Chef Orlando Apodaca

Chef Orlando Apodaca’s greatest passions in life are food and travel-- preferably at the same time. He also knows good pizza (he claims it’s his ‘kryptonite,’) and his pursuit of the best took him to New York City. He and his wife, also an equally unabashed lover of pies, embarked on an epic, no-pie-left-behind pizza journey through Manhattan. Their standards were high, and their hunger was substantial. They were not disappointed. After trying out a dozen pizza joints, they named Joe's in the Village the hands-down winner.

Chef Orlando's food pursuits have also taken him to destinations like England, France, Australia, and Costa Rica, just to name a few. “To truly create and understand a meal and the history of a dish, you must travel,” says Chef Orlando. “Touch the earth that the produce was grown in, experience the culture, taste the seafood from the ocean, and live life.”

Chef Orlando Apodaca slicing a lime

More About This Chef

Favorite Food

Pizza

Favorite Minor’s® Product

Minor’s® Classical Reductions Reduced Vegetable Stock

Geographic Region

HI, TX, OK, NM, MO, KS, CO, AZ, UT

Education/Training

Le Cordon Bleu, Paris, France

University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
 

Major Achievements/Awards

Guest Speaker for the Culinary Arts in the Music Industry, House of Blues Music Forward Foundation

Academic Advisory Committee Board Member, Le Cordon Bleu Austin, Texas & Dallas Texas

Co-author, The Dallas Table

First Place, Ben E. Keith Ultimate Chef Competition, 2009

Work History

  • House of Blues, Dallas, TX— Executive Chef
  • Levy Restaurants at the American Airlines Center Home to the Dallas Stars (NHL) & the Dallas Mavericks (NBA)-Compass Group USA, Dallas, TX— Executive Chef Premium Suits & Clubs
  • Aramark Sports & Entertainment at the Cedar Park Center home of the Texas Stars (AHL), Austin, TX— Executive Chef
  • Majestic America Cruise Line, Juneau, AK– Executive Chef
  • Four Seasons Hotel, Sydney, Australia and Lana’i, HI – Banquet Chef