| | |
JEFFREY McGAR
Executive Chef
Chef Jeffrey McGar was born and raised in Upstate NY and has been working toward mastering the culinary arts since the age of fourteen. Chef McGar is experienced in every aspect of the restaurant industry. He initially worked in Italian eateries and pizza parlors eventually progressing to “American-style” restaurants.
Jeff then moved to Atlanta just after the Olympics in search of new horizons. Here in Atlanta, Chef McGar continued his education at the number one Country Club in the U.S. where he began a rigorous apprenticeship program mentoring under Certified Master Chefs for seven years thereby completing his training.
Chef McGar has coached and competed in a multitude of competitions and has received a metal with every entry. He has now set his sights on competing in the worlds most prestigious competition, the Bocuse D’ hor Culinary Competition, hoping to represent the United States in France. Some of his goals and aspirations are to help bring Atlanta to the forefront of the cutting edge culinary world.
Chef will be spending the upcoming years at the Atlanta Events Center at Opera developing new menus and concepts. Come experience entertainment innovation and cutting edge cuisine at our all new, state-of-the-art venue.
Joseph Ward
Sous Chef
Always interested in cooking, Joseph Ward began his first restaurant job at the age of fourteen. Two years later, he became the youngest line cook to be hired at the renowned Cherokee Town and Country Club, and had the privilege of working under both a Certified Master Chef and Certified Master Pastry Chef.
During his five years at the Cherokee Town Club, Joseph continued to learn and grow as a culinarian, mastering every position in the kitchen rotation. He also became involved with a new hospitality management training program called Pro-Start. After completing the two year course and leading his high school culinary competition team to a first place finish in the state, Joseph was awarded the title of Pro-Start Student of the Year for Georgia. In 2005, he graduated from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York with a degree in Culinary Arts Management.
During his time at the C.I.A., he completed a six month internship at the Houston Country Club under the guidance of another CMC. After completing school, Joseph moved to Long Island, NY and began training as an apprentice for the Bocuse d’Or World Culinary Competition in France.
Joseph’s two man team took first in the semi finals and second in the finals at the national competition in Chicago. No stranger to catering, Joseph has also worked for the Buckhead Life Restaurant group’s private catering facility, 103 West, in Atlanta. This young up and coming chef has his finger on the pulse of what’s cutting edge and exciting in the food world, and is a great asset to any group looking to hold an unforgettable event.
