within Kashrut Jewish dietary law and under the supervision of a rabbi •Coordinated a team of chefs and servers, executing multiple events from two locations consecutively; serving up to 300+ •Hosted private cooking classes and catered fine dining dinners in private residences

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  Johnson & Wales University

  • United States
  • Higher Education
  • 700 & Above Employee

  • Community Service Education Coordinator

    • 2004 - 2006

    •Chosen for highly selective Master’s level Management Development Program •Taught culinary and social responsibility modules to over 230 college sophomores per year and supervised student groups at various culinary sites throughout the Providence area•Created and implemented four youth-focused culinary education programs at community sites•Planned and executed large scale functions throughout the nonprofit community, acting as ambassador for JWU•Led 55 public and private cooking demonstrations, teaching audiences food budgeting, nutrition and cuisine

  • Culinary Events Fellow

    • Dec 2002 - Mar 2004

    •Solid communication and management skills, honed by daily office/field delegating of tasks•Accountable for supervision of fellow staff; running tutoring sessions for students •Provided private on/off site catering; ordering, creating and preparing foods and services for various events up to 2,000 people•Enhanced industry knowledge through kitchen/classroom substitutions, function coordinating, and event planning

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  Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group

  • Geneva Area, Switzerland

  • Chef de Cuisine

    • 2004 - 2004
    • Geneva Area, Switzerland

    •Managed stations for several food outlets, including the hotel's café restaurant, its Michelin Star restaurant and banquets division•Responsible for entrémé stations, specializing in Modern French, Swiss and world cuisine •Ran the Thai food station, focusing on Southeast Asian fares such as Nasi Goreng, Phad Thai and Tom Yam Goong•Maintained inventory, ordering, training others throughout the kitchen and planning daily menus•Worked shifts in banquets, designing and preparing hors d’oeuvres and buffeter services for groups of up to 300 people

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  Le Poussin (Michelin Star, 3 AA Rosettes, Red Star)

  • Lyndhurst, England

  • Chef de Partie

    • 2002 - 2003
    • Lyndhurst, England

    •Responsible for the highest standard in gastronomical cooking with NO exceptions •Operated the entremet station, ordering and coordinating four original 3-4 course menus every day•Foraged throughout the New Forest to create seasonally driven, meat and vegetarian “time and place” menus•Rotated as "rounds" in every station including a subsidiary restaurant; developing high-level competencies in each•Member of a four-man brigade, assisting in planning daily events such as weddings and conferences for 10-250 patrons

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  Bertucci's

  • Warwick, RI

  • Saute Chef & Certified Trainer

    • 2000 - 2002
    • Warwick, RI

    •Mastered all food stations and trained new cooks on an ongoing basis •Specialized in sauté, following corporate specs and preparing 100-300 covers a night •Balanced a 45-hour work week while enrolled full-time in college classes

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  Athenaem Hotel

  • Chautauqua Institution

  • Sous Chef

    • 2001 - 2001
    • Chautauqua Institution

    •Planned grand buffet menus for 300-400 people on a daily basis utilizing a variety of products•Rotated prep positions on a consistent basis and operated broiler every dinner shift, serving 105 steaks with no returns•Catered private house parties for donors of the Chautauqua Institution, hosted by the community’s president

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  Sweeney's Too

  • Mansfield, Ohio Area

  • Saute Chef

    • 1998 - 2000
    • Mansfield, Ohio Area

    •Assisted in menu design and created specials on a daily basis•Operated with two line cooks, prepared 100-350+ covers a night •Held premeals and expedited; acted as ambassador between the kitchen and front of the house•Prepared all items on a predominantly American-Regional seasonal menu, specializing in sauté

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  Red Lobster

  • Mansfield, Ohio Area

  • Expeditor

    • 1997 - 1998
    • Mansfield, Ohio Area

    •Expedited hot and cold food lines on a daily basis, calling out and timing food orders among line cooks •Finished plate-ups by assembling, garnishing, and saucing various dishes•Worked with a team of foodservice professionals to learn the basics of cooking

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  Pappa John's Pizza

  • New Smyrna, FL

  • Pizza Maker

    • 1995 - 1997
    • New Smyrna, FL

    •Prepped, assembled and baked various types of pizzas and appetizers•Practiced customer service skills by taking orders and running a register•Trained in food safety, company operations, customer service and teamwork