LOS ANGELES, Calif. (June 27, 2019) – The Wayfarer DTLA today announced the appointment of Francis Dimitrius as executive chef. Dimitrius brings more than 14 years of culinary experience to The Wayfarer DTLA, where he will oversee all food and beverage operations and develop seasonal menus for the 156-room boutique hotel and its culinary experiences, set to open Fall 2019.
The Wayfarer DTLA will bring a variety of socially-driven and distinctive dining and entertainment experiences to Downtown L.A.’s vibrant culinary landscape, including The Kitchen – a communal guest-hosted cooking and dining space; The Rooftop bar; Gaslighter Social Club featuring a self-serve tap wall; and underground bar and entertainment venue, Lilly Rose. Dimitrius’ culinary background means an extensive and eclectic set of flavors and cuisines—from Japanese fusion and Latin cuisine to Mediterranean and seasonal farm-to-table dishes—are headed for The Wayfarer DTLA.
“We’re excited to have Chef Dimitrius as a dynamic addition to lead our culinary team at The Wayfarer DTLA,” said General Manager Jessica Rincon. “The four distinct food and beverage experiences planned for the hotel will give Chef Dimitrius four different stages to showcase his global influences—creating what we know will be a delicious culinary tapestry,” she said.
Find unexpected takes on familiar favorites such as avocado wasabi deviled eggs; refreshing, ingredient-driven coastal dishes including hamachi and watermelon with jalapeño-ponzu, and miso sea bass with black rice, and more throughout each of the distinctive menus at The Kitchen, Gaslighter Social Club, and Lilly Rose.
Dimitrius is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree, and the California School of Culinary Arts Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena. He began his culinary career as a sous chef at Matsuhisa in Aspen, Colorado, later relocating to California to become executive chef at Koi in West Hollywood at the age of 26. He also spent time as executive chef at the popular Beverly Hills hotspot, Villa Blanca, where he appeared on BRAVO’s Vanderpump Rules and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Most recently, he helmed the kitchen at farm-to-table gastropub, Justice Urban Tavern in DTLA and spent time in the kitchen at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills.
One of his most notable culinary moments was winning Food Network’s “Extreme Chef” in 2011. Some of his favorite dishes to prepare include filet mignon negi-maki with black truffle sweet soy and fried leeks, and miso marinated sea bass. Off duty, Dimitrius enjoys playing baseball and golf, reading, skiing and traveling to his favorite vacation spot Mykonos, Greece.
