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www.VisitAsilomar.com PACIFIC GROVE, Calif., February 27, 2008 – Asilomar Conference Grounds welcomes Executive Chef Alessio Giannuzzi and Sous Chef Joshua Graeber to its culinary team.
As Asilomar’s executive chef, Giannuzzi oversees menu development, purchasing and preparation of approximately 1,000 daily meals in Crocker Dining Hall. Assisted by the Asilomar culinary team, he is also responsible for staffing, kitchen operations, custom and themed banquets, barbecues, special events and private wedding receptions. He plans to expand upon Asilomar’s commitment to sustainability.
“I believe that the way we eat is the way we are,” says Giannuzzi. “At Asilomar, I will place an emphasis on serving organic produce plus high quality, sustainable meats and seafood. I like to cook within the current season – we’ll use what Mother Nature gives us.”
A native of Italy, Chef Giannuzzi grew up working in his parents’ bed and breakfast just outside Florence. He studied culinary arts and hotel management at Scuola Alberghiera in Tuscany before launching a distinguished culinary career. Most recently, he was the executive chef and food and beverage manager for Mugnaini Imports in Watsonville, California, Giannuzzi managed cooking classes, marketing, budgets and event appearances. The former owner and head chef at Bon Appetit in Carmel Valley also spent ten years as executive chef for Il Fornaio in Carmel. He has held chef positions at Carmel’s Quail Lodge Resort and Golf Club and Raffaello Restaurant as well as Grand Hotel La Pace in Montecatini Terme, Italy.
Giannuzzi replaces former Executive Chef Colin Moody, who served Asilomar guests for eight years before beginning a culinary post at the Monterey Peninsula Country Club in Pebble Beach.
Joining Giannuzzi in the Asilomar kitchen is newly appointed sous chef Joshua Graeber CSC (Certified Sous Chef), who comes to the coastal resort from Yosemite Lodge at the Falls in Yosemite National Park (also managed by Delaware North Companies Parks and Resorts). During nearly three years as sous chef for the lodge’s Mountain Room Restaurant and Food Court, he oversaw daily food preparation and special catered functions.
Graeber’s culinary background also includes positions at Berryhill and Co. Catering and Richards Across the Street in Boise, Idaho, Newman’s Fish Market in Portland, Oregon, and Red Robin in Nampa, Idaho. He is a graduate of the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Program at Portland’s Western Culinary Institute.
Asilomar’s culinary team dishes up breakfast, lunch and dinner in the historic Crocker Dining Hall, designed by famed California architect Julia Morgan and built in 1918. The hall accommodates up to 850 guests for meals and special events, with menus featuring locally sourced produce and sustainable meats and seafood. Conference attendees enjoy three daily meals as part of their stay at Asilomar; leisure guests are treated to complimentary full breakfast daily and are invited to dine for other meals in Crocker Dining Hall.
Tucked on 107 scenic acres along the Asilomar State Beach and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Asilomar Conference Grounds welcomes guests in 312 ocean- and forest-view rooms. Boasting 29,000 square feet of meeting space, the historic retreat is centrally located in the charming town of Pacific Grove, just minutes from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, the scenic 17-Mile Drive, a host of golf courses, wineries and restaurants. Asilomar is operated under contract with California State Parks by Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, a subsidiary of Delaware North Companies, Inc., one of the world’s leading hospitality and food service providers.
About Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts
Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, Inc., a subsidiary of Buffalo, N.Y.-based Delaware North Companies, Inc., is a leading hospitality provider with significant experience in hotel, retail, food service, recreation and transportation operations. The company’s portfolio includes historic properties in North America, including Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex; Yosemite, Sequoia, Grand Canyon and Yellowstone national parks; Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds; Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite; Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa; Old Town San Diego State Historic Park; Niagara Falls State Park; Jones Beach State Park; The Lodge and Conference Center at Geneva State Park, The BALSAMS Grand Resort; and The Gideon Putnam Resort. To learn more about Delaware North Companies’ expertise in the hospitality industry, visit www.dnchospitalitymgt.com.
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