Fresh Cooking with Chef Curt Robair
From Stockbridge’s Red Lion Inn to the Cooking Garden of the Emerson
Born and raised In Pittfield, Massachusetts, Chef Curt Robair trained for four years under Chef Steven Mungeon, who gained accolades and celebrity as the head chef of the famous Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Curt’s interest in the culinary arts was cultivated from childhood. With family interests in a nightclub and restaurant, Curt grew up working in kitchens and developed a love and passion for creating not just a meal, but a culinary experience.
Becoming a New York Chef
Prior to joining the Emerson, Curt was the chef-owner of Elijah’s Café in nearby Woodstock. It was here that Curt honed his skills and expertise in organic and biodynamic foods. Curt saw a new career phase at the Emerson as an opportunity to further express his talents and creativity in the kitchen and has introduced Contemporary Catskill Regional Cuisine to The Phoenix restaurant at the Emerson.
Cooking Healthy Foods From the Chef’s Garden
Particularly enamored with gardening and obsessed with preparing dishes with home-grown ingredients, he maintains a greenhouse of vegetables, herbs and fruits at home and started a vegetable and herb garden at the Emerson.
For Curt, food is art – and foods made with fresh, locally grown products create additional levels of taste which wow the palates of his audience. Personable and charming, Curt enjoys sharing his passion with guests both inside the kitchen and out!
