NAPA, Calif.
The Napa Valley Wine Train, one of the few active historic passenger railroads remaining in the U.S., announced two additions to its talented culinary team with Donald Young becoming the new executive chef and Michael Kowalski as the new director of food and beverage.
“We are thrilled to have Chef Young join our incredible culinary team and bring a fresh perspective to our daily menus,” said Pat Colee, chairman and founder of Noble House Hotels & Resorts. “We are sure he will wow guests and take the experience aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train to new heights.”
Young has worked and thrived in many facets of the restaurant industry. Before joining the wine train, Young spent three years as an executive chef at PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach, Fla. where he oversaw a kitchen staff of 75 cooks, five chefs and 90 stewards in a venue that included several dining rooms and served as host to one of the largest golf tournaments in the U.S.
After working at PGA National Resort and Spa, Young spent a year consulting in Curitiba, Brazil where he helped spearhead the Madero Restaurant Group's first international venture in South Beach, Miami. Young also owned his own restaurant in Lake Park, Fla. and held high-level positions such as executive sous chef at The Boca Raton Resort and Club, executive chef at Gulf Stream Bath and Tennis Club and banquet chef for The Four Seasons Ocean Grand Hotel in Palm Beach.
“We are also very excited to announce the appointment of Michael Kowalski as our new food and beverage director,” said Colee. “We have a lot of new changes happening and we’re confident in Michael’s ability to lead us into the Napa Valley Wine Train’s next chapter.”
Kowalski began his career in the restaurant industry as a server at a local tapas restaurant and wine bar. During that time, Kowalski discovered an interest in learning about obscure wines and interesting food pairings. In 2012, Kowalski decided to fully immerse himself in the hospitality industry, making the move to St. Helena to enter the Accelerated Wine and Beverage Program at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, led by Master Sommelier Bob Bath and Advanced Sommelier Christie Dufault.
Following his graduation, Kowalski remained at the CIA where he specialized in large-scale event management and helped oversee events such as Flavor! Napa Valley, Premiere Napa Valley and Worlds of Flavor. Before joining the Napa Valley Wine Train, Kowalski worked for culinary great Charlie Palmer as director of food and beverage for the Harvest Inn, overseeing all epicurean aspects for the hotel and opening its Napa Valley-inspired restaurant, Harvest Table.
One of the few active historic passenger railroads in the U.S., the Napa Valley Wine Train is owned and operate by Npble House Hotels & Resorts and offers fine dining service, multi-course meals cooked to order aboard exquisitely restored antique rail cars. Groups can use the train, from a full railcar for sixty, the entire train for over three hundred, or anywhere in between.
