Ed mcdevitt

As Executive Chef for Apicii, Ed McDevitt spends his day leading the kitchen. Whether coaching and teaching the kitchen team recipes, cooking techniques and proper sanitation, or writing and developing menus from recipe to plating design, Ed combines his talent for cuisine with his fully engaged management style to build a strong team and deliver exceptional culinary experiences.

While his professional experience nearly spans 20 years, Ed began working in the kitchen at a very young age. He started by helping his mother and grandmother with nightly dinners and large family gatherings. From learning to make French onion soup from scratch at the age of five to cleaning a turkey so that nothing was left to waste, these first mentors taught him that “it doesn’t matter what job you are doing — you always put everything into it.” And he’s carried that wisdom throughout his entire career.

Professionally, he started working in kitchens at age 15, flipping hamburgers at Six Flags Over Mid-America and has since worked up the ranks to be a leader in the industry. For his education, Ed was part of the opening class for the Johnson and Wales Denver campus, where he was the lead line cook at the Chinook Tavern in Cherry Creek, Denver. His first job post-graduation was at the Ritz Carlton in St. Louis, where he worked his way up to Chef Tournant. The Ritz relocated him to D.C., where he worked under James Beard-nominated Chef Terance Fury.

When he left the Ritz, he sought to learn the front-of-house side of the culinary/hospitality business and took an entry-level floor manager position with Capital City Brewing Company. There, his hard work and dedication helped him quickly rise within the ranks, promoting him to Assistant General manager for their Postal Square location in D.C., where he stayed for five years. After D.C., he took a position with the Kellari Group to open a small french bistro in Herald Square, where he learned a lot about the interworking of the Culinary World of NYC.

After several years of exploring various sides of the industry, Ed returned to his roots, taking a position as sous chef for Rosa Mexicano. Once again, his talent and work ethic were recognized, and he was promoted to Executive Chef for Rosa’s flagship store on the upper east side of Manhattan for the next seven years. During that time, he added menu items and recipes nationally and was the opening chef for their Tribeca location.

Now at Apicii, Ed’s favorite part about his current role is how Apicii is always on the lookout for the next big project. He loves how Apicii treats each hospitality management and concept development project with the unique and individualized respect it deserves. Ed enjoys the opportunity to keep his craft fresh and experiment with various ingredients and cooking techniques. 

Ed currently resides in Seattle. When Ed’s not cooking something delicious in the kitchen or inspiring his team to give it their all, he can be found enjoying movies, live theater, hiking, camping, reading and painting. 

Highlighted Experience:

Rosa Mexicano