Join us in welcoming Wayne Homsi as our new Executive Chef in South Norwalk.
Wayne Homsi graduated with honors from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Immediately after graduation, he returned to Grandfather Golf and Country Club in Linville, North Carolina where he served as an extern and returned as the Assistant Banquet Chef. At this upscale country club, he acquired experience in creating formal dining menus, banquets and private functions.
In 1995, Wayne accepted a position at The Waldorf Astoria Hotel as a tournant and quickly worked his way up to saucier eventually becoming the youngest sous chef in the history of the prestigious Waldorf Astoria Hotel. During his tenure, he created and implemented seasonal special events, developed menus, and managed a staff of 45 people. While honing his skills during this time he also worked for some of New York’s most acclaimed restaurants: Le Bernadin, Lespinaise, Daniel and also one called Mistura Fina in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
Because of Wayne’s success at The Waldorf Astoria, he was chosen to join the opening team as a sous chef for the highly anticipated Artisanal Fromagerie and Bistro on Park Avenue in New York City. Since construction delayed the Artisanal opening, he worked at its sister restaurant, Picholine, for a year until Artisanal was ready for its unveiling. The delay made the anticipation for Artisanal even more of a media frenzy and opened with rave reviews. At Artisanal, Wayne was involved with developing menus, recipe testing, food quality, cost controls and employee training. He was also a key member of the team developing recipes for the Artisanal product line sold at Neiman Marcus.
In 2002, he became the Executive Chef and partner at Il Barilotto Restaurant & Wine Bar located in the beautiful Hudson Valley, NY. During his tenure at Il Barilotto, his innovative ideas and food creations consistently kept the restaurant recognized as one of the best Italian restaurants in the county.
Wayne now joins us as Executive Chef in South Norwalk.
