CAFFEINE
BISTRO AND WINE BAR
Our Chef -
Alex Medina
Caffeine Chef Feature Jan. '10
Executive Chef Alex Medina
This months featured Chef is Executive Chef Alex Medina of Caffeine Bistro & Wine Bar in Ormond Beach. Chef Alex is truly a Chef that has travelled the world learning and experiencing the culinary arts of many different cultures. In our interview with him, it was amazing to learn of his travels and experiences, almost too numerous to recount in one article alone. Originally from Texas, Alex grew up in a small suburban town in southern Indiana, just outside of Evansville, in the town of Chandler. After High School, he furthered his education at one of our nations top colleges, Vincennes University, Indiana. This is where his culinary journey began, with a degree in Culinary Arts. After graduating college, he spent the next nine years working as Chef at private clubs owned by Club Corp. of America. Alex was even Head Chef at the Kentucky Derby. He also headed the kitchen at the Pinehurst Golf Tournaments for the World Championship of Golf two years in a row. Working for Club Corp. of America, he quickly rose through the ranks becoming Executive Chef. As he worked in this fast paced career with Club Corp, he worked at private clubs in Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina. These exclusive clubs afforded him exposure to many elite dignitaries. He had prepared dinners for notables like Clint Eastwood, Danny DiVito, Sharon Stone, even the King and Queen of Norway and many others. Soon Alex wanted more, he wanted to go abroad to experience other cultures. Almost as soon as he arrived in Europe, one of his contacts found that Alex was looking for a position as Chef. He was immediately offered the position of Executive Chef at a private mansion in Oslo, Norway. This was an experience that he had longed for. After a year had passed, Alex started missing his home back in the states. When the owners of the mansion learned of this, they offered Alex his own restaurant in downtown Oslo. He was an instant success. He was even asked to judge the Icelandic Chef Competitions in Iceland. While in Norway, he would vacation in other countries like Greece, Spain, Italy and Denmark. One might see vacations as times of relaxation and sightseeing, not Alex. As soon as he would arrive in a new country, he would start looking for work in a restaurant doing anything to get closer to the culture, the recipes, flavors and techniques of this new land. This kind of love and passion for food is rare indeed. After eleven years, he again missed home, so in 2004 he came back to the States and made Daytona Beach his new home. After settling down, The Chart House in Daytona became his culinary canvass for the next five years. He still longed for a restaurant of his own again. When news got out that he would be leaving The Chart House, he was offered a position with a new Bistro, Caffeine. Now one might ask, why would a talent such as this want to head up a Bistro? Well Caffeine is only one of the restaurants Alex will be heading up. Rose Villa, a five star restaurant will be opening right next door, soon, as well as many more in what will be one of the area's top restaurant complexes. He will be running all of them as Executive Head Chef. Alex is already preparing a new menu for Caffeine. Chef Alex wants you to meet his new Sous Chef, Jared Curtis. Jared has been mentored by one of the best, of course we mean Chef Alex. Jared is Alex's right hand man and has been in the kitchen for ten years. Alex will tell you that Bistro food is not the most complex food, but making fantastic flavors from simple Bistro food. Alex still spends his off days traveling around looking for new and different culinary delights to bring back to his guests. Don't miss an opportunity to experience a true world class Chef, visit Caffeine and Executive Chef Alex today. Caffeine is located at 49 W. Granada Blvd. Ormond Beach, Fl. call for more information at 386-672-7277
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