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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Brandon Benack, Chef de Cuisine

Brandon Benack’s rich food memories as a child helped guide him on the path to become a chef. He recalls rolling meatballs and making sauce with his grandma for elaborate Sunday dinners with family, harvesting grapes with his grandfather, and cranking an old sausage maker to churn out fresh Italian sausage.

He set off for business school and played basketball, yet was still drawn in by the food experiences of his youth. He eventually transferred to his school’s culinary program, and after two years of studies, he headed to Hilton Head Island and Daufuskie Island, SC to begin his professional cooking career. Here he worked in several outposts in the resort community and helped open a restaurant with a fellow chef and friend.

In 1999, Benack was lured to Emeril’s Delmonico, Lagasse’s legendary Creole restaurant in New Orleans, by David McCelvey, Emeril’s culinary director at the time. In 2002, he became sous chef at Delmonico, before pursuing the post of executive chef at two ethnic restaurants in the city.

His next stop would be the most impressionable on his culinary palate, as he embarked on a three year expedition to Antigua with former Delmonico Chef Andrew Knoll. Working for billionaire Allen Stanford, the two oversaw special events and tastings at his resorts on the island, and cooked in Antigua’s luxury dining outposts including The Pavilion. The island’s rich Caribbean culture and diverse variety of produce inspired his study of authentic Caribbean cuisine, as he and Chef Knoll continued to expand the culinary operations in Antigua.

Benack returned to the States and to Emeril’s Miami Beach in December 2007 as executive sous chef. In November 2008, he was promoted to Chef de Cuisine and is happy to be part of the latest chapter in Miami Beach’s food scene. Today, he strives to stay true Emeril’s signature New Orleans roots and the multi-cultural tastes of the community, mixing in the vibrant flavors of South Florida, Latin America and the Caribbean.

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Sebastien Tribout, General Manager

Sebastien Tribout has spent nearly twenty years creating memorable impressions in the restaurant business. Born and raised in France, Tribout earned a Master’s degree in law at the University of Cergy Pontoise in Paris in 1997, and attended the Sciences Politiques Prep School in 1998. His career in restaurant management began as a Senior Manager at Planet Hollywood in Paris. He remained with the company for over nine years, before taking the position of Assistant General Manager at Planet Hollywood in Orlando, FL.

In May 2006, Tribout joined the team at Emeril’s Tchoup Chop at Universal Orlando’s Royal Pacific Resort as General Manager. Since 2007, Tribout shares his passion and enthusiasm for refined hospitality in South Beach, where he oversees all daily operations of Emeril’s Miami Beach inside the famed 12-story art deco St. Moritz Hotel building.

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