2020 Epicurea Chefs

 Executive Chef Rhiannon Evans joins us from historic Quaker Ridge Golf Club in Scarsdale, New York.  She grew up in Nottingham, England, where she gained her Bachelor's of Arts degree in Business and Hospitality Management. 

During her studies she came to America on a culinary internship and has continued to 

delight culinary guests:  

Chef Rhiannon's career has included:

• Sous Chef at Elmwood Country Club, White Plains, NY
• Executive Sous Chef at Tamarack Country Club, Greenwich, CT

Chef Evans became Executive Chef at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in 2013 after a successful period working as Sous Chef at the club. Chef Evans enjoys cooking with seasonal ingredients, putting new twists on classic recipes and keeping things simple so that the food may speak for itself. 

Executive Chef Kevin Furmanek joins us from The Cliffs at Mountain Park, South Carolina. Chef Furmanek's extensive culinary career began by studying with a classically trained French Chef in New Jersey, sparking a life long passion for food. A graduate of the Culinary Arts Program 

at Johnson and Wales University, he has worked at locations such as the popular Kirkbrae Country Club in Rhode Island. 

Chef Kevin's career highlights include: 

• Working with James Beard award-winning Chef Neatth Pal at Neatth’s New American Bistro. 
• Winning numerous “Best In RI” accolades. 
• Winning Golf Digest's "Golden Fork Award"
• Winning first place in the Upstate SC - Western NC Regional Competing Dining Series

Chef Furmanek tends his own organic garden, cares for his own bees and enjoys freshwater fishing and picking wild mushrooms. 

Executive Sous Chef Manuel Gonzalez joins us from the Reef by CuisinArt where he is Executive Sous Chef.  He began his career at Academia de Cocina Verde Oliva in Bogotá, Colombia, in 2007.  He completed his education at Escuela Superior de Hosteleria Sevilla in Spain before joining Grupo Lezama as Chef De Cuisine.  He advanced on to Sous Chef at the company's flagship        restaurant in Madrid, Spain.  

Chef Manuel's career achievements include:

• 1st - The National Championship of Cooks in Bogota, Colombia
• 3rd - Americas Cup 2009 Orlando, FL
• Chef de Cuisine, The Spanish National Church of “Santiago and Montserrat” Rome, Italy and also worked in the Vatican City.
• Worked at Michelin Star Martin Berasategui in San Sebastian, Spain and also worked with Michelin Star Chef Hemant Mathur in New York
• Chef De Cuisine, Clarion Collection Hotel "Arvidsjaur", Sweden 

Chef Gonzalez's concept of gastronomy is based in Latin American flavors mixed with Mediterranean influences and presented as an original avant-garde cuisine always created with the freshest products.

  Executive Chef Alex Lee learned about fresh ingredients and balancing flavors from his  Cantonese grandmother.  He then learned about classical French cooking from celebrated 

Chef Daniel Boulud.  A native of Long Island, 

Chef Lee's career highlights include:

• Executive Chef at Alpine Country Club in New Jersey.
• Formerly executive chef at the Glen Oaks Club in Old Westbury, NY for 10 years
• Studied under Chef Boulud at Le Cirque and joined the opening team for Boulud's Restaurant Daniel in 1992
• Executive Chef at Daniel when the restaurant earned a four-star review from The New York Times
• Twice nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award as Best Chef: New York City 

Chef Lee enjoys growing his own garden and enjoys creating new twists on classic delicious meals favored by his members.  

  Executive Chef Tony Pope, originally from Huntington, West Virginia, is the Executive Chef of the Dormie Network.  He laid down his culinary roots in Charleston, South Carolina after graduating from Johnson and Wales University. Chef Pope trained under world renowned chefs including Michele Richard and Susan Spicer 

before returning to the Low Country, 

where he currently resides. 

Chef Tony's career highlights include:

• Executive Chef of the Dormie Network 
• Chef de cuisine Hanks Seafood, Best New Restaurant in      Esquire Magazine
• Executive Sous Chef of The Greenbrier Hotel in West      Virginia
• Chef de Cuisine at Bayonna Restaurant in New Orleans
• Executive Chef at the Buckhead Diner in Atlanta,      Georgia
• Executive Chef at Chechessee Creek Club 

In his spare time, Chef Pope enjoys traveling the world and furthering his culinary knowledge by immersing himself in different cultures. 

   Executive Chef Anthony Rabeni joins us from the Vineyard Golf Club on Martha’s Vineyard, beginning as Sous Chef and builting a prestigious career over the past 16 years.  Known as the most organic and environmentally-sensitive golf club in the world, Chef Rabeni and his team's dining room enjoys a well-deserved reputation as one of the finest restaurants on Martha’s Vineyard.   Executive Chef Rabeni knew at an early age that he wanted to study the culinary arts.   

Chef Anthony's  career highlights include: 

• Augusta National Golf Club Chef Team Member for the 2019 Masters Golf Tournament
• Degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management, University of Delaware
• Degree from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York. 
• Continuous engagement in new culinary classes from CIA’s Hyde Park and Greystone campuses. 
• Team member at the Eastward Ho Country Club in Harwich, MA, and also at the Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner, VA

Chef Rabeni and his family enjoy year-round island living on Martha’s Vineyard.  He enjoys fishing the waters of the Vineyard and the game of golf.