Culinary Expertise
Bernard Ibarra Vice President of Culinary Experiences & Executive Chef – Terranea Resort
Bernard Ibarra’s passion for food began with his childhood on a farm at the French side of Basque Country. Ibarra would tag along with his mother to the village market, exhilarated by the sights and smells, fascinated by the community of providers there. Upon graduating from culinary school in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and apprenticing at Michelin-starred Les Pyrénées, Ibarra went to work for the Four Seasons organization.
(Read on)
Bernard Ibarra Vice President of Culinary Experiences & Executive Chef – Terranea Resort
Bernard Ibarra’s passion for food began with his childhood on a farm at the French side of Basque Country. Ibarra would tag along with his mother to the village market, exhilarated by the sights and smells, fascinated by the community of providers there. Upon graduating from culinary school in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and apprenticing at Michelin-starred Les Pyrénées, Ibarra went to work for the Four Seasons organization.
After a 35-year career as a lead chef spanning continents, Ibarra found Terranea in Southern California, with its salt air, sustainable ethos, and beautiful coastal setting, calling to mind his childhood on that Basque Country farm.
In addition to overseeing the resort’s culinary operations and culture, he maintains an apiary with nearly 200,000 honey bees, an onsite garden, and a dozen chickens. In 2013 Ibarra launched Terranea’s Sea Salt Conservatory, which produces signature sea salts used in the resort kitchens and spa treatments.
Through the resort and individually, he devotes himself to charities supporting breast cancer research, feeding disadvantaged families, and championing environmental causes.
Ben Shapiro Executive chef – The Eddy Taproom & Hotel
Lawn games, craft beers, a tap room opening to the outdoors, live music, food truck—The Eddy Taproom & Hotel is a quintessential kicked-back Colorado dining concept, and one that suits local chef Ben Shapiro as easy as breathing. He’s the kind of chef who loves Denver’s walkable neighborhoods and indie restaurant scene, appreciates a high-concept pierogi or low brow taco, and waxes poetic about pairing the right craft pour with the mood.
(Read on)Ben Shapiro Executive chef – The Eddy Taproom & Hotel
Lawn games, craft beers, a tap room opening to the outdoors, live music, food truck—The Eddy Taproom & Hotel is a quintessential kicked-back Colorado dining concept, and one that suits local chef Ben Shapiro as easy as breathing. He’s the kind of chef who loves Denver’s walkable neighborhoods and indie restaurant scene, appreciates a high-concept pierogi or low brow taco, and waxes poetic about pairing the right craft pour with the mood.
Shapiro graduated from Denver’s renowned Johnson & Wales University, and worked alongside Chef Justin Brunson at Brunson and Co. Here, he created charcuterie, utilized whole-animal butchery, and worked with local farms and providers. As the executive chef of Steuben’s Arvada, his culinary experience took a twist as he managed not only a bustling staff and huge dining volume, but a busy food truck as well, prepping him to take on the Eddy’s mobile eatery. After a successful run as executive chef at El Camino, Shapiro has been tapped to open the Eddy Taproom, where he’ll oversee the culinary culture and mobile food truck (and the occasional beer and lawn game as well).
Chef Ben’s BBQ Tips
Good BBQ is the stuff of legend—inspiring grudge matches, competitions, secret recipes, and epic road trips to out-of-the-way joints in search of the best. Lucky for the at-home chef, the difference between “good” and “lord have mercy!” BBQ can be surprisingly small and easy to accomplish. Chef Ben Shapiro shares his secret for out-of-this-world ’cue.
- Buy high-quality meat. Get to know your local butcher and ask for the best cuts available—quality meat can turn your finished product from good to unforgettable.
- Take your time. A brisket can take anywhere from 10 to 14 hours. If you’re trying to rush things, the end result suffers. Need it for a Saturday lunch? Put brisket on the night before and it will perfect by the time lunchtime rolls around.
- Season, season, season. Whatever kind of rub you’re using, be sure to season every inch of the meat.
- Savor it. Part of the tradition of BBQ is to slow down the fast pace of life and not only enjoy what’s on your table, but also the people who are around it.
John Drugan General Manager, The Eddy Taproom & Hotel
From the shores of Palm Beach, Florida to the pristine mountain village of Telluride, Colorado, John Drugan’s career has taken him to some of the country’s most fabulous resorts—and he manages to leave each one a little more fabulous than he found it. Drugan made his mark as a leader in F&B and hospitality management and has carved out a career loaded with AAA 5 Diamond and Forbes 5 Star properties, including Palm Beach’s Breakers Hotel and an award-winning run at The Four Seasons.
(Read on)John Drugan General Manager, The Eddy Taproom & Hotel
From the shores of Palm Beach, Florida to the pristine mountain village of Telluride, Colorado, John Drugan’s career has taken him to some of the country’s most fabulous resorts—and he manages to leave each one a little more fabulous than he found it. Drugan made his mark as a leader in F&B and hospitality management and has carved out a career loaded with AAA 5 Diamond and Forbes 5 Star properties, including Palm Beach’s Breakers Hotel and an award-winning run at The Four Seasons.
His legacy includes increasing profit margins, streamlining efficiency, and implementing new, creative programs that have consistently raised the standards at every property he has served. Recently he spent time as the general manager of The Historic Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he developed and implemented glitch system, quality assurance process, and Show Me You Know Me Program resulting in growing the guest satisfaction score to the top 5% from bottom 50% in the Marriott Autograph Collection.
Josh Mouzakes ARLO Chef de Cuisine (Town and Country)
Growing up in Long Island, New York, Chef Mouzakes discovered a deep passion for the culinary arts at just 13 years old. He began his culinary career just five years later at The French Laundry, the famed three-Michelin-starred restaurant often touted as one of the finest restaurants in the world.
(Read on)Josh Mouzakes ARLO Chef de Cuisine (Town and Country)
Growing up in Long Island, New York, Chef Mouzakes discovered a deep passion for the culinary arts at just 13 years old. He began his culinary career just five years later at The French Laundry, the famed three-Michelin-starred restaurant often touted as one of the finest restaurants in the world.
A graduate of Johnson and Wales University, one of the nation's top culinary programs, Mouzakes has trained under some of the brightest French-trained chefs including Guy Reuge at New York's Mirabelle Restaurant in The Three Village Inn as well as Joël Robuchon at his restaurant in the MGM Grand Las Vegas.
Prior to his role at ARLO, Mouzakes spent four years as chef de cuisine of fine dining and was also the executive banquet chef at the Hotel del Coronado. Today, Chef Mouzakes leads the ARLO team in delivering a celebration of San Diego lifestyle and its thriving culinary culture – serving scratch-made dishes using fresh local ingredients and a mosaic of flavors from both sides of the border.
A recipe from Chef Josh: Crispy Rabbit Fritters
- 2 lbs. Confit Rabbit (pulled & cut)
- 1,000 g chicken breast
- 540 g white pepper
- 2g mace
- 18 g salt
- 10g polyphosphate
- 2 shallots
- 800g Crème Fresh
- 150g mustard
- 2 bunches tarragon
Blend it all together to mollify it. Form the mixture into little balls (about 1 inch in diameter) and poach them. Bread and fry the balls. Serve with a vegetable dish or rice on the side or they are a great appetizer.