Personalities

Ross McKee

Ross's Links:

Executive Chef - Solaire Restaurant + Bar

Ross McKee - Executive Chef

Growing up in a family of hoteliers, Ross McKee was exposed to the hospitality industry at a very early age. His life long passion for food stemmed from his emersion into his families restaurant and has never faded. McKee’s family owned The Pine Inn and Cypress Inn in downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea. By the early age of 12, Ross had already worked in all aspects of the industry, but there was something different about working in a restaurant. This is where he discovered his passion.

Ross’s love of food continued to develop over the years as he trained to become a chef while working as an apprentice at Tournaut Restaurant at the Pine Inn. At the age of twenty, Ross and his family opened a restaurant in Carmel, Le Coq D’Or, with Ross taking the helm as chef. Most recently, McKee was Chef de Cuisine at Aquarius at the Dream Inn in Santa Cruz. Prior, McKee was Executive Chef for six years at Shadowbrook Restaurant in Capitola, Chef/Co-owner of the Amapondo Mangrove Lounge in Port St. John, South Africa and also worked as Sous Chef at Bernardus Lodge and at the Lodge at Pebble Beach, where he was responsible for assisting Chef Hubert Keller and Chef de Cuisine Phillip Baker.

Over the years, Ross has combined his passion for food with travel. He has explored, cooked, and tasted his way through 23 countries on five continents. This traveling has allowed him to obtain extensive knowledge of both classical and modern French, European, Sous Vide and charcuterie techniques, as well as a base of knowledge of many types of International foods. When he’s not in the kitchen cooking, Ross also enjoys spending time at local farmers markets, foraging mushrooms and herbs, scuba diving, hiking with his dog, and restoring British cars.

McKee continues his culinary career as the Executive Chef at Solaire Restaurant & Bar at Hotel Paradox in Santa Cruz, opening July 2012. McKee will oversee all aspects of opening the 170 room hotel restaurant and food and beverage operation.