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Chefs

The sumptuous dining at The Grand America is driven by the talent and experience of our chefs. Each brings a wide range of epicurean skill and knowledge to the hotel, imparting a signature quality to every menu and dining experience.

Executive Chef Phillip Yates

Growing up in a small town west of Austin, Texas, Chef Phillip Yates first became interested in culinary arts at a very young age while learning to cook with his mother. As he grew into adulthood, his desire for a regular desk job dwindled as he explored more of the culinary world. It was then that he decided to make his career in food, attending Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon, where he graduated at the top of his class in 2003, receiving the Top Toque award. From there he was offered an internship with the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, Texas. After his internship ended he stayed on as a banquet chef for the next few years before joiningThe Grand America.

Currently when he's not playing golf or fishing you will find Chef Yates behind the scenes as the Executive Chef at The Grand America Hotel, a position he's held since 2009. Since joining The Grand America he has lead his team of chefs in hosting top companies, over-the-top weddings, and dignitaries such as Ambassador Jon Huntsman. Fluent in the regional cuisine of his home state as well as Barbeque and Cajun, Chef Yates adds a new 'spice' to the culinary staff at the hotel.

Executive Pastry Chef Fernanda Dutra

Executive Pastry Chef Fernanda Dutra has been an integral part of The Grand America culinary team for more than a decade. Originally from Brazil, Chef Dutra spent the first ten years of her pastry career designing wedding cakes. She has won many awards for her innovation and delectable confections including the Legacy award for “Best Wedding Cake” and “Best Plated Dessert” at the Annual Portuguese Pastry Festival.

When she moved to the United States fifteen years ago Chef Dutra wanted a position that would challenge her to create a new variety of desserts and pastries. She found what she was looking for in the Little America pastry kitchen. Upon completion of The Grand America Hotel in 2001, Chef Dutra made her move to the Grand where she has spent the last eight years leading her team with passion and creativity, a job that entails early mornings, late nights, and lots of chocolate!  

During your visit, be sure to try some of Chef Dutra's handmade chocolate truffles or her signature item: the Bonne Soiree, a three layer mousse cake served with strawberry sorbet.

Executive Banquet Chef Kasey Dubler

Whether it is an intimate gathering, private business function, lavish wedding reception or a grandiose banquet for more than two thousand people, our Executive Banquet Chef, Kasey Dubler, will make sure to please each palate.

Chef Dubler's passion for cooking is evident in the fine dining touch he adds to the banquet table. His passion for cooking began at a young age as he accompanied his father on fishing trips to Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska—where they lived off their catch. Chef Dubler soon became a fish connoisseur and is now well known for his signature seafood dishes. In 2007, he left coastal California to join Grand America’s culinary team. Previously, he worked at renowned restaurants in the Los Angeles area, where he twice catered the Oscars with Wolfgang Puck.

As Executive Banquet Chef at The Grand America Hotel, Chef Dubler enjoys the ever-changing nature of banquets—tailoring his culinary talent to any size group for any occasion.