4420 Warwick Blvd. Kansas City, MO 64111 816.753.5784 | kemperart.org
–more–
MEDIA RELEASE
KEMPERMUSEUMHIRESNEWEXECUTIVECHEFOFCAFÉSEBASTIENNEKANSASCITY,MISSOURI—August9,2017—Afteranationalsearchandaprocessthatincludedconsultationwithculinaryexpertsfromacrosstheregion,KemperMuseumofContemporaryArt’sBoardofTrusteesandMuseumleadershiphaveselectedRemyAyesh(pronounced,"reh-mee""ash”)asthenewExecutiveChefofCaféSebastienne.Ayesh’sfirstdayatCaféSebastiennewasMonday,July31.“IamdelightedtowelcomeRemyAyeshtotheKemperMuseumcommunityofart-inspiredcolleagues,”saidBarbaraO’Brien,ExecutiveDirector.“CafeSebastienneisarestaurantwitharenownedhistoryand,underherleadership,abrightfuture.Shebringsanexcitingmixofculturalinfluencesandoutstandingtraining.HerexperienceandinventivespiritwillcertainlyfindaplaceinthemenusattheCaféandatspecialeventsbookedattheMuseum.“BornofLebanesedescentinKansas,ChefAyeshgrewupwithdiversetastesfromthebeginning.Fromgardeningwithhergrandfather,tolearningtheartofLebanesecuisinefromherSiti(Lebanesetermfor“grandmother”),foodwasanintegralpartofherlifefromthebeginning.Afterworkingforyearsinrestaurants,Ayeshfeltinexplicablyconnectedtothem:asanathlete,shelovedthehardwork;asanartist,thecapacityforcreationandofcourseasablossomingchef...thefood.
Withastrongdesiretomasterherloveoffood,travel,andwriting,AyeshgraduatedfromtheUniversityofKansasandtheUniversidaddeSevillewithdegreesinSpanishandJournalism.UponmovingtoNewYorkandworkinginpublicrelations,herpassionforfoodtookovercompletelyandenrolledintheFrenchCulinaryInstitute.
Later,workingasaninstructoratthissameschool,AyeshquicklyrosetoExecutiveSousChefofSpecialEvents,allthewhiledoingherownprivate,high-endwinedinners.Shewasabletoworkcloselywiththeschool’sdeans:JacquePepin,AlainSalhac,AndreSoltner,andCesareCasella.NottomentionbeingasouscheffortheincrediblelistofchefsfromaroundtheworldandNYCwhopassedthroughthedoorsoftheinstitutiontodopublicandprivateevents.InMay2011,AyeshcompetedontheFoodNetwork’sTVseriesChopped.AftersometimeinNYC,shewentbacktoherChicagoroots,wheresheconsultedasExecutiveChefonsomeverylarge,multimilliondollarprojectsandendedupatPopsforChampagne,anationwidefamouschampagnebar.Hereshewastaskedtofliptworestaurantsinonebuilding,drawingonherabilitytomatchmenustothespaces.Fromthiswork,RemywasrecognizedbyMandarinQuarterly,withthecoverimageandafeaturededitorialpieceinFebruary2016.
“IamgreatlyhonoredtohavebeenextendedtheopportunityofExecutiveChefatCafeSebastienne,”saidRemy.“I'mthrilledtoworkamongstgreatpeopleandknowthattogetherwe'llmovethisstronglyrootedprogramintoitsnewfuture.”ArestaurantcareerthatspansfromChicagotoNewYorkandbacktoChicago,ChefAyesh’sexperiencesarenothingshortoffirst-rate.WhileinChicago,shebrieflyworkedatgrahamelliott,thenmovedontoholdthetitleofFormaggaiaattherenownedSpiaggia,andlaterbecomingExecutiveChefatRootstockWineandBeerBar.In2010,AyeshwasnamedoneoftheTop12TastemakersinChicago,inthecompanyofrenownedchefRickBayless.NationalfoodmagazineslikeCultureMagazine,BeerAdvocate,Go,WineEnthusiast,evenFodor’s,allhavementionedChefAyeshandherfood.ShehasbeenrepeatedlyfeaturedinMetromix,Timeout,ChicagoMagazine,ChicagoReader,aswellasmanyonlinefoodmagazinesandblogs.“IencourageyoutojoinmeinwelcomingRemyAyeshasournewExecutiveCheftoCaféSebastienneattheKemperMuseumofContemporaryArt,”saidTonyGlamcevski,DirectorofFood&Beverage,andSpecialEvents.“Remybringstousatremendousamountoffreshenergyandcreativity.Ilookforwardtopartneringwithherincreatingadynamicfoodandbeverageprogramforthecaféandspecialeventsthathonorsourlegacywhileengagingcontemporaryaudiences.Herexperienceandknowledgeoftheculinaryartswillpushforthourstandardsofexcellenceinfoodandhospitalityinafreshandcontemporaryway.”
###AboutKemperMuseumofContemporaryArtKansasCity’srenownedFREEcontemporaryartmuseum,KemperMuseumofContemporaryArtopenedinOctober1994anddraws100,000visitorseachyear.TheMuseumboastsarapidlygrowingPermanentCollectionthatuniquelybridgesmodernandcontemporaryworksofartfeaturingartistssuchasLouiseBourgeois,HelenFrankenthaler,WillemdeKooning,GeorgiaO’Keeffe,KeltieFerris,TrentonDoyleHancock,RichardMosse,andUrsulavonRydingsvard.Specialexhibitions,installations,lectures,aswellaschildren,teen,andfamilyprogramsandworkshopsarehostedattheMuseumregularly.AboutCaféSebastienneRecognizedasoneofKansasCity’spremierdiningvenuesforoutstandingcuisinesinceitopenedin1994,CaféSebastienneisnestledwithinKemperMuseumofContemporaryArtgivingdinersaspectacularlyuniqueviewoftheregionsfinestmodernandcontemporaryartcollections.TheGunnarBirkertsarchitecturaldesign,floortoceilingworksofart,bustlingmuseumatmosphere,top-notchserviceandawardwinningwinelistarejustafewnotablesthatcontinuetogiveguestsawonderfuldiningexperience.CaféSebastienneistheperfectsettingforintimateandgrandaffairs,businessoutings,eventsandallyourspecialdiningneeds.FormoreinformationaboutKemperMuseumofContemporaryArtorCaféSebastienne,visitkemperart.org.Forhigh-resolutionimagesormediainquiriespleasecontact:KentMichaelSmith,[email protected]|816-457-6132
