Unique Experiences

Item Description

A fun and interactive 3 hour cooking lesson with award winning professional chef, Daniel LaGarde of LaGarde Culinary Solutions. 

www.lagardeculinarysolutions.com

Item Special Note

Daniel LaGarde was exposed to the culinary industry as a very young boy,coming from a family that was immersed in the business.  Helping out in his uncle’s catering business as “chef of the night,” the diligent four-year-old’s job was to hand out plates to wedding guests at the start of the buffet line. LaGarde’s father was the chef/proprietor of several restaurants, further impacting the youth’s development.   It is no wonder that LaGarde set out to make the art of cuisine his life’s passion. “I grew up eating, sleeping, living in the world of food,” said LaGarde.  “I loved every moment of my childhood that revolved around food,” he continued.LaGarde, a Quebec native, was schooled at the Culinary Arts Barthelemy Joliette in Quebec , receiving his Culinary Arts degree in 1986. His first job following graduation was as Chef Garde Manger for The Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal.  From there, he spent more than 18 years at various Hilton Hotels, including the Miami Airport Hilton, Capital Hilton in Washington D.C., The Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, Brunswick Hilton and Towers in New Jersey, Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort & Spa in Honolulu and Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix.  He currently serves as Chef Instructor at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Scottsdale, Arizona. 

 LaGarde has received numerous awards and honors from culinary organizations and competitions, including two gold, eight silver and four bronze judge awards. He was the grand prize winner of the Idaho Rainbow Trout Recipe Contest and named “Chef of the Year, Mauricie/Lanaudiere Region,” in 1992 from the Quebec Chef’s Association. LaGarde has prepared meals for such dignitaries as President Bill Clinton and George W. Bush; President of Israel, Ezer Wiezman; former President of South Africa, Frederick DeClerk; Prince of Saudi Arabia, Bandar Bin Sultan; Prince of Spain, Juan Carlos; President of France, Francois Mitterand, among others. 

LaGarde has appeared across the U.S. and Canada on television, in industry magazines and as a guest chef at regional festivals. LaGarde has come a long way since wearing size 4 whites on the wedding buffet lines, and is now one of the most respected chefs in the industry today.