Ethan Holmes Named Chef de Cuisine of Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa's Signature Restaurant, bluEmber

. March 06, 2013

RANCHO MIRAGE, CA - March 6, 2013 - Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa is pleased to announce the newest addition to the culinary team, Chef Ethan Holmes. Holmes will serve as Chef de Cuisine of Rancho Las Palmas' signature restaurant, bluEmber. Under his direction, bluEmber will focus on highlighting the bounty of the Coachella Valley with a California modern approach to techniques and sustainable ingredients.

Working with the resort's Executive Chef Billy Deaver, Chef Holmes has crafted a delightful new menu featuring signature dishes such as the Sauteed Barramundi with Garlic Chive Gnocchi, Spring Peas and Chardonnay Butter, Grilled Ribeye with warm Marble Potato Salad and Green Garlic Chimichurri. The menu will also feature small plates such as Brie Fondue with Verjus Poached Apricots and Serrano Ham.

From the early age of four, Chef Holmes, a Native Texan, cultivated a passion for cooking by working alongside his German-Texan grandmother. After graduating top of his class from the prestigious New England Culinary Institute, he worked with some of the country's top chefs and most prominent culinary cities including Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Upon moving back to Austin, Texas, Chef Holmes served as the executive chef for the Lombardi Family Concepts restaurant, Taverna, and later as the executive/concept chef of Snap Kitchen, where he worked with nutritionists to develop a health conscious menu. In October of 2010, Chef Holmes was selected by Top 10 Food & Wine Chef David Bull to join his team in opening a portfolio of restaurants. As chef de cuisine of Second Bar + Kitchen, Chef Holmes helped turn the restaurant into the most popular eatery in Austin, receiving numerous accolades and awards.

Chef Holmes brings more than 14 years of experience in both casual and fine dining to bluEmber.

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: