Jan. 3, 2018 (STATELINE, Nev.) — Executive Chef Charles Wilson said Edgewood Tahoe had him at hello during his interview – or at least when he saw the view of Lake Tahoe 50 yards away through the resort’s Great Room floor-to-ceiling windows. Wilson is assuming the helm for the property’s three restaurants following the retirement of Frank Stagnaro, the resort’s executive chef for over 25 years. (www.edgewoodtahoe.com)
“One of the reasons I’m here is this property,” Wilson explained. “Walking into the Great Room and looking out the windows was the moment. The culinary team’s job is to match the ambiance of the resort, and this setting is truly spectacular.”
Wilson, a graduate of Le Chef Cordon Bleu Culinary College, has a long tenured career in resort destinations heading kitchens from the Caribbean to Chicago, Scottsdale, Hawaii, and Newport Beach. For the last 13 years he called Las Vegas home base with positions at the MGM Grand, Paris, Bally’s Hotel & Casino, Caesars Palace, and Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino.
A native of Austin, Texas, Wilson said his passion for the culinary arts was formed early on with the tutelage of his mother and grandmother.
“They taught me the beauty of simplicity, using fresh seasonal local produce, and letting the ingredients speak for themselves,” Wilson said. “In coming to Tahoe, I’m stepping into a great culinary program with a bountiful local following created by Chef Stagnaro. In 2018, I’m looking forward to regenerating menus to give locals and our guests additional flavor profiles to choose from among the three restaurants.”
Wilson’s resume is impressive. Besides key roles at properties like The Four Seasons Hotel-Chicago, The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort-Arizona, The Balboa Bay Club Resort & Spa-Newport Beach, he also opened the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka'upulehu on the Big Island of Hawaii. In February 2017, Wilson led a culinary team from the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino for a Valentine’s Day event at the prestigious James Beard Foundation in New York. Wilson also holds two American Culinary Federation (ACF) gold medals and three ACF bronze medals.
“If you really are passionate about what you do it’s not a job,” Wilson said. “I love coming to work each day.”
Wilson said he and his family, wife Venessa and their two daughters, Isabella, 16, and Ava, 12, are settling into their new home in Minden, Nevada, and are looking forward to enjoying outdoor winter sports in Lake Tahoe.
