Hotels in cities across the country and a resort in the British Virgin Islands have named new leaders for their food and beverage operations.
Nashville
The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, in partnership with chef and restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten, has appointed Kelsi Armijo as the property’s executive chef. Armijo will work under Vongerichten to launch and oversee the hotel’s new destination restaurant, Drusie & Darr, and The Pink Hermit café. She also will work with Vongerichten in the execution of The Hermitage Hotel’s culinary program.
Armijo most recently led the culinary team at Southern California’s The Peninsula Beverly Hills, where she rose from chef de cuisine to executive chef during her nearly six-year tenure. Before that, Armijo worked alongside French chef and restaurateur Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas at the Michelin-starred L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon. During her time in Las Vegas, she also worked with Shawn McClain at Sage, where she helped create contemporary American dishes that showcased farm-to-table produce and sustainable ingredients. Armijo began her career as a member of the opening team of Jean-Georges Steakhouse at Aria in Las Vegas. She is a graduate of the College of Southern Nevada.
New York City
The Pierre New York, A Taj Hotel, has named Marija Mijic as the director of restaurants. Mijic will work with executive chef Ashfer Biju to oversee all foodservice and beverage operations at Perrine and TwoE Lounge as well as coordinate with the special events team.
Mijic, a certified sommelier, joins the property from Starr Restaurants, where she was beverage director. Befor that, she worked with Edition Hotels as beverage manager and was sommelier for Carnival Cruise Lines. She received her sommelier certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas. She is also a certified cava and sherry specialist.
Miami
The historic Balfour Hotel has appointed Miami native Steven Acosta as its new executive chef. In his new position, Acosta will manage the hotel’s culinary team, design new menus for the hotel’s three-meal restaurant and spearhead the launch of a new restaurant concept this winter.
After graduating from the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Miami, Acosta took on executive sous chef positions at Vix’s Restaurant at Hotel Victor and the Cascada Grill at the Turnberry Isle Resort. In 2008, he worked with Todd English to open da Campo Osteria as the restaurant’s executive sous chef, then worked at the former Solea Restaurant and KNR Food Concepts at the W Hotel South Beach. He returned to da Campo Osteria as the executive chef and moved on to the Kimpton Epic Hotel and its seafood-centric eatery, Area 31, as executive sous chef. From 2015 to 2018, he was executive chef at the Fisher Island Club in the South Beach area. Before joining the Balfour team in 2021, Acosta established his own culinary consulting business in 2018.
Charleston, S.C.
Salamander Hotels & Resorts has appointed Robert McGrattan the new executive chef of Hotel Bennett in Charleson, S.C. The North Carolina native will oversee meals at Gabrielle, the hotel’s signature restaurant.
McGrattan’s most recent role was executive chef at The Sagamore Pendry Baltimore, where he oversaw the hotel’s multiple dining venues, including the Rec Pier Chophouse and The Cannon Room. McGrattan previously served as executive sous chef at the Peabody Memphis (Tenn). He also redesigned the kitchen and menu at Capriccio Grill, the hotel’s steakhouse.
An Asheville, N.C., native, McGrattan studied culinary arts at Johnson & Wales in Charlotte, then worked at the Hutton Hotel in Nashville, holding sous chef and chef de cuisine positions.
Aspen, Colo.
Hotel Jerome, part of the Auberge Resorts Collection Aspen, Colo., has named Marlon Rambaran executive chef. In addition to helping the resort’s signature mountain restaurant Prospect, Rambaran will oversee all food and beverage operations for the resort, including J-Bar, The Living Room, The Garden and the soon-to-open speakeasy Bad Harriet as well as in-room dining, catering and creative pop-up culinary activations.
Rambaran joins Hotel Jerome from L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Before that, he held several senior leadership positions, including consultant executive chef at The Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, D.C., overseeing a $7 million relaunch of the entire food and beverage program, and executive chef at Le Bilboquet in Sag Harbor, N.Y., handling all aspects of the restaurant’s operations since its opening.
A Trinidad native raised in New Jersey, Rambaran earned his culinary degree from the Academy of Culinary Arts in Mays Landing, N.J.
Atlanta
The Renaissance Atlanta Midtown Hotel has appointed a new executive chef. Andrew Thoms will oversee all culinary initiatives at the hotel and its prohibition-inspired restaurant and rooftop bar, Rowdy Tiger Whiskey Bar and Kitchen.
Born and raised in the Atlanta area, Thoms’s career began at Asher, a former fine-dining establishment located in Roswell, Ga. He then began his hotel career at the Four Seasons San Francisco, later returning to his hometown to join Four Seasons Atlanta alongside one of his mentors, Chef Robert Guerstenecker. With a combined five-year tenure at Four Seasons Hotels, Thoms then joined The St. Regis New York’s culinary team.
Before his new role as executive chef at Renaissance Atlanta Midtown Hotel, Thoms held leadership roles at Atlanta institutions including former Restaurant Eugene under local Chef Linton Hopkins, Trace at W Midtown and Gypsy Kitchen as the opening chef de cuisine in 2013.
Beverly Hills, Calif.
The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills has appointed Matthew Ross as director of food and beverage at the Los Angeles hotel. In this role, Ross will oversee all culinary and beverage operations for signature restaurant Boxwood, the Lobby Bar, the rooftop pool and in-room dining, as well as all onsite events.
Ross is a Los Angeles native and graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. Before joining The London, he was director of food and beverage operations at Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants. Previous to that, he was the director of food and beverage operations at The Farmer’s Daughter Hotel in Los Angeles. Ross was also a restaurant operations and strategy consultant for L.A.-based nightclubs, as well as the general manager role of the LA Food Show/California Pizza Kitchen in Beverly Hills and Woodland Hills.
British Virgin Islands
Saba Rock, the island resort in the British Virgin Islands that reopended last month following a complete rebuild due to damages sustained by Hurricane Irma, has appointed Ciro Gentile as the director of food and beverage. In this position, Gentile will be responsible for overseeing the property’s restaurant, waterfront bar and sunset lounge menus, purchasing, service and guest satisfaction.
Most recently, Gentile worked as the food and beverage operations manager at the Boulevard Hotel in England, but his career has spanned across the U.S., U.K., United Arab Emirates, South Africa and the Caribbean. He has worked with large companies like Royal Caribbean Cruises, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, Radisson Blu, Sandals Resort; and has held several positions—ranging from restaurant manager, food and beverage manager and director of food and beverage—over the years.
Gentile holds a bachelor’s degree in hospitality administration from the University of West London, a master’s degree in hospitality management business from the Hospitality & Management School of Naples, Italy; and is a level three professional sommelier.