Chef Adrian
Meridien Uptown’s Executive Chef Adrian Madrigal Mendiola has over 25 years in the culinary arts, training in Europe, South America, and is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu France. He’s perfected the techniques of classical and multicultural cuisine. As an Executive Chef and Saucier, Chef Adrien specializes in elevating familiar meals into modern cuisine, using unique herbs and spices, and fresh ingredients. His attention to detail and passion for food are what set his dishes above the rest. In his spare time, you can find Chef Adrian watching or playing soccer!
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What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?
My favorite ingredient is always cooking with fresh herbs and fresh products. He grows many of these in his own garden and hand picks them for service every day.
What ingredient do you dread?
I don’t enjoy working with processed meats. I find it difficult to a create a solid dish to serve the customer.
What’s your favorite dish to make?
bayou crab crostini
What restaurant, other than your own, do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley?
If you could invite any 4 guests to a dinner party who would they be and why?
This would be my son, daughter and two best family friends because they’re not afraid to give me honest feedback and criticism. They also are intolerant to certain products which challenges me to cook something different and full of flavor they can fully enjoy.
Who do you look up to in the industry and why?
Chef Adrian’s FISH & CHIPS!
I have followed the career of Erin French, an American Chef residing in the
state of Maine. Her unique focus on fresh ingredients and farm to table has created a waiting list of customers seeking a unique dining experience at The Lost Kitchen. Her story is inspiring, and has earned recognition as a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Best American Chef in 4 times. Dining here is truly a goal of mine in the future.
Experience Chef Adrian’s cuisine at
Meridien Uptown
28 W. Franklin St
Centerville, OH 45459
Hours:
Wed & Thurs 4pm – 10pm
Fri 4pm – Midnight
Sat 11am – Midnight
Sun 11am – 8pm
Note: Kitchen closes at 9pm on Wednesday and Thursday & 10pm on Friday and Saturday night.,
Like many female chefs in the Miami Valley Chef Mariah Gahagan is quick to credit to other women in the industry that mentored her. She thanks Elizabeth Wiley for teaching and The Winds’ co-owners Mary Kay Smith and Kim Korkan for helping start her career when she first worked as a dishwasher. ” Since then she’s had stints at Coco’s, Chin’s, Sidebar, Wheat Penny, Lily’s has been with Tender Mercy for at least the last yer.
If you could invite any 4 guests to a dinner party who would they be and why?
What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?
Meet Chef Waverly Howard, affectionately known as Chef Wave, hailing proudly from Dayton, Ohio. Over the last decade, he has breathed life into his culinary aspirations. Chef Wave’s odyssey commenced with launching his food truck, 
A Dayton native whose culinary career includes stints at Rue Dumaine, Hotel Covington and a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York has returned to Ohio to lead a new boutique eatery opening in early 2022.
David Belknap is the Area Executive Chef overseeing The Foundry and all banquet, catering and private dining events for guests at AC Hotel Dayton in addition to running the Spanish-inspired rooftop lounge and restaurant VASO at AC Hotel Columbus Dublin.
The husband and wife team of Mykie and Patrick Thompson are celebrating the third anniversary of their breakfast and lunch bistro in Troy. When creating the concept, their vision was to create an atmosphere that would relaxed and comfortable. redBERRY would serve the classics with all the taste and no fuss. There’d be breakfast populars like biscuits and gravy and French toast, and lunch favorites like BLTs and hearty soups.
Chef Franco Gallo grew up in a small town in Italy by the Adriatic Sea in Brindisi, where he got his first taste of the restaurant business doing every job imaginable alongside many Italian Chefs in his hometown. He also served in the Italian Army and was trained in culinary art to serve the high ranking officer staff. He met his wife in the Navy, stationed in Italy where they met and he followed here here. His most recent experience was being the Head Chef at the Dayton Bicycle Club for 15 years. Last summer the stars aligned with the opportunity to open Franco the Foodie, where he is the now the owner and Chef, creating a unique rotating menu every week and catering for parties and events. His family is all involved in the business with his wife and one daughter works in the kitchen, while his other daughter works the front of the house.
Chef Summer Key is an American Culinary Federation award-winning certified chef. She started culinary school at Sinclair and after years of learning and honing her skills, and working with renowned chefs, she started her own catering business, 
What ingredient do you dread?
Well if you know me at all then you already know this answer. Chef Anne Kearney and Anthony Head. I love them very much.They both have done so much for me in different ways. Chef Head taught me in school to do more, better, faster. A good cook, cooks. A better cook reads and the best cooks write. He pushed me to join our competition team in culinary school at Sinclair. I won an American Culinary Federation bronze metal for the state of Ohio and became captain then coach. He introduced me to the top chefs in our city doing events for them with him and other students. Holding me accountable for my work still to this day, never letting me give up.
Even though I never get a full day off I always make time for my son. He has to deal with my schedule so I make sure we go on ‘”adventures” a few times a week. Normally something fun outdoors. Metro Parking it up. Young’s dairy, putt putt golf, swimming and movies/drive in theaters are a few. We love the $6 tuesday shows at The Green
Meet Executive Chef Gavin St. Denis!
1.What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?
6. What’s your best advice for home chefs?
professionals to assist by quickly and efficiently bulk preparing nutritious food.
What’s your favorite dish to make? A dish I call Rotolino. It was created by my mentor, Chef Dennis McCarthy, and passed along to me. I use it as a teaching technique (similar to foie gras torchon) with young chefs and everyone gets to enjoy the result. It consists of 4 cheeses, 3 pestos, and pinenuts, rolled up to make a pinwheel that screams Italian on an American table.
What restaurant, other than your own, do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley? There are many wonderful places to dine in our region to carve out just one. I tend to find myself in a booth at any ma and pop kitchen I come across, looking for that genuine heartfelt creation. Yet to put a spotlight on the best we have around, I have enjoyed experiencing what Chef Wiley has done at her restaurants over the years, along many of the other greats that have come and gone, but truly the props go out to all of those independents getting up everyday and cooking their hearts out.
y because he would never stop laughing, and that would be an entertaining evening with great food!
Share a kitchen disaster, lucky break or other interesting story: Many years ago, I was hired as a new corporate chef for an independent dining group in downtown Columbus. Two weeks into my tenure was Easter Sunday. I spent the week prepping and setting up the usual. I was all ready to go. Turns out, the night before was graduation day for OSU, and I had no idea of the amount of people we would serve, since I was from out of town. Needless to say, I ended up using much of my Easter prep to complete dinner service that night. After the shift ended, myself, my sous chef and her wife (also a cook) stayed through the night and into the next day restocking the menu. That Easter we served over 800 guests and no one had any idea I was on a 32 hour straight shift to make it happen. That was the longest shift of my career.
Whitted has operated 
Jorge Guzman
Susie and Iván Núñez have developed a comfortable blend of international culinary styles that has evolved into the distinctive Casa Núñez flavor. Iván learned the traditional cooking of his native Puerto Rico from his grandmother and his great-aunt. As a young man, he not only owned a successful Mexican restaurant called “Paso Real” in New Mexico, but also placed third in the prestigious Chilympiad in San Marcos, Texas. He later married Susie in Gibraltar and the pair made their first home together in Madrid, Spain.
What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?
Aimee Plesa is a 34 year industry professional. She started her culinary career at the age of 14 at the K&W in Springboro before moving on to her first management position at Hot Sam’s in the Dayton Mall and eventually the executive chef at Ollie’s Place, kitchen manager at Bargos Grill & Tap and the executive chef at 
What’s your favorite dish to make?
What’s your best advice for home chefs?
Who do you look up to in the industry and why?
