Jeff Sladicka

Background

About Jeff Sladicka

Jeff grew up in Pennsylvania where he started working in restaurants at the age of 12, but it wasn't until he turned 16 that he gained a mentor: CIA grad Carla Moffit."She taught me foundations of sauces and stocks, how to butcher meat and fish, the basics on pastries, everything that you would go to school for and pay for." Jeff moved into the corporate restaurant world in his teens, working as a sous chef with Anaheim-based Specialty Restaurants. His first duty was to help open a Castaway restaurant. He then spent time in Atlanta, helping roll out menus for different Specialty Restaurants. In 1987, Jeff moved to California to work for Restaurant Enterprise Group, a move that changed the course of his career. He started at the L.A. Music Center as the chef at Otto Rothchild's Bar & Grill. Within six months, he became the company's corporate executive chef. Jeff oversaw 18 restaurants and 13 concepts, including fine dining, seafood restaurants, and a California bistro, but he got the biggest thrill from cooking for the Academy Awards."It used to go back and forth between the Music Center and Wolfgang [Puck], One year they'd do it with us at the Music Center, the next year they'd go to the Shrine with Wolfgang." In 1990, Jeff went out on his own, becoming chef-owner/partner of two Pasta Experience restaurants in San Diego County. In 1993, Jeff returned to L.A. to work for the Louise's Trattoria chain as the corporate chef. While there, Jeff was introduced to and worked with Mauro Vincenti, of downtown's Rex Il restaurante, That is when he met and cooked with the Michelin Star Chef Gianfranco Vissani. In Jeff and 2 other partners opened Spark Woodfire Grill in Studio City. He served as chief operations officer and Executive Chef. Over the course of the 17 years in business, Jeff developed 3 other concepts for the group, as well as oversaw the operations for all 4 locations. The Spark partners all went their separate ways and Jeff was a culinary consultant for a short time. He then worked with Grill Concepts developing menus for their Public School concept; as well as overseeing the culinary departments nationwide for The Grill on the Alley and Daily Grill. In 2019, Jeff moved back to the east coast to work with HMS Host at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, overseeing the Food and Beverage Venues. Covid has put Jeff in a position to work on his next project."I always wanted to be in restaurants. I love making things for people, and when they thank me afterwards for a great meal, it's a great feeling."