Our Staff

Chef Asa Rodriguez - Executive Chef

chef asa

Chef Asa Rodriguez was born in Elyria, Ohio. At the age of 15 he enrolled at Lorain County Joint Vocation School for Culinary Arts in Oberlin, Ohio where he was the nominated Outstanding Senior and was on the Who's Who of American High School Students. In 2004 Chef Rodriguez earned his degree from the Culinary Institute of America where during his formal education he was named the 2003 Northeast ACF Student Chef of the Year . It was also during this time that Chef Rodriguez began his relationship with Chef Hartmut Handke, CMC, AAC. Chef Rodriguez performed his externship with Chef Handke in 2003.

After graduating, Chef Rodriguez traveled to Luxemburg to apprentice with Bocuse d'Or winning Chef Lea Linster in her internationally acclaimed and Michelin starred Restaurant Lea Linster. In 2004 Chef Rodriguez won the Junior Bocuse d' Or in the Lamb and Fish Recipe Categories and participated alongside Chef Fritz Gitchner, CMC in the finals of the 2005 American Bocuse d' Or. Chef Rodriguez then traveled with Chef Gitchner's winning team to represent America in the Bocuse d' Or competition of 2005.

In 2005 Chef Rodriguez returned to Handke's Cuisine to apprentice with Chef Handke. In 2006, he was named Sous Chef and in July 2008 was personally chosen by Chef Handke to succeed him as Executive Chef of Handke's Cuisine.

Chef Rodriguez's philosophy on food combines simplicity of preparation with a natural and organic product base. As Chef Rodriguez says "A quality preparation never hides the ingredient. Quality, simplicity, and consistency. Let the food be the star."