Michael Rotondo
Executive Chef and Head of Culinary Operations, The Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa, Monterey Bay, California -
The Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa, an award-winning luxury hotel perched above the Monterey Bay, has appointed renowned chef Michael Rotondo as Executive Chef. As the new leader of the coastal hotel’s culinary operations, Chef Rotondo will oversee the property’s signature dining outlets, Schooners and Tidal Coffee, as well as the hotel’s banquets and in-room dining offerings. He will also introduce the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa’s newest restaurant with the debut of Coastal Kitchen, an elevated dining experience highlighting the local, seasonal fare of the Monterey Peninsula.
Chef Rotondo’s impressive background includes roles at multiple Michelin starred restaurants and Forbes 5 Star hotels across the United States and Europe, including the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges and Charlie Trotter’s. In 2008, he received the “Most Promising Chef” award from chefs Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller after competing in the United States Bocuse d’Or culinary competition. Rotondo most recently held the role of Executive Chef at the Ritz Carlton San Francisco and earned accolades for the hotel’s Parallel 37 restaurant from Forbes and Zagat.
“I’m honored to join the Monterey Plaza and to work alongside an incredibly talented culinary team,” said Rotondo. “This iconic coastal hotel and its locally-inspired restaurants provide a place to gather and celebrate the special moments in life, and I look forward to curating memorable dining experiences for our guests.”
In his role as Executive Chef at Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa, Chef Rotondo will craft seasonal menus for the hotel’s dining outlets and develop the hotel’s upcoming culinary offering, the Coastal Kitchen restaurant. Coastal Kitchen will offer a four-course prix fixe menu that highlights fresh ingredients from the Monterey Bay and local farms. The seasonally inspired fare will be expertly paired with wines from the world’s most prominent coastal regions.
In addition to introducing the Coastal Kitchen, Chef Rotondo will soon craft new menus at Schooners restaurant and Tidal Coffee. Situated on a heated waterfront terrace above the crashing waves of the Bay, Schooners highlights contemporary American cuisine with a focus on carefully sourced seafood.
Tidal Coffee serves locally roasted artisanal coffee, pastries and casual lunches and is the perfect place to grab a bite before exploring the Monterey Peninsula. Chef Rotondo will also oversee the culinary program at the hotel’s lobby lounge and refresh the in-room dining and event menus.
“We are delighted to welcome Chef Rotondo as the new culinary leader of our hotel,” said Chris Sommers, managing director for Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa. “With his impressive background and passion for showcasing local, seasonal ingredients, he will help elevate the Plaza’s culinary program to new heights.”
We are also delighted to welcome Chef Rotondo to the Big Sur Food & Wine Festival in 2021.
