LOS ANGELES
Todd Sicolo, C.E.C., has been named executive chef for the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center currently under construction at UCLA’s main campus.
The university-based conference center, which will offer 254 spacious guest rooms and 25,000 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting space, is scheduled to open in August of this year.
"It is with great pleasure that I welcome Executive Chef Todd Sicolo to the Meyer & Renee Luskin Conference Center," said Les Utley, general manager. "A highly accomplished culinary professional, he has mastered executive chef positions with several landmark hotels and resorts, and has worked with signature chefs of our time. Chef Sicolo is a wonderful addition to our executive and our culinary teams.”
As executive chef of the new Luskin Conference Center, Sicolo will oversee the property’s entire culinary program, including the 162-seat restaurant & lounge, PLATEIA, serving Mediterranean-inspired cuisine with California-fresh, local ingredients and superb California wines.
Sicolo comes to his new position with more than 15 years of experience as executive chef for important hotels and resorts in multiple markets. Most recently he served as executive chef for The Shelborne Grand, a resort and spa in South Beach, Miami, Fla., where he worked directly with celebrity Chef Morimoto. Previous to this appointment, Sicolo was executive chef for the Grove Park Inn and Spa of Asheville, N.C.
Sicolo has served as executive chef for such landmark properties as the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa, the Boca Raton Resort and Spa of Boca Raton, Fla.,and the Bellagio Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. Earlier in his career he was executive chef for Little Dix Bay of the British Virgin Islands.
According to Sicolo, “Ever since I was a child helping my family by growing our own food, I learned the importance of using the highest quality ingredients available.” Sicolo continued with, “I also learned to keep dishes simple and let the seasons guide me with the freshest ingredients throughout the year. This has always been a key to my success in the kitchen.”
Sicolo is a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, located in Hyde Park, N.Y. He is a member of the American Culinary Federation, and a Board Member of the Scottsdale Culinary Institute. Sicolo has relocated to Los Angeles.
