| Claudio Urciuoli |
Staff at Prado just got the announcement today: Chef de cuisine Claudio Urciuoli will soon be leaving his post at the Italian fine dining restaurant.
"It has been a great journey and I'm very grateful for the opportunity that they gave me," says Urciuoli. "I have established a great relationship with the hotel and I will continue to be a great supporter of Montelucia."
He will remain in the Phoenix area but cannot comment on his future plans at this time. He promises to keep Chow Bella readers informed of his next project as soon as possible.
Italian-born Urciuoli has been in the position for nearly two and a half years, demonstrating his commitment to local, seasonal ingredients.
Before Prado, he made a name for himself as chef of Different Pointe of View and Taggia.Erica Rich, director of public relations for Prado and the InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa, says that Urciuoli's replacement as chef de cuisine at Prado will be Christian Pratsch, who already holds the resort's executive chef position and has been with the restaurant since its inception.
| Christian Pratsch |
Rich says there are no plans to change the current restaurant concept once he takes over.
Pratsch, one of 100 certified master chefs and one of 65 global master chefs in the country, previously held kitchen posts at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins, in San Francisco's Nob Hill, and at five-star resorts in Dubai and Germany.
