The secret ingredient to opening three of Naples’ hottest new restaurants? Just add a dash of Moorings Park Grande Lake’s Executive Chef, Julien Bernard and General Manager of Dining Services, Alexander Dimas.
“We’re so thrilled about the addition of Alexander and Chef Julien to our Moorings Park Grande Lake team,” said Tom Mann, Vice President and Senior Living Specialist. “These two gentlemen are a demonstration of our commitment to making the restaurants in the Clubhouse as fine as any you’ll find on Fifth Avenue South.”
With an expansive culinary background, Chef Julien delivers a worldly dining experience, while Dimas, who also has long-running experience in resort and hotel operations, plays an integral role in the community’s restaurants.
Authentically Cultured Chef
Originally from Marseilles in the south of France, Chef Julien started his food endeavor at the age of 14, working in several French restaurants. This led him to receive an extensive six-year degree from the respected culinary school, Lycée Hôtelier de Marseille.
His resume includes impressive, delicious work throughout England, Germany, Ireland, and the Accor Hotel in Europe. From there, he found himself in Miami, Florida, at the hotel’s Sofitel location, where he was the Chef de Cuisine, working alongside the Master Chef for six years. Moorings Park Grande Lake members now have access to mouthwatering, diverse cuisine thanks to the cultured chef.
Michelin Star Ratings
Hospitality and passion are what drives a successful dining experience, and General Manager Dimas is no stranger such. He holds a baccalaureate degree in Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University. With a specific focus on dining services throughout his practice, he undeniably has a passion for serving others.
More recently, Dimas oversaw all food and beverage operations at the highly respected Michelin Star brand restaurant, Hakkasan, at Fontainebleau Miami Beach. There, he led staff training, menu development, and table and reservation management. Since Michelin Star ratings are a hallmark of fine dining and are awarded on precisely executed cuisine and quality, it’s safe to say that Dimas knows how to provide extraordinary food.
“Food and beverage are what I live and breathe, and to say I have a passion for [both] would be an understatement,” said Dimas. “From being exposed to all aspects of food and beverage and hospitality from a young age and turning it into a career working for the best hotels, resorts, and restaurants, I am [continuously] excited to share this passion of mine, which is my livelihood, to the members of Moorings Park Grande Lake.”
Deliciously Diverse Cuisine
As for Moorings Park Grande Lake, the community is home to three new restaurants to choose from: Zest, the poolside café and bistro; Savor 26, an upscale, yet casual “go-to” with a playful menu; and BlueStone, the fine dining restaurant with an emphasis on prime meats, seafood, and overall cuisine. The team of two note that members have the treat of having access to 5-star dining right in their home.
Some items members can find on the menus include smoked lentil and beet tartare with avocado crema and Maldon Sea Salt; wild mushroom risotto complete with mascarpone cheese, exotic mushrooms and flavorful truffle foam; and Chilean seabass with eggplant puree, charred truffled broccolini, saffron beurre blanc and squid ink tuile. Additionally, all pasta is freshly crafted in-house with an imported Italian bronze-cut pasta extruder, and each pizza is baked to order in a custom Marra Forni brick pizza oven.
“I just want to have the best ingredients on the plate,” Chef Julien notes, “If you have good ingredients, you can make any dish - the best dish; the quality will be there.”
Multi-Sense Dining
Dimas notes that the two serve an experience that engages all five senses, with sights of world-class architecture from London Bay Homes, sweet sounds of music and live entertainment, the feeling of fine, hand-selected glassware, linens, and tableware, and of course, the food that tickles your taste and smell.
“The extensive and diverse background of [Chef Julien] allows us to offer a variety of food options to our members,” said Dimas. “We are most excited to be able to exceed their expectations and requests while also [providing] a unique flair to inspired dishes for something as simple as a ceviche, to the efforts that go into making a 48-hour sous vide wagyu short-rib.”
As for Chef Julien’s take on the meaning of serving cuisine to some of the most cultured and well-traveled individuals that call Moorings Park Grande Lake home, “Food is happiness. When people sit down in a restaurant, they know they’re going to enjoy the moment. So, I want to have the feedback from guests to make sure they’re happy and [know] they’re very impressed. I want to see their smile from the plate and see that they’re enjoying their meal,” Chef Julien explains, noting that food does in fact “bring people together.”
