Leonard Ventura has been appointed Executive Chef at Wyndham Grand Chicago Riverfront
Wyndham Grand Chicago Riverfront, part of the upper-upscale Wyndham Grand Hotels and Resorts brand, today announced the appointment of Leonard Ventura as executive chef, overseeing all of the hotel’s culinary operations including modern American tavern, Hoyt’s Chicago. With over 25 years of experience in the hospitality and restaurant industries, Ventura will be responsible for creating inspired menus incorporating local flavors and designing memorable dining experiences for guests of Hoyt’s Chicago, the hotel’s iconic 39th floor Penthouse and all of the property’s world-class meetings and events offerings. Most recently, Ventura worked as executive chef at the American Airline Center in Dallas, Texas. Born and raised in Chicago, he began his culinary career at The Ritz-Carlton Chicago in 1986. Under one of Chicago’s most influential chefs, Fernand Gutierrez, and later his mentor Pascal Vignon, Ventura was promoted to executive sous chef of the property’s restaurant, The Carlton Club, before moving to Dallas in September of 2007.
