Chef Ken Gladysz: Hotel Hershey
Executive Chef Ken Gladysz is truly a “Global Chef”. His culinary journey, which began in Florida, has taken him as far afield as the Middle East and the Asia Pacific markets. Gladysz first entered the culinary field in 1981. He served as sauté chef at Aldo’s Black Pearl, a fine-dining restaurant in Sarasota, Florida and obtained his certification from the Culinary Institute of America upon graduation. Following graduation, he was hired at Actuelle, a trend-setting restaurant in Dallas, and from there, moved to sous chef at the Four Seasons in Las Colinas.
Gladysz then began his decade-long global odyssey, working in Bali Indonesia; Tokyo, Japan; and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, introducing western cuisine and, in turn, learning both Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. Gladysz returned to the States, first at the AAA Five-Diamond Four Seasons Houston hotel followed by the Four Seasons Resort & Club in Irving. He then served as Executive chef at The Four Seasons Resort in Jackson Hole Wyoming, which he opened for the company in 2003.
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Now at the Hotel Hershey, Gladysz motives his team of 60 by consistently preparing exceptional cuisine using the high-quality ingredients like Jurgielewicz duck. Chef Gladysz has had a great relationship with Dr. Joe tracing back to his start at the Hotel Hershey. Gladysz states, “Dr. Joe is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about his duck products and has a genuine passion about what he does. He has always been there for us and is highly supportive of our Education programs. The Jurgielewicz farm is a first-class operation with highly professional employees who really care about their product. We use Jurgielewicz ducks in all three of our restaurants, rotating whole ducks, breasts, legs and thighs among our menu selections. The product is always consistent, of great quality and a terrific vibrant color, cleanly butchered. Above all, the duck is fabulous tasting meat.”
The Hotel Hershey features three full-service restaurants: The Circular was built by chocolate magnate, Milton S. Hershey in 1934, and features original stained glass windows. The room’s circular design provides guests unobstructed views of the gardens and eliminates corners for solo diners. Harvest opened in June 2009 in celebration of Hershey’s 75th Anniversary. The restaurant features regional American cuisine with a heavy focus on local and organic products. Trevi 5 opened the following spring, offering a modern Italian dining experience including house-made pasta and authentic five-flavor combinations, reflecting the inspired visions of the culinary team. The Hotel Hershey was awarded Restaurants & Institutions coveted Ivy Award in 2010. In 2011, Chef Gladysz was named “Chef of the Year” by the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Culinary Federation.
Visit www.thehotelhershey.com
