NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2012 -- Andaz 5th Avenue, the second property to open in New York and the fifth in the collection, announces today the appointment of Vincent Muraco as the hotel's new Executive Chef. Chef Muraco comes to Andaz 5th Avenue with nearly 20 years of experience in both the hospitality and restaurant industries and will be overseeing all of the hotel's food & beverage operations including the shop, the bar downstairs, in-room dining and Apartment 2E.

Chef Muraco was born in Brooklyn, NY into a large Italian family that included an uncle with a pizzeria, another uncle with a bagel shop and a pastry-chef aunt. At a young age he grew to love food, hanging out with chefs at a local Italian restaurant and helping his Godmother cook for the family in the kitchen. At 17, Chef Muraco moved to the West coast and enrolled in the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, making him the youngest student to be accepted in the program. While at school he began his culinary career working at the Hyde Street Bistro where he started as a prep-cook / dishwasher and worked his way up to Chef de Cuisine. During his time at Hyde Street Bistro, he learned to create seasonal farm-to-table Austrian and Northern Italian cuisine with the help of Chef Albert Rainer, who would pick him up every Sunday on his Harley Davidson motorcycle for excursions to the farmer's market. Chef Muraco helped to make the bistro a success with over 120 covers a night in the 40-seat restaurant.

Shortly after graduation in 1993, Chef Muraco became Chef Tournant at Park Hyatt San Francisco and then Executive Sous Chef at the Park Hyatt Los Angeles. He also served as the Executive Chef at the Shorebreak Hotel in Huntington Beach, CA as well as Miami's Grove Isle Resort and Spa and the Hotel Victor in South Beach. When Andaz 5th Avenue opened in July 2010, Chef Muraco assisted with the launch of the shop and the bar downstairs and helped create the opening menus. General Manager Jonathan Frolich felt Chef Muraco was perfect for this position and appointed him to the role of Executive Chef.

"We're thrilled to have Chef Muraco as our new Executive Chef at Andaz 5th Avenue," states General Manager Jonathan Frolich. "We look forward to inviting our guests and neighbors in to taste Chef Muraco's inventive, seasonal dishes and enjoy a true New York City culinary experience."

After growing accustomed to the fertile California farmers markets, Chef Muraco is excited by the local, seasonal ethos that is a part of the spirit of the Andaz brand.

"I love the Andaz concept of seasonality, local farms and NYC purveyors as I try to create all my dishes with three simple, locally sourced ingredients," says Chef Muraco. "I am looking forward to sharing my style of cooking with New York City diners."

A highly creative, detail oriented chef with a strong work ethic and a passion for the culinary arts, Muraco loves to challenge himself daily whether it be refining his skills and talents in the kitchen or mastering a second language in his free time. An avid surfer, he also co-founded the organization Chefs Who Surf, a group that promotes ocean conservation and sustainable seafood. He is excited to be back in his native city with his fiancee and with a baby due in February, they are thrilled to be starting a family here.