Chef Billy Deaver Joins Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa as Executive Chef

. September 20, 2012

September 20, 2012 - Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa has appointed Billy Deaver as the resort's new executive chef. Deaver brings more than 12 years of culinary experience and creative menu development to Rancho Las Palmas where he will be responsible for the direction of all hotel catering and dining outlets including the resort's signature restaurant, bluEmber as well as R Bar, Splash Grill, Palms Cafe and Spa Cafe.

“We are thrilled to welcome Chef Deaver to Rancho Las Palmas,” said April Shute, vice president and general manager of Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa. “His new American farm-to-table cuisine, in addition to his enthusiasm and passion for the industry, will no doubt bring new culinary delights to guests of the resort.”

New at Rancho Las Palmas' R Bar is Chef Billy's Burger Bar - a menu featuring 10 different varieties of sliders including the All American with American cheese, caramelized onions, sweet pickles, local tomatoes and R sauce; Bacon Lover with smoked chopped bacon, bacon cheese and roasted garlic bacon aioli; and the Crab Cake with Maryland-style crab cake, avocado puree, shaved red onion and Old Bay sauce.

Deaver comes to Rancho Las Palmas as the resort undergoes a $5 million renovation. Projected for completion in December 2012, Rancho Las Palmas' renovation includes a revamp of the plaza to incorporate additional outdoor seating with fire pits, updates to R Bar to create a larger welcoming lobby space, a revitalized spa, expanded fitness center, enhanced ballrooms and pre-function space, the addition of multiple “conversation areas” complete with iPad docking tables, and a new intimate executive meeting area.

Prior to his move to Palm Desert, Deaver served as executive chef of the Reno Aces Ballpark - operated by Levy Restaurants, a leader in premium sports and entertainment dining - where he knocked the dining experience out of the park with innovative and upscale menu items. Additional culinary experience includes overseeing Bistro Toujours at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, opening the Real Salt Lake soccer stadium, and roles with Hilton Hotels, San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina, North Star at Tahoe and Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon, Calif.

Deaver received his degree in Culinary Arts from Horry Georgetown Technical College in South Carolina.

About Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa
The 444-room Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa is classic Rancho Mirage re-imagined for the 21st-century traveler. The resort's new offerings include stylish guest rooms, the signature bluEmber restaurant, R Bar lounge, and Splashtopia, an exciting water playground complete with water slides, lazy river and sandy beach. The resort also features a 20,000-square-foot spa, a 27-hole Ted Robinson-designed golf course, a 25-court Peter Burwash International tennis center, and 41,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space. For more information on Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, call (866) 423-1195 or visit www.rancholaspalmas.com.

About KSL Resorts Founded in 1992, KSL Resorts manages nine time-honored resorts with outstanding recreational amenities including spa, golf, tennis and ski. Each is refined yet unpretentious, rich in legacy and genuine in service. The KSL Resorts portfolio of properties includes: