News for the Hospitality Executive |
Anton Barich and Jason Rogers Named Director of Operations
Food & Beverage
and Executive Chef, Respectively, at the JW Marriott
Cherry Creek in Denver
Denver, CO (January 20, 2009) � Peter Karpinski, Chief Operating Officer of Sage Restaurant Group has announced the selection of two industry leaders to take the culinary helm at Second Home Kitchen + Bar and the JW Marriott Cherry Creek in Denver. Anton Barich joins as Director of Operations Food & Beverage and Jason Rogers joins as Executive Chef. �This is a big move for our food and beverage operation at Second Home and the JW Marriott Cherry Creek,� said Karpinski. �Anton and Jason are two of the most exciting players in the Colorado food and beverage world. They will bring a new level of product and excellence for our guests.� Anton Barich�s passion for cooking began at a young age in his grandmother�s kitchen in Chicago, and continued throughout high school when he cooked at the local Italian restaurant and for various community programs. While he started his career in public relations, his heart drew him to culinary and he attended the Cooking & Hospitality Institute of Chicago (CHIC), a Le Cordon Bleu institute. After graduating, he opened his own Italian restaurant and steak house, Rendezvous, in downtown Chicago and later opened a nightclub, Mystique which was deemed the �Hottest Nightclub in Chicago� by the Chicago Tribune, Metromix and the Chicago Sun Times. Barich went on to work as a Regional Beverage Manager for the T.G.I.Friday�s chain and then as a General Manager and Director of Market & Brand Development for the Rosebud Restaurant Group managing all 8 of their Chicago locations. He left Chicago with the Hard Rock Corporation moving to Vegas, then on to Universal City in Los Angeles to produce movie premiere soirees and act as a corporate training manager, and finally on to San Diego as the General Manager of La Jolla Hard Rock. Barich joined Sage when he returned to Chicago to become part of the Mercat a la Planxa team at the famed Blackstone Hotel. With cuisine inspired by celebrity chef Jose Garces, Barich directed the restaurant and helped it achieve accolades such as �Mission Accomplished� from the Chicago Tribune and the �Top 20 Restaurants of 2008� list in Esquire magazine. Like Barich, Jason Rogers� passion for cooking began at a young age in his parents� kitchen in Chicago, and continued throughout high school, during which time he cooked in fast food restaurants and at a private golf course. While pursuing his physical therapy degree, he felt the call of the kitchen, and worked at various restaurants in the famous Little Italy neighborhood of the city. After college, Rogers traveled to Iowa City, where he worked as a butcher and baker at the New Pioneer Co-Op, an establishment that piqued his interest in organic and all-natural foods. He then landed at The Whitehall, a boutique hotel in Chicago, and finally moved to Colorado in 1997 to work as the chef de cuisine at the Alfredo�s and Chaps restaurants at the Vail Cascade resort. Rogers worked as the executive chef at the St. Regis Hotel and Spa in Aspen. He opened Olives with the famed Todd English and went on to replicate this popular restaurant in Boston, Washington, D.C., and New York City. Rogers then made his way to Atlantic City, where he worked as executive chef at the award-winning Specchio, Ombra, and Risi Bisi, all located in the Borgata Casino and Spa. Rogers has twice been invited to cook at the illustrious James Beard House�in 2001 with Todd English and in 2003 when he cooked with Palladino. Most recently he was the Executive Chef at the acclaimed St. Julian Hotel and Spa in Boulder, CO. �You will see Anton and Jason apply their passion for excellence to create a unique overall restaurant experience,� Karpinski added. �Together, they will focus on providing an unforgettable experience that blends a menu of culinary flavors with an extensive beverage program, all in a comfortable and causal setting.� The Space
The restaurant space pushes the envelope on the Rocky Mountain vernacular and creates an iconic, inventive space that is, at the end of the day, a great place to unwind and relax. With dry-stack stone walls and rough-hewn wood plank ceilings, Second Home�s architecture showcases the organic textures of the Rockies. Bold Design elements such as 50�s Italian chandeliers, graffiti-covered Danish chairs, cowhide upholstered walls and shear ling furniture keep things lighthearted and sexy. With its seductive low-slung lounge, charming yet boisterous dining room and open-air patio defined by a 15-foot open flame fire pit, the design is highly original and has become a popular gathering place. The dining room features floor to ceiling retractable glass doors leading to the outdoor patio where guests can enjoy Denver�s 300 days of sunshine. The outdoor patio is complete with cozy furnishings surrounding a fire pit. The Food
The Drink
The People
Second Home serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, in addition to hotel-managed room service. Patrons can take advantage of the free valet parking available at the entrance when guests validate their ticket in the restaurant. The restaurant is located in the Cherry Creek JW Marriott Hotel at 150 Clayton Lane. Denver Co, 80206. ph. 303-253-3000; www.secondhomedenver.com. Sage Restaurant Group also operates The Corner Office, a retro-style restaurant and bar with global comfort food and scintillating cocktails, in Denver, CO. For more information about Second Home and Sage Restaurant Group, visit www.sagerestaurantgroup.com. About Sage Restaurant Group
About Sage Hospitality
|
Contact:
Sage Hospitality
|
Also See: | Sage Hospitality Names Steven Marx as Chief Operating Officer of Sage Hotels; Will Oversee a Portfolio of 52 Hotels / November 2008 |
|