West Palm Beach, AUGUST 2019 – Chef Andre Sattler brings his international experience, ranging from Germany to the Middle East to Miami, to lead the F&B program at West Palm Beach’s soon to be “it” spot, The Ben West Palm. He has been tapped to guide the hotel’s culinary team and restaurant direction as Executive Chef.
With the new-build hotel now less than six months from completion, Sattler will be an integral part in steering the direction of the ground floor restaurant Proper Grit and rooftop lounge Spruzzo, both set to open alongside the hotel in January 2020. Sattler is no stranger to high-profile establishments, most recently serving as Executive Chef at the famed Acqualina Resort & Spa in Miami. Prior to that he lead the team at the five-star Mandarin Oriental, Miami including menu curation at Café Sambal and MO Bar and the luxury hotel’s banquet offerings.
Beyond South Florida, his more than two decades of international experience includes time in kitchens around the world from Germany to Bermuda to Saudia Arabia, where he worked for luxury hotel brands including Rosewood and Ritz Carlton.
Born and raised in Heidelberg, Germany, Sattler’s desire to travel and experience the world fueled his pursuit to initially enter the hospitality realm. While he knew early on he was drawn to the field, it wasn’t until he had been in the workforce for a couple years that he decided to merge his innate abilities in the kitchen with his affinity for hotels and began his career in the culinary arena. A photographer by hobby, Sattler had a creative side that he was able to explore in the kitchen, developing recipes with contrasting colors and flavors in mind, creating dishes that leave a lasting impression, both for the eyes and the palate.
In addition to his artistic approach to recipe creation, Chef Andre brings years of event know-how to his role at The Ben. He is an expert at executing high-end weddings, group functions and corporate business affairs – skills that will go hand-in-hand with the hotel’s 8,000+ square feet of meeting and event facilities.
“Joining the team at the ground level and being an integrated part of the food & beverage planning from conception to execution is a chef’s dream,” Sattler said. “Proper Grit and Spruzzo will be destinations unto themselves – a mainstay for guests as well as the local community. The views alone are reason to come, but I’m looking forward to introducing menus, concepts and experiences that will keep everyone coming back for more.”
Proper Grit will be open to hotel guests and the public for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner daily and will serve fresh, locally-sourced fare. Playful interpretations of classic dishes take from the “proper” while local flair and the Florida pioneering spirit drive the “grit.” The unity between these two seemingly opposing forces will drive the creativity and unique dining experience at the restaurant, where guests can expect premium quality ingredients from South Florida with a twist of modern flavors.
Spruzzo (Italian for Splash) will offer downtown’s only water-facing rooftop lounge, a full bar and creative menus, focused on tapas and small bites with Mediterranean flair. With bird’s eye views of Palm Harbor Marina, the Intracoastal Waterway and Palm Beach Island, the high-up haven also features the hotel’s pool, cabanas and fire pit. It will be accessible via express elevator that will take patrons from street level directly to the rooftop.
