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John R. Cifrese aka "JR"

The fifth and last child of a first generation Italian American father, Leonard and mother, Barbara, JR Cifrese started cooking as a small child making Sunday morning omelets for his big family. The house was always full of family and friends and as goes the Italian culture, lots and lots of great food. Sunday afternoons were spent helping to prepare and sit down to a traditional Italian feast complete with wine (mixed with 7UP for the children) his grandfather made.

What a stroke of fate that the gas station was closed where JR sought employment during his freshman year in high school. He walked across the street to an Italian Catering delicatessen, was hired on the spot and began an incredible culinary journey.

Working in the deli all through high school and learning all of the basic cooking skills (sautéing, baking, pastry making, sausage making, knife skills, catering skills, cutting and weighing deli meats, etc.) the owner of the deli saw JR's gifts and suggested he apply to the acclaimed Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. As a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, JR's mentor knew he had what it would take to be a successful student and classically trained chef.

JR started at the CIA in January of 1982 and immediately fell in love with the culinary field. After 21 months of school and graduating in the top 10% of his class he was off to New Orleans where he spent two years working in a pastry shop in a 5 star hotel in the French Quarter. He also worked in various classic New Orleans restaurants, learning the Creole and Cajun styles of cooking.

Looking to diversify his experience, JR moved to Killington, Vermont where he helped with the start up of a restaurant as the sous chef. Skiing and cooking was the recipe for a successful experience. Next stop was Nantucket, Massachusetts, where he worked as the pastry chef in the finest restaurant of his career to date. Spending the summer here was a great experience for JR as this was his first managerial position.

Moving west to Colorado, JR spent 15 years in the rocky mountain state, working at the Breckenridge Resort as the executive chef responsible for over seeing seven restaurants, a $4 million a year operation, and a staff of 100 plus employees. He then moved to Denver and for the next 5 years owned and operated a successful off premise catering company. Selling the catering company, JR went further west and has been the head chef for eight years on an 85-foot private luxury yacht in Marina Del Rey, California. Traveling and cooking from Vancouver B.C. to the eastern seaboard of the U.S. and experiencing all of the regional foods have naturally led him to his latest adventure: Coast 2 Coast Cuisine

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