Acclaimed French chef Pascal Vignau has been named executive chef of Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort & Spa, set to open this July directly across from Southern California’s Carlsbad State Beach. His role will encompass hotel dining at Chandler’s Restaurant & Lounge as well as room service, banquets, weddings, group events and catering.
Born in France, Pascal Vignau joins the Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort & Spa following eight high-profile years as chef/owner of Savory Casual Fare, one of San Diego County’s top-rated restaurants and widely celebrated for its casual international menu and quaint bistro setting. Prior to founding Savory, Vignau was executive chef for Four Seasons Aviara Resort in Carlsbad, which offered San Diego County’s only AAA Five Diamond restaurant during his tenure. He has also designed and directed culinary operations for Four Seasons and Regent properties in Chicago, Buenos Aires, Jakarta, Uruguay and California, where he led the renowned team of chefs at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. Vignau’s appealing style has also been enjoyed at the AAA Five-Diamond French Room in Dallas, the legendary Hotel Negresco in Nice, France, the Hermitage in Monte Carlo and Hotel de la Paix in Geneva, Switzerland.
Passionate about food that is both comfortable and approachable, Pascal Vignau specializes in simple yet contemporary international and home-style cuisine.
“I look forward to presenting the next generation of ‘Simple Food, Simply Prepared’ at Chandler’s Restaurant,” says Vignau. “With our spectacular oceanfront setting, I can think of no better place to introduce a major new restaurant for San Diego County – and I’m excited about the beautiful wedding and event dining offerings also planned for the resort. With ocean views available from much of our 25,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, it will be a pleasure to present visually stunning dining experiences for our corporate groups and brides.”
Modeling the California Craftsman style, the Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort & Spa features 215 guest rooms including eight suites, many with panoramic ocean views. The hotel’s central west-facing courtyard includes a 4,000-square-foot free-form swimming pool surrounded by a coastal desert garden of palms, succulents and grasses, while an undulating, mosaic-tiled water-wall across the pool lends visual and aural sparkle.
Additionally, the resort features more than 25,000 square-feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, offering exceptional gathering opportunities, many with panoramic ocean views.