OUR TEAM

Some of the important players who make the service and food what is . . .

Emeril Lagasse, Executive Chef/Proprietor

Chef Emeril Lagasse received his first culinary experience from his mother, Hilda, when he was a boy growing up in the small town of Fall River, Massachusetts. As a teenager, he worked at a Portuguese bakery where he mastered the art of bread and pastry baking. Upon high school graduation, Lagasse was offered a full scholarship to the New England Conservatory of Music, but decided to pursue a career as a professional chef.

Read complete biography in the Emerilology Section »

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Gregory Richie, Chef de Cuisine

Gregory Richie began working in restaurants at age 15, as a dishwasher at a local Italian restaurant in his small Georgia hometown. After a few short months, he was promoted to line cook and was instilled with the time-honored practice of preparing everything from scratch – from sauces to handmade pasta.

While attending Johnson and Wales University, he continued to hone his skills as a young chef, working full time in kitchens in Georgia and South Carolina. Richie trained as a butcher and made his way through every kitchen station, from sauté, to line cook and saucier. After culinary school, to balance his hospitality experience, he assumed front of the house posts as server and bartender, but soon returned to the kitchen as a sous chef.

In 1995, Richie became chef de cuisine at the renowned Atlanta Athletic Club, one of the regions most exclusive country clubs, where he would craft seasonal menus and refined tasting dinners. He then moved to Hawaii Kai, Hawaii in 1997, and began training under Chef Roy Yamaguchi. He soon mastered Yamaguchi’s Hawaiian fusion cuisine as was promoted to sous chef, executing nightly tasting menus and helping with the development of some of the restaurant’s signature dishes. This experience led him to become a corporate trainer, in which he helped open new locations.

In July 2000, Richie was part of the opening team at Roy’s Restaurant in Orlando, as executive chef and partner. He began to receive accolades for his inspired Hawaiian and Asian fusion cuisine, including “Best New Restaurant in Orlando”, “Best Local Chef”, “Chef of the Year”, and “Best Seafood” restaurant.

Drawing upon his experiences in the cultures of Hawaii and the Pacific Islands, and his deep knowledge of modern Asian cooking, Chef Emeril Lagasse enlisted Richie to lead the team at Emeril’s Tchoup Chop in January 2009. As Chef de Cuisine, he shares his exacting skills in the kitchen as both chef and creative leader, and oversees all facets of Chef Emeril’s Polynesian-Asian restaurant at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort.

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Jeff Kundinger, General Manager

Jeff Kundinger’s reputation for refined service and hospitality was apparent since he set his first table.

As part of the opening team at Disney’s California Grill in 1995, Jeff aspired to build a diverse knowledge of wine. In 1997, he became certified as a sommelier, eventually earning an advanced sommelier certificate from the Court of Master Sommeliers. This adeptness at pairings would soon guide his journey through some of the best restaurants of the Gulf South.

In 2001, he was lured to the legendary food city of New Orleans, and assumed the position of wine director and general manager at Restaurant Cuvée. In 2006, he joined the team at Emeril’s flagship restaurant on Tchoupitoulas Street. Here he mastered the warm style of hospitality and welcoming service that is the foundation of Emeril’s.

In 2007, Jeff resettled in Orlando and assumed the role of general manager at Emeril’s Tchoup Chop, where he continues to discover quality wines; many one-of-a-kind and limited production, and introduce them to his guests. Tchoup Chop’s eclectic menu lends endless opportunities for his team to craft memorable food experiences, with the perfect wine and professional service to match.

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