Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Robert Colombo’s La Reve restaurant group makes new hires for The Club and Villa O
DALLAS — Robert Colombo, founder of La Reve Consultants, whose establishments include Trece plus a new coming-soon (September) club called The Club (har!) and a new coming-soon restaurant called Villa O, announced some new hires:
- H. Steven Elsea will be VP of Operations, overseeing The Club and Villa O as well as the daily managerial operations of Trece. With degrees in both Culinary Arts and Food Marketing from Johnson & Wales, Elsea has been active in the hospitality and restaurant industry since 1987. Prior to joining La Reve, Elsea served as General Manager of the Texas region for Bice Ristorante. Before Bice, Elsea served as Senior Food and Beverage Manager for The Mansion on Turtle Creek, where the emphasis was on guest satisfaction and interaction. Exceeding all operational goals during his tenure, he received the property's "Rising Star" award for 2005. Prior to relocating to Dallas, Elsea spent several years in the Miami area, where he served as Director of Restaurants, Catering Sales Manager and Conventions Director for the Wyndham Miami-Biscayne Bay. There he oversaw a 1,200-person royal breakfast for H.R.H Price Edward, as well as events with Knight-Ridder, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and Governor Jeb Bush. In addition to his culinary experience, Elsea has worked directly with the U.S. Marshals, Secret Service and Scotland Yard. One question, though: What's up with the H? Why not just "Steven Elsea"? But we digress.
- Enam Chowdhury will be Managing Director of The Club. He brings 21 years of experience at some of the finest establishments both nationally and internationally, such as The Mansion on Turtle Creek, The Hotel Cipriani, Pan Pacific Hotels, and the former Sipango Restaurant and Bar. Having served presidents, heads of state, royalty, thespians and world class performers, Chowdhury has proven himself both a driven leader and supportive team player. Also a celebrated chef, Chowdhury has cooked for the likes of H.R.H King Faisal al bin Saud, Sir Paul McCartney, Tom Jones, Billy Joel, Andrea Bocelli and a host of other dignitaries. However, his biggest pleasure comes from cooking for his staff as a sign of his gratitude for their efforts.
- Sandie Fouke will head catering and special events for Trece, The Club, and Villa O. She's worked in the restaurant, hospitality, and marketing industries for nearly 20 years, as corporate catering manager for The Mansion on Turtle Creek as well as catering sales manager of The Palm.
- Tad Anderson will join The Club as head captain. He brings vast experience with upscale clientele having served 15 years with The Mansion on Turtle Creek and eight years as head captain.
Under his company La Reve Consultants, Colombo has amassed a collection of employees with luxury hotel experience, with his chief restaurant operatives coming from Texas' only five-star and five-diamond rated hotel, The Mansion on Turtle Creek. With a firm background in both the restaurant and hospitality industry, Colombo's resume includes running the famed Plaza Hotel in New York, heading operations for the Fairmont chain as senior vice president and overseeing premier locations with Hilton and Hyatt hotels. During his tenure in the hospitality industry, Colombo realized hotel staffs were on average far more attentive, gracious and available to guests.
Posted by T.G.
