LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. (May 16, 2019) – Montage Laguna Beach has appointed David Serus as the resort’s executive chef overseeing the culinary operations for the resort’s special events, meetings, weddings and banquets, as well as lending his culinary support and business acumen to the resort’s restaurants.
“David brings over 25 years of luxury culinary experience, talent and management skills to this position,” said resort manager Anne-Marie Houston. “We know he will make valuable contributions to Montage Laguna Beach’s acclaimed food and beverage team.”
Serus brings his refined approach to food preparation by outsourcing the best seasonal products, applying well-executed classic techniques and keeping flavor profiles clean and distinctive.
Raised in Le Mans, France, and taking early inspiration from watching his grandmother in her kitchen and working at his uncle’s bakery during school vacations, Serus knew early on excelling at fine hotel restaurants would be his chosen career. After attending cooking school in Quimper, France, he served a year in the French navy and then worked at two Michelin Star restaurants – one in London and the other in the South of France. He went on to work seven years at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, followed by 17 years working for The Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts across the U.S., including serving as executive chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, Arizona; The Ritz-Carlton, Orlando Grand Lakes, Florida; and The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. In 2013, Serus was awarded the prestigious title of Maître Cuisiniers de France (Master Chef of France) from the French culinary community, of which there are only 86 in the U.S. He’s an avid cookbook collector and enjoys exploring the region on his motorcycle.