Chefs Kevin Garvin & Anita Hirsch
Neiman Marcus
Chef Kevin Garvin
Neiman Marcus Vice President and Executive Chef Kevin Garvin was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the age of 14, his first job in food service was at Piccolo’s Pizza in northeast Philadelphia - a prescient beginning for Garvin’s career as one of America’s most innovative culinary masters. Garvin graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. in 1978 and began his professional culinary career at the Topnotch Inn in Stowe, Vermont where he learned the fundamentals of European cooking techniques. He then moved to Colorado to open the Sheraton Denver Tech Center, later to Steamboat Springs’ Thunderhead Restaurant, Cipriani’s, then the Waiohai Resort in Kauai, Hawaii.
As Amfac Hotels expanded from Hawaii to the mainland, Garvin was offered the opportunity to be the Executive Sous-Chef at the Amfac Hotel in Minneapolis, MN. After two years in Minnesota, he was offered his first Executive Chef position at the Omni Netherland Plaza in Cincinnati. In 1987, Garvin was offered and accepted the title of Executive Chef at The Adolphus Hotel in Dallas, Texas, giving him not only a larger audience but also the prestige of overseeing The French Room restaurant. Garvin’s proudest day at The Adolphus was when The French Room received the Five Diamond Award for outstanding food, beverage and service. After a short move to Vermont, Neiman Marcus called and lured him back to Dallas with an offer of his dream job, Executive Vice President of Food Services. “The opportunity to work for Neiman Marcus with its commitment to luxury and quality was a dream job. I am a chef who always aspired to work in the best kitchens!” Garvin adds, “My chief responsibility is to insure that every Neiman Marcus dining customer receives the best food and outstanding service.” Or as Garvin so aptly puts it, “I want my five star passions for the restaurant business to be contagious to all who work for me!”
Kevin Garvin resides in Dallas, Texas, where he has long made his home with his wife Jody and son Patrick.
Neiman Marcus
Chef Anita Hirsch
Anita Hirsch joined Neiman Marcus in 1999 as Executive Chef for the Zodiac dining room in the flagship store, then moved into her current position as Corporate Executive Chef overseeing all Neiman Marcus restaurants. She attended the Philadelphia Restaurant School for Chef and Restaurant Management Training. She became Executive Chef for the Mobil 4 Star 4 Diamond dining room of the Cincinnatian Hotel in 1988. Anita was selected to represent the Ambassador to Singapore for America’s Birthday and American Cuisine in Singapore.
She has been featured in Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Food Arts, plus various other Midwest and national publications and cookbooks. Anita has prepared food for such charities as S.O.S., AMFAR, Taste of the NFL for Hunger Relief (10 years), American Heart Association, Children’s Hospital, TACA, Aids and other fundraising associations. She chaired the opening gala for the IACP.
Zodiac:
www.neimanmarcus.com/zodiac
