2941 Restaurant Bios
Bertrand Chemel
Executive Chef
Chef Chemel, a native of the Auvergne region of France, embarked on his culinary studies by working in some of the finest kitchens throughout France, London, and New York. Most recently, Chemel served as the Chef de Cuisine of Café Boulud, Daniel Boulud’s' celebrated eatery on Manhattan’s Upper East Side in New York City. It was there that he recently received a three-star review from Frank Bruni at the New York Times. Chemel worked for Boulud for six years; he started as a line cook before his promotion to Sous-Chef at Daniel and then Chef de Cuisine at Café Boulud. Chemel also spent two years at Cello, working under Chef Laurent Tourondel.
Chemel trained in several renowned kitchens prior to moving to the United States. Under the guidance of his mentor, Chef Michel Gaudin, Chemel had the opportunity to work in Megève, France, the gourmet capital of the Alps, at the chef’s fine dining institution Restaurant Michel Gaudin. Thanks to Gaudin, Chemel also spent time at Geneva's elegant Hotel du Rhône, where Gaudin sent all of his great chefs for training. Chemel has also worked at Bastide St Antoine in the southern French town of Grasse, and at the Savoy Hotel in London.
Kevin Takafuji
Chef de Cuisine
Kevin Takafuji comes to 2941 by way of the sun-soaked beaches of Hawaii, with stops in the Garden State and New York City along the way. He brings an extensive background in modern French American cuisine to his position of Chef de Cuisine at 2941.
Originally from Waianae, Hawaii, Takafuji is a graduate of the University of Arizona and The French Culinary Institute. Prior to joining 2941, he served as sous chef at the contemporary American restaurant The Pluckemin Inn in Bedminster, NJ. At the Inn, he worked under Executive Chef David Felton, a passionate promoter of seasonal ingredients, and learned the value of using the freshest local produce available in his cooking.
Takafuji has worked in acclaimed New York City restaurants including Cello with Laurent Tourondel, Café Boulud with Andrew Carmellini and both Town and Country with Geoffrey Zakarian.
A native of Casablanca, Morocco, Rachid has been working in the US restaurant industry for over 9 years and has been an integral part of the 2941 team since the day we opened.
As Maitre D’, Rachid is devoted to accommodating our guests and providing a first class dining experience.
If you have a question for Rachid or have a dining suggestion please e-mail Rachid.Lakroune@2941.com.
Stefano Cappelli received his Sommelier Diploma from the International Sommelier Guild in Arlington, Virginia and most recently served as the Beverage Manager and Wine Director at The Palm restaurant in Washington, DC.
Cappelli’s impressive resume also includes sommelier positions at Café Milano and Filomena Restaurant, both located in the nation’s capital, and XO Wine Bar and Retail in his hometown of Florence, Italy. Cappelli is fluent in Italian, English and French and is currently working on mastering his next romance language: Spanish.
If you
have a question for Stefano or an inquiry about wine, please e-mail Stefano.Cappelli@2941.com.
A California native, Chef Chavez has spent the past ten years perfecting his skills in pastry art at several prominent dessert destinations including Dean and Deluca,The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Chicago, and most recently at Sofitel Chicago Water Tower, where he served as Executive Pastry Chef.
In addition to many years of classical pastry training at some of the finest cooking institutes in the United States, Chef Chavez also has extensive training in sugar art, baking, cakes, and tarts.
Chef Chavez welcomes any feedback or questions at Anthony.Chavez@2941.com.
Michelle Marquez
Director of Special Events
Michelle Marquez brings over 12 years of hospitality experience to her position as director of special events at 2941. From helping couples stage fairytale weddings to arranging memorable dining events at the restaurant, Marquez takes full advantage of the varied and strong skill set she has developed over her years in the hospitality industry.
An early interest in the food world prompted Marquez to start working in customer service at the age of 16, gaining expertise in both front of the house and back of the house restaurant operations. Prior to 2941, she most recently served in the hospitality realm, as reservations and revenue manager for Hilton Hotels based out of Northern Virginia.
In 2001, Marquez was eager for a career change, and enrolled in the pastry arts program at the L’Academie de Cuisine. Upon her graduation in 2002, she began an internship with Café 2941 and worked her way up to managing all of the special events for the restaurant.
For Private Dining and Special Event inquires email or call Michelle (703.270.1511).