Joe Tartamella has been appointed as Executive Chef at The MC, Autograph Collection
The MC, part of Marriott International's Autograph Collection Hotels and managed by Aparium Hotel Group, in the heart of Montclair, New Jersey's thriving artistic community, is pleased to announce Joe Tartamella as its new executive chef. In his new role, Chef Tartamella will be leading all culinary programming for the 159-room property and, since his recent appointment, has completely revamped all hotel menus, while also cultivating partnerships that tie back to the hotel's Montclair locale. As part of the hotel's culinary refresh, out-of-towners and Montclair residents will find inventive and inviting New American meets Mediterranean fare for breakfast, brunch/lunch, dinner, dessert and bar experiences at Allegory, the marquee lobby level restaurant. In addition to the relaunch of Allegory, Chef Tartamella has completely reimagined the consumer culinary experience at Alto, Montclair's only rooftop, and has introduced a variety of new shareable plates and light bites that appeal to every type of diner and taste palate. Chef Tartamella has also unveiled a new rooftop herb and vegetable garden for the hotel, has partnered with a local Beekeeper to harvest in-house honey, and has changed the hotel's lobby market concept to offer more hyper-local food and beverage.
A son of a Sicilian immigrant who owned a bakery in Staten Island, 33-year-old Chef Tartamella's upbringing ignited his passion for cooking and baking, leading him to enroll in the prestigious French Culinary Institute in New York, where he trained under some of the most renowned instructors in the world. Chef's experiences span from executive culinary positions across hotels in New York City, such as the Park Hyatt New York and Intercontinental New York Times Square, as well as a tenured history with renowned Celebrity Chef Todd English and The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English. After many years in New York City, Chef Tartamella joined New Jersey's Harvest Restaurant Group as Executive Chef. His time in New Jersey, which he now calls home, inspired him to cultivate relationships with local farmers and small business vendors, who, like Chef, pride themselves on the state and local communities they are inherently part of. A family-oriented Chef who believes in merging tradition with modern culinary techniques, Tartamella was a natural fit for The MC Hotel, a property that's focused on cutting edge ideas and creativity without losing the integrity of the Montclair community that's deep-rooted in tradition.
It was critical for Chef Tartamella to celebrate the hotel's New Jersey destination and work with vendors and local farms across the state, whether it was sourcing burrata from Jersey Girl Cheese, fresh vegetables from small farms or getting the best homemade pastas from Lo Re.