Chef Vid LutzCEC

“There is always something new around the corner!” That's the mantra of Chef Vid Lutz. He's a chef who doesn't like to be put into a box, or painted into a corner. The grandchild of Latvian immigrants, Chef Vid first discovered how comforting food could be in his grandmother's kitchen. That comfort came in the form of Speka Piragi- Latvian Bacon rolls. The soft dough with crispy, salty bacon and sauteed onions folded in embodied feelings of warmth and care.

As a chef, he seeks to provide those same comforting feelings with his food, and cooks wherever that takes him. That might mean classical French or Italian cuisine. It might mean adding global flavor twists to traditional dishes. For Chef Vid, it's an ever-evolving process. “I have grown to understand food more fully,” he explains, “and what it means to extract the very essence of an ingredient and create flavors that are intense and distinctive.”

Chef Vid Lutz flipping food in a frying pan in the kitchen

More About This Chef

Favorite Food

Homemade double chocolate-chocolate chip ice cream.

Favorite Minor’s® product

Minor’s® Cilantro Lime Flavor Concentrate

Geographic Region

Corporate Executive Chef

Education/Training

Johnson & Wales College; BS Foodservice Management

Johnson & Wales College; AOS Culinary Arts

Le Moulin De Mougins – trained under Chef Roger Vergé

Major Achievements/Awards

James Beard – Dinner

Bocuse D’Or Finalist 2000

DiRoNA

NRA Product Innovation Award

Certified Executive Chef ACF certification

Work History

  • Sheraton Islander Inn- Internship, Goat Island, RI
  • Johnny’s Bar—Executive Chef, Cleveland, OH
  • Johnny’s Downtown—Executive Chef / Partner, Cleveland, OH
  • Johnny’s Bistro—Executive Chef, Cleveland, OH