Culinary team strengthens ahead of Solaire Restaurant + Bar relaunch this fall
SANTA CRUZ, CALIF. (August 23, 2023) – Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection has selected Stefen Shatto as executive chef to oversee Solaire Restaurant + Bar in addition to banquets, catering, and in-room and poolside dining at the 170-room boutique hotel. Born in Santa Cruz, Calif., raised on a farm in Iowa, and trained in Italy, Stefen brings his distinct culinary perspective rooted in quality agriculture, sustainability, flavor, presentation and a culture of community to reinvigorate the concept of “expect the unexpected.”
Stefen’s culinary career spans more than a decade. While earning his culinary arts degree at Iowa Western Community College, he gained firsthand experience in the traditions and practices of French artistic cuisine, working in the kitchens of James Beard-acclaimed restaurants in Omaha, Neb. Through an apprenticeship at Maccheroni and studies in Rome, he discovered the origins of flavor and learned the true culture of Italian cuisine. Serving as executive chef on the opening team at il vecchio in Pacific Grove, Calif., Stefen was instrumental in the Roman-style Italian trattoria’s early and continued success. He then established a boutique catering company specializing in weddings in the vineyards of Central Coast California. Shortly after, he found his niche in hotel hospitality.
In his most recent hotel culinary position, Stefen was executive chef at Inn at the Pier in Pismo Beach, Calif. His hotel food & beverage experience also includes tenures at the award-winning Grange Restaurant & Bar at The Citizen Hotel in Sacramento, Calif. and Schooners at Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa in Monterey, Calif.
“I have always been drawn to California’s beautiful quality of agriculture, but more importantly, the culture,” said Executive Chef Stefen Shatto. “When I push open the kitchen doors, I want to see a dining room full of diverse customers who, looking at their plates, feel seen, celebrated and recognized.”
Slated to debut this fall is an elevated dining experience at Solaire Restaurant + Bar following a full-scale renovation and expansion. With menus of globally inspired tapas and fundamentally familiar dishes infused with flairs of cultural fusion, Solaire Restaurant + Bar is set to take guests on a culinary adventure while immersed in an unparalleled ambiance. Stefen is currently developing new menus for breakfast, brunch, all-day dining, dinner and poolside. During this time, Solaire Restaurant + Bar remains operational in a pop-up location within the hotel.
