Bradley Manchester Appointed Executive Chef of Houston's ZaZa

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. October 14, 2008

HOUSTON, TX, December 5, 2006. Bradley Manchester has been appointed the Executive Chef of Houston's much anticipated Hotel ZaZa and its Monarch restaurant and lounge. The property is in the final stages of a dramatic transformation that will give the former Warwick Hotel a 21st Century make-over. This massive endeavor is infusing the landmark Museum District building, which was originally built in 1926, with the Dallas-based ZaZa brand's playfully sophisticated design, service and amenity offerings. The debut for the restaurant is scheduled for February 5, 2007, while the "hard opening" of the hotel is slated for February 19, 2007.

Locals are already buzzing about Monarch, Hotel ZaZa's 245-seat signature restaurant. Monarch will incorporate three distinct spaces, including a Baroque-inspired main dining room with soaring ceilings, plush appointments and champagne bar; a stunning, tree-shaded terrace designed for fun before and after dark; and a more casual bar area with full menu service and a split personality that will offer late night dining, private nooks with bottle service, a rotating schedule of top DJs and a rollicking Saturday brunch.

Chef Bradley comes to Hotel ZaZa via Las Vegas with the experience, energy and passion necessary to create and execute a sublime menu melding a premium selection of steaks with lighter Mediterranean fare. He will also be focused on ensuring the highest quality and consistency whether the meal is served at Monarch, through in-room dining in one of the 315 guestrooms and suites, or within the hotel's 17,000 square feet of pre-function and event spaces, including the majestic lobby level Phantom Ballroom, "Imagination" suites on the 11th floor, lower level private rooms and the spectacular "Urban Oasis" rooftop pool terrace.

Chef Bradley, who received his Associates Degree in Culinary Arts from the Art Institute of Houston in January of 1994, is coming full circle back to his Texas roots via the Renaissance Hotel in Las Vegas, where he served as Executive Chef. In this capacity, he supervised culinary operations for three restaurants, including the award-winning ENVY Steakhouse. Under Manchester's stewardship, ENVY received the Las Vegas Life Epicurean Award for "best new off-strip restaurant" as well as the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.

Prior to his experience at the Renaissance, Manchester worked as the Assistant Executive Chef at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Chef Tournant at Caesar's Palace Hotel & Casino, both in Las Vegas.

Before landing in Las Vegas, Manchester served as the Chef de Cuisine at the claimed Hudson's on the Bend and Sous Chef at the Four Seasons Hotel, both in Austin. Additionally, he staged at Renoir Restaurant under Chef Alex Stratta in Las Vegas, Masa's Restaurant under Chef Ron Siegel and Gary Danko Restaurant under Chef Gary Danko, both in San Francisco, Picasso Restaurant under Chef Julian Serrano in Las Vegas and the Mansion on Turtle Creek under Chef Dean Fearing in Dallas.

At Monarch, diners can look forward to Manchester's insistence on ingredient-focused American cuisine with a decidedly Tuscan twist. "We're going to bring in a lot of different influences, using classic European techniques, while experimenting with new and innovative flavors and combining them in ways that Houston hasn't really seen before. We are going to place a premium on flavor and concentrate on how that flavor hits the palette," promises Manchester. Products flown in from around the world will be the rule and not the exception at Monarch.

Hotel ZaZa has also recruited two veteran food and beverage professionals to support Manchester in his role of Executive Chef. Kleibert Estrada brings nearly two decades of hospitality management experience to his new role as Director of Catering and Special Events and will oversee the coordination of gatherings throughout the property. And as the newly appointed Director of Food & Beverage, Fawaz Salaam brings international hospitality experience and fluency in several languages to his position.

Hotel ZaZa was created by Charles S. Givens and Jeff Records and is owned by Givens-Records Developments. The property is managed by Gemstone Resorts International, a full-service operating and asset management company that specializes in luxury and upscale hotels and resorts.