Kevin Lasko
Executive Chef

Kevin Lasko has always been drawn to kitchens; as a child, he loved to experiment with “recipes� that involved mixing diverse ingredients with disastrous results. Soon, he became determined to make some creations that tasted great, as well. He pursued cooking outside of home by taking several positions as a short-order cook on the New Jersey shore during the summers before enrolling in New England Culinary Institute.

A six-month stage at Trump Taj Mahal Atlantic City afforded the young chef the opportunity to be exposed to a vast variety of restaurants and cuisines. Lasko moved to New York City to work as chef tournant at Mercer Kitchen then Montrachet under chef Harold Moore. These experiences helped Lasko develop as a chef and also as a leader in the kitchen with an ability to motivate cooks individually. Positions at Andre Balaz Properties in Shelter Island and Miami and Park Avenue Café helped him further hone is organizational skills, leading to him being named executive chef of Park Avenue Winter. Lasko enjoys the unique challenges the seasonal concept offers.

 

Richard Leach
Executive Pastry Chef

Richard Leach’s distinguished career has led him to be considered among the top pastry chefs in the country, creating seasonal desserts that are as beautiful as they are flavorful. Leading the pastry program for Park Avenue Winter is a natural fit for this talented chef, whose artistic creations feature fruits at their best at each point of the year.

A few of his many accolades are being recognized as Pastry Chef of the Year (1997) by the James Beard Foundation and being twice named among the ten best pastry chefs in America by Chocolatier Magazine. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Leach worked in the famed kitchens at Aureole, Lespinasse, Symphony Café, La Côte Basque, and Park Avenue Cafe before bringing his talent to bear in the pastry kitchen at Park Avenue Winter. In 2001, Leach published Sweet Seasons: Fabulous Restaurant Desserts Made Simple, (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) a beautiful, original recipe collection, organized by season, allowing access to his esteemed methods and creativity.

 

Craig Koketsu
Chef-Partner

Craig Koketsu fostered his passion for precision, knowledge, and flavor by working with acclaimed chefs from diverse backgrounds at some of America's top restaurants.

Koketsu began his culinary career at Stars in Palo Alto, California working with renowned chefs Jeremiah Tower and Joyce Goldstein. After moving through all the posts in the kitchen, he received the distinction of being named banquet chef for all private events at Stars, which allowed him to create intricate and innovative dishes.

As Koketsu learned about the luminaries of the culinary world, he realized that a move to New York City was crucial to work with the chefs he admired. Once in New York, Koketsu landed a position of chef de partie with Gray Kunz at the famed restaurant Lespinasse. Chance intervened when the young chef was afforded a rare opportunity to work with another remarkable talent, Christian Delouvrier, who replaced Kunz after his departure from Lespinasse. Koketsu stayed on Delouvrier's new team and became poissonnier, which was the post he held when Lespinasse earned a four-star review from the New York Times. A year and a half after the review, Koketsu was honored with the highest position in Delouvrier's kitchen, chef de cuisine. Koketsu was selected to create the culinary concept and menus of Quality Meats and Park Avenue, which he executed with a great respect for classic dishes, transformed by his creativity.

Park Avenue was named among the top best new restaurants of 2007 by New York Times, New York Magazine and New York Observer. New York Magazine also named Koketsu among New York’s top up-and- coming chefs.

 

Michael Stillman
President and Founder
Fourth Wall Restaurants

As the son of one of the country’s leading restaurateurs, Michael Stillman grew up with a unique vantage point on the inner workings of the industry.  Michael learned from a young age how artful design, quality ingredients, and creative marketing all play a critical role in attracting and retaining a loyal clientele.

After graduating from Brown University, Michael worked for the acclaimed Union Square Hospitality Group before learning the business of The Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group from the ground up.  After stints in the restaurants’ kitchens and purchasing departments, Michael played a critical role in the opening of the Smith & Wollensky restaurants in Houston, Dallas, and Boston.  During openings, Michael participated in staff recruitment and training, menu development, and operations.

When the proposed merger of The Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group closed, Michael became president of Fourth Wall Restaurants, a New York-based restaurant group that owns, manages, and develops unique restaurant and nightlife concepts.

In 2006, Michael led the creation and execution of every aspect of Quality Meats, the group’s rustic New American steakhouse concept. In 2007, Michael oversaw the creation of Park Avenue, a restaurant that changes in its entirety four times a year in keeping with the seasons of New York. In 2011, he opened his newest concept, The Hurricane Club, a modern day Polynesian supper club located on Park Avenue and 26th street, followed quickly by his first nightlife venture, Riff Raff’s.  Currently, Fourth Wall Restaurants oversees the flagship location of Smith & Wollensky New York, Quality Meats, Park Avenue, Maloney & Porcelli, The Post House, The Hurricane Club and Riff Raff’s.

At present, Michael is in the process of expanding the Quality brand with the opening of Quality Italian on 57 West 57th street in 2013. He is actively in conversations  about expansion and enthusiastically seeking to further the internationally renowned Quality brand in other cities around the country, and abroad.

For more information on Park Avenue Autumn, please contact:
Allison Good: agood@fwrests.com or call 646-277-2379