Meet the Chef

Corporate executive chef Mary Grace Viado came to Village Tavern in 2002 after graduating with highest honors from the Culinary Institute of America in October 2001. During her time at CIA, she was honored with many awards and scholarships including a prestigious James Beard Foundation Scholarship, Culinary Institute of America Service Award, Culinary Institute of America President’s Scholarship, Guest Services Endowed Scholarship, Katharine Angell Scholastic Achievement Award and International Student Scholarship.

Viado fine-tuned her culinary skills by stage training at several top New York restaurants including Restaurant Daniel, Aquavit, Le Cirque 2000, Aureole, Payard Patisserie and Bistro, Café des Artistes and Le Bernadin. In fact, Brooke Vosika, executive chef of New York's Four Seasons Hotel, calls Viado "the consummate 21st century culinarian." Viado has also worked at several high-end hotels such as the Hotel Sainte Claire in San Jose and the Four Seasons in both New York City and Atlanta.

A native of the Philippines, Viado graduated cum laude with a degree in hotel and restaurant administration from the University of the Philippines. At the age of 20, she began her restaurant career with Bistro Holding Group and was one of their youngest managers for the Italianni's restaurant brand. She was promoted to Italianni’s corporate chef at the age of 23.