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.”
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
