Mirko R. Loeffler

German born Chef Mirko Loeffler started his culinary training in South Germany. He got his start working in some of Europe"s finest hotels throughout Germany, France, Monaco, Switzerland and Italy. He was hired by a French restaurant, The Ridgefield Inn, in Connecticut in 1983, which brought him stateside, and he spent a subsequent 4 years in New England before returning to Switzerland to open the five-star Les Haute de Gstaad Hotel. After a successful opening and a 9-month season, he returned again to America, where he held posts for Wyndham, Omni Hotels & Resorts, Adams Mark and Hilton Hotels, mostly on the East Cost and St. Louis. He also served as the executive chef for Sandals in Montego Bay, Jamaica. In 2010, he trained the culinary staff of six cruise ships of the Victoria Cruise Line, on the Yangtze River between Chongping and Shanghai, and once again returned to America where he opened his own restaurant, Mirko"s a Taste of Europe, in New Jersey.

Loeffler attended the Hotelfachschule in Ueberlinken Germany, where he earned a degree in culinary arts and, after his 3-year apprenticeship, won the highest honor in his class. In the last 15 years, Chef Loeffler has been nominated as one of Philadelphia"s top chefs, honored as "Chef of the Year in Florida," winner of the Governor Sterling Award, won a gold medal on Iron Chef, and was featured on In Good Taste on HGTV.