The Mansion on Turtle Creek has finally found a new exec chef. For all, and I mean all of the news on the new kid who will be rolling lobster tacos, I mean preparing stylish, contemporary American cuisine prepared with European techniques, read below.
JOHN TESAR NAMED EXECUTIVE CHEF FOR
THE MANSION ON TURTLE CREEK, A ROSEWOOD HOTEL
Experienced, New York chef leads next era of fine-dining at The Mansion
DALLAS, Texas— (August 16, 2006) — The Mansion on Turtle Creek, A Rosewood Hotel is pleased to announce the appointment of John Tesar as the hotel’s new executive chef. Tesar brings more than 20 years of culinary experience in acclaimed restaurants from New York to California and most recently served as executive chef of rm restaurant at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
Chef Tesar will begin his new position in The Mansion kitchen on October 2, 2006. As the hotel’s executive chef, he will be responsible for the multi-million dollar culinary program at Texas’ only five-star, five-diamond hotel. His new menu in The Mansion’s famed restaurant will showcase stylish, contemporary American cuisine prepared with European techniques.
“Chef Tesar is the perfect chef to build upon the incredible legacy founded at The Mansion, and he will play a pivotal role as we position the restaurant for the next era,” said Shane Krige, Managing Director of The Mansion on Turtle Creek. “With his extensive culinary background and level of experience at some of the nation’s top restaurants, The Mansion is set to exceed its reputation as one of the finest dining experiences in the world.”
As executive chef of rm restaurant, Tesar was responsible for food and beverage operations for celebrity chef Rick Moonen’s 15,000-square-foot Las Vegas restaurant, including an intimate
80-seat dining room fashioned after the original three-star rm restaurant in New York. Tesar first joined Moonen as executive chef in the New York restaurant before moving west in 2005 to assist with the operation of the Las Vegas location.
“John has mastered the art of accentuating the quality of the main ingredient through perfect cooking technique and allowing the combination of supporting flavors to raise the overall experience to a level of perfect harmony,” said Rick Moonen, chef and owner of rm restaurant. “I am confident that this challenge will allow him to rise to be recognized as one of the finest chefs in the world.”
Prior to joining Rick Moonen, Tesar spent three years in northern California as corporate executive chef for East West Partners, a real estate developer in North Lake Tahoe. Tesar oversaw the redesign and renovation of the critically-acclaimed Wild Goose Restaurant, and he assisted with the
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Tesar Named The Mansion’s Executive Chef 06
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development of food and beverage operations at the company’s luxury golf and ski resorts.
An accomplished chef, Tesar has spent more than 15 years overseeing the kitchens of many
critically-acclaimed restaurants in New York, such as 44 & X Hell’s Kitchen, Vine, 13 Barrow Street, The Supper Club and The Inn at Quogue in the Hamptons. He has served as personal chef for high-profile clients, such as Giorgio Armani and Mariah Carey.
After pursuing a liberal arts degree at New York University, Tesar moved to Paris for classical French culinary training at the prestigious La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine. He returned to the Hamptons and ventured into his first foray as chef-owner at the three-star Hampton Square Restaurant. New York magazine food critic Gael Green called him “a bright new talent in a city already bursting with talent.”
Throughout his career, Tesar has participated as a chef host of special dining events for the James Beard Foundation. He has appeared on The Today Show, Ready Set Cook, Chef du Jour and Good Day New York. He has also been named a Top Rated American Chef in the Zagat Restaurant Survey.
Chef Tesar’s much-anticipated appointment as executive chef concludes a five-month chef search to fill the legendary boots of The Mansion’s former chef, Dean Fearing. During the extensive selection process many of the nation’s top chefs were considered and the top candidates were invited to Dallas for private tastings.
“John Tesar is truly an extraordinary chef, and we are looking forward to showcasing his talents,” said Krige. “His global expertise and New York roots will add a new dimension to The Mansion on Turtle Creek.”
