JEAN-MARIE LACROIX Chef-Partner
Acclaimed James Beard award-winning Chef Jean-Marie Lacroix could be called the father of Philadelphia’s now well-established and ever growing culinary scene. Lacroix honed his craft for two decades as the executive chef of the Four Season’s Fountain. He then established his namesake restaurant, Lacroix at the Rittenhouse, before joining with GuestCounts Hospitality in 2010. Chef Lacroix helped merge all operational facets of the brands formerly known as Max & Me Catering and Culinary Concepts to launch Brúlée Catering by Chef Jean-Marie Lacroix in 2011.

As Chef-Partner of Brûlée Catering, Lacroix develops impressive menus and oversees all aspects of food and beverage. Chef Lacroix works closely with his team of talented chefs to craft exquisite and inventive cuisine which guests will recall fondly for years.

In addition to putting his signature touch on Brûlée’s menus, Chef Lacroix makes personal appearances at many prestigious events, preparing food and interacting with guests.

Pedigree & Accolades
In 2012, Chef Lacroix was invited to become a member of the first American Chef Corp – a U.S. State Department initiative whose mission is to forge cultural exchanges worldwide through culinary engagement. As a top-rated chef enlisted in this inaugural program, Chef Lacroix will prepare meals for visiting dignitaries, travel abroad for educational programs and host culinary experts from around the world in his own kitchen. Always keen to mentor, Chef Lacroix has also been named to the COOK Masters Program, a new instructional culinary series for aspiring chefs in Philadelphia.

Chef Lacroix received his formal training at Thonon-les-Bains Culinary Academy in his native France. His career took him to Switzerland, England, Scotland and Canada before putting his indelible stamp on Philadelphia’s culinary scene. Following a tenure at The Four Seasons spanning two decades, he became executive chef at his eponymous restaurant, Lacroix, at The Rittenhouse Hotel, where he earned a near-impossible “Four Bells: Superior” review from The Philadelphia Inquirer. Lacroix was also named “Best New Restaurant” by Esquire Magazine in 2003 and “Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic 2001″ by the prestigious James Beard Foundation. He also earned Maîtres Cuisinier de France and Académie Culinaire de France status, as well as the Robert Mondavi Award of Excellence.

GUILLERMO VELOSO
Executive Chef Guillermo Veloso oversees the Brûlée Catering kitchen at Please Touch Museum at Memorial Hall.

 Veloso originally joined GuestCounts Hospitality in 2001 as the Executive Chef for Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar in Philadelphia and subsequently directed the opening of its
Atlantic City location.  

Pedigree & Accolades
Prior to Cuba Libre, Veloso was employed at YUCA – South Beach’s highly regarded Cuban restaurant, during which time he was featured on The Discovery Channel’s Great Chefs of the South. Veloso’s accolades include being named a “Rising Star Chef” by PBS and winning the 2003 People’s Choice Award for Best Dish at Philadelphia Magazine’s annual Philly Cooks event.  He appeared on the CBS The Early Show’s “Chef on a Shoestring” cooking segment.

J.C. NUNEZ
Chef JC Nunez brings years of experience cooking at celebrated cultural institutions, as well as some of Philadelphia’s premier restaurants.

Pedigree & Accolades
Nunez began his culinary career with Restaurant Associates as a chef at Metropolitan Museum of Art and later gained sous chef experience at Philadelphia’s Django and Buddakan, as well as Royalton Hotel in New York City for China Group Management. He then earned a position working closely with Jose Garces, Douglas Rodriguez and Chef Morimoto as an integral part of the opening teams at Morimoto and Alma de Cuba. After serving as Executive Chef of Drexel University, Nunez led the culinary operations for the Philadelphia Museum of Art as Executive Chef from 2006 to 2009. He then served as Executive Sous Chef under Wolfgang Puck at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. He then held the Executive Chef position at one of the largest Bank of America campuses in the country, before joining Brûlée Catering.

JAMES RODEBAUGH
James Rodebaugh is Brûlée Catering’s Pastry Chef. Rodebaugh is responsible for crafting the stunning plated desserts and pastry buffets enjoyed by all of our guests at our various events throughout the year.

Pedigree & Accolades
Rodebaugh has been working in kitchens since the age of sixteen. He honed his craft under Chef Tell Erhardt and was an apprentice of Pastry Chef Jonathan Thomas. Despite no formal training from a culinary school, Rodebaugh quickly ascended the ranks in the kitchen, working for Culinary Concepts for six years, before the company’s merger with Max & Me Catering to form Brûlée Catering in 2010. 

THOMAS McMULLEN
Thomas McMullen is the Executive Chef for Brûlée Catering’s Off Premise Division (catering which takes place at the location of your choosing). McMullen has cultivated strong relationships with local farmers and gardeners in the tri-state area, effectively strengthening our farm to table approach when developing our menus.

Pedigree & Accolades
McMullen began his culinary career in the pizza “business” at the age of fourteen and attended the famed local Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College. He held his first Executive Chef Position at the Brandywine Brewing Company at twenty-five. Later, he gained integral experience with high volume events as the Executive Chef at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where he was directly responsible for all culinary operations at the Kimmel Center, Art Alliance, Cadence Restaurant, Academy of Music and all off-premise catering functions. From there, McMullen relocated to Longwood Gardens to run 1906 Restaurant. Within the first year under his leadership, 1906 transformed into an award-winning, top-rated Open Table Fine Dining Restaurant and a “2 Star Certified Green Restaurant.”