‘Food is Culture’ for Executive Chef Sebastian La Rocca, Hilton Columbus Downtown
La Rocca’s Argentinian roots and international training will influence three of the hotel’s new dining experiences
Executive Chef Sebastian La Rocca shares his story as Hilton readies to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15-Oct. 15. This period is observed in the U.S. as an opportunity to celebrate the histories, cultures and contributions of Hispanic citizens from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.
Sebastian La Rocca, executive chef at Hilton Columbus Downtown, has a lot to celebrate this month. La Rocca, originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, was tapped earlier this year to “cook up” three new food and beverage dining concepts as part of the hotel’s major expansion, with the new tower debuting later this month.
La Rocca’s love for cooking began when he was just 6 years old, finding inspiration in his grandmother’s cooking. What started out as tasty fun with family, later translated into a career with La Rocca training in London alongside famed chefs like Jamie Oliver and Michael Roux. He later migrated to Costa Rica, where he hosted “Sabores,” a popular cooking show, and ran several accolade-gathering restaurants of his own.
He joined Hilton earlier this year to lead the opening of FYR, Stories on High, and Spark at Hilton Columbus Downtown. According to La Rocca, his Argentinian background and his international training have played a great influence on the menus found in each one.
“For a chef, it’s key to travel and taste all types of food and cultures,” he said. “Food is culture. When you try food of a specific place, you understand and learn. I always say if you want to know me, try my food. Food speaks about us, about our feeling, and our lives—it speaks about our roots. That experience influences 100% of my food. I’m a nomad. I cook with my heart and I love to express myself by the food. I want our guests to have a true experience.”
"I cook with my heart and I love to express myself by the food. I want our guests to have a true experience," - Sebastian La Rocca, Executive chef, Hilton Columbus Downtown.
La Rocca had a great time envisioning what these new restaurants’ menus and overall dining experiences would be like. To him, opening a new restaurant from scratch takes imagination and teamwork.
“It all starts with a dream or a vision,” he said. “Then, we need it to materialize and that’s the fun part. We focus on the vision and [then] work on different tasks at the same time, like kitchen design, décor, menu, uniforms, staffing, marketing, procurement, etc. We have long days and really intense months, but it’s so gratifying to see the final product come to life after months of hard work–it’s teamwork. For me, each opening is unique, not only for the place or people, but it’s a new concept…a new baby that is born and to see a dream come true is my main motivator.”
The results are three must-try destinations:
- FYR will serve up Latin-American dishes prepared over a wood-burning oven that can be paired with specialty cocktails.
- Stories on High will feature a cocktail-forward food and drink menu of small plates with a Japanese influence (think yakitori, fresh sushi rolls and wagyu sliders)
- The lobby-level Spark will offer a Midwest-driven menu with classic cocktails and local brews.
In addition to the menu, it’s all about the experience of dining.
“As a chef, I believe that we don’t just “sell” food–we offer an experience,” he said. “We want our guests to have a true experience from the moment they arrive through our doors, and that includes all sorts of different elements from music, to lighting, service, food and ingredients we use, and our staff’s vibe. All of this combined is going to create memories for our guests–and that’s our primary focus.”
About Hilton
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 18 world-class brands comprising more than 6,800 properties and more than 1 million rooms, in 122 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its founding vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, Hilton has welcomed more than 3 billion guests in its more than 100-year history, earned a top spot on the 2021 World's Best Workplaces list and been recognized as a global leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for five consecutive years. In 2021, in addition to opening more than one hotel a day, Hilton introduced several industry-leading technology enhancements to improve the guest experience, including Digital Key Share, automated complimentary room upgrades and the ability to book confirmed connecting rooms. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, the nearly 128 million members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can't buy. With the free Hilton Honors app, guests can book their stay, select their room, check in, unlock their door with a Digital Key and check out, all from their smartphone. Visit newsroom.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
