After 33 years in the restaurant industry, from mentoring high school kids how to cook in the ProStart program, teaching at Johnson & Wales University, donating his time to help raise money for numerous fundraisers in the nation or just pleasing his patrons at La Tour chef Paul Ferzacca earned an horary doctorate degree from the Art Institute of Colorado for demonstrating the appropriate level of academic scholarship in the hospitality industry.

 

His career has been extensive from Spiaggia Restaurant-Chicago, The Ritz Carlton Hotel- Chicago, Hotel Intercontinental-Chicago, the Racquet Club of Chicago, Two Elk Restaurant - Vail, Game Creek Club - Vail, ZaccaZa Restaurant Avon, and Owning La Tour Restaurant-Vail for 16 years.

 

In 1991, Ferzacca arrived in Vail as Executive Chef of The Two Elk Restaurant atop Vail Mountain's China Bowl at the elevation of 11,250 feet. The challenge of cooking in high elevation did not stop Ferzacca. He transformed on-mountain resort dining in the ski industry. Offering exquisite food to some 4,000 to 6,000 hungry skiers each day. Ferzacca immediately gained rave reviews from the culinary press with articles in Bon Appetit, SKI, Snow Country, New York Times, Nations Restaurant News, Chef, Rocky Mountain News, Denver Post, Virginia Pilot, Puerto Vallarta Times, Wine Spectator, Vail/Beaver Creek Magazine, United Hemisphere, US News and all local newspapers. 1995 brought a new challenge for Ferzacca, with the opening of the exclusive Game Creek Club on Vail Mountain. The fine dinning chalet seats some 175 members for elegant lunches and in the evening for a multi-course fixed menu. His love and passion for his career became evident nationally with his invitation to cook at the James Beard House in New York City. While fulfilling his duties with Vail Resorts Inc. he was also an adjunct chef instructor at the Vail-based Johnson and Wales University--the only ski resort culinary school in the world.

 

In 1998, Ferzacca fulfilled his life long dream and became Chef/Owner of the famous La Tour Restaurant. Ferzacca has turned this landmark in Vail Village into the most elegant, modern French~American restaurant in the Vail Valley. La Tour has been voted “#1 Best Restaurant in Vail” according to the Vail Daily Readers Poll.

 

Paul is a native of Chicago, IL, studied both Architecture and later Restaurant Management in college and holds a degree from the Culinary School of Kendall College. La Tour has earned the “Award of Excellence” from the wine spectator ever since Chef Ferzacca took over the restaurant and since 2007 received the “BEST OF AWARD OF EXCELLENCE” by the Wine Spectator. Chef Ferzacca was honored in 2013 as one of the Best Chefs in America, by his peers in the “ultimate book about the best chefs in America by chefs. He was the guest chef 2013 and 2012 for Paul Newman Round Up River Ranch to help raise funds for kids with terminal diseases, guest chef in 2013 & 2012 for the 32nd and 31st UC-Davis Celebrity Chefs Gala to help raise funds for cancer research, Celebrity Chef for the Gastronomic festival in Puerto Vallarta in 2012 and 1992, chef Ferzacca loves working with Share-Our-Strength to help raise funds for hungry child in America, February of 2003 Chef Ferzacca was honored again being invited to be Distinguished Visiting Chef for Johnson and Wales University in Norfolk. In May 2003 he was honored by the Colorado Restaurant Association with an award for ProStart mentor of the year. In the 11 years mentoring ProStart, Chef Ferzacca teams received first place in the state competition 9 out of 11 years and stood on the podium in the National competition 6 out of 9 times with the students receiving more than $3.5 million dollars in scholarship awards to attend further education opportunities. In 2007 Chef Paul Ferzacca Battle Mountain High School team took a first place in the nationals. In November of 2000 Chef Ferzacca was one of the feature chefs for the Vail Valley Wine Auction. In October 1999 was honored in Norfolk Virginia as the feature chef for The Chesapeake Bay Wine Festival. In 1997 was the Celebrity Chef for the Taste of Vail. Always trying to further educate himself and bring knowledge to his staff, Chef Ferzacca in September 2000 passed his certificate level with the Court of Master Sommeliers.

 

Paul moved to Vail for the love of the recreational lifestyle, which he enjoys with his wife, Lourdes and four children JonPaul, 21 years, Nina, 16 years, Olivia 10 years, and Luca 4.