SAVANNAH, Ga., December 5, 2022 – The Alida has named Alex Bollinger executive chef where he will oversee all food and beverage culinary operations at the Savannah hotel. Bollinger comes to the Hostess City from the West Coast after serving as chef de cuisine at the Ritz Carlton Bacara in Santa Barbara, California near his hometown of San Francisco.
“Chef Bollinger is a great addition to both the Makeready and The Alida family,” says Andres Jimenez, Senior Vice President, Food and Beverage at Makeready, the hotel’s operator. “His culinary style of using seasonal and regional produce from the land and sea is a great benefit to our reimagined Rhett menu and its focus on southern coastal fare.”
In his new executive role, Bollinger will supervise the culinary program at The Alida, which includes operations of the hotel’s signature restaurant Rhett, The Lost Square rooftop bar, the pool bar and in-room dining. In addition to overseeing the hotel’s high standard for exceptional guest dining experiences, he will also be responsible for the hiring and training of all culinary staff, budget creation and management, as well as menu development.
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join The Alida team and contribute my expertise to their exciting and distinctive dining experiences,” says Bollinger. “I already feel at home in Savannah, and I look forward to working with the team to further elevate The Alida’s wonderful food and beverage program.”
With over 18 years of culinary experience, Bollinger’s curiosity for the kitchen was sparked at a young age with his mother’s cooking. Influenced by the local produce and enticing flavors used in his childhood home, he had solidified his future in the culinary arts by the time he was 12 years old. After attending the renowned Culinary Institute of America in New York, Bollinger sharpened his skills at several fine dining restaurants in major cities throughout the U.S., including but not limited to Aureole in Las Vegas, Charlie Palmer Steak in New York and Sou’Wester at The Mandarin Oriental in Washington DC. Upon returning to California in 2013, he held additional executive chef and chef de cuisine positions at Cadiz Restaurant & Lounge and Wayfare Tavern before he opened the Angel Oak Steakhouse at the Ritz Carlton Bacara for Pacific Hospitality, which included developing a menu of refined classics that incorporated rotating seasonal ingredients.
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