Meet Matt Chingo, Executive Banquet Chef
Matt Chingo discovered his love for cooking when he was just five years old while helping his grandmother prepare meals for their family. He turned this love into a passion at the age of 19, while working in a kitchen in North Carolina. Matt was inspired by the way food has the power to change someone’s day or mood.
Over the years, Matt has accumulated close to 20 years of experience in the fast-paced, high-end culinary world. His forward-thinking and creative approach to cooking has allowed him to thrive in intricate kitchens that demand excellence. He has developed a love for sourcing local ingredients and collaborating with regional producers, making a conscious effort to influence his menus with the best seasonal offerings.
As Executive Banquet Chef at The Edgewater, Matt leads a team of culinary professionals producing food and beverage menus for over 40,000 square feet of meeting space. This includes social and corporate events, indoors and out, for events upwards of 1,000 people, all while offering restaurant-quality food in a banquet setting.
Prior to joining The Edgewater, Matt served as Executive Chef for the made-from-scratch French-American bed and breakfast, Old Rittenhouse Inn. Here he built relationships with local farmers and fisherman to produce 90% of the menu using local and seasonal provisions. He also furthered his creativity putting pen to paper by publishing a 100-page cookbook with the Rittenhouse owners.
Matt also served as Executive Chef for Buck and Honeys, a local Madison, WI, restaurant with a large reach. Here, he oversaw menu creation and execution for 3 restaurant locations as well as an offsite catering business, leading the culinary execution for events up to 500 people.
Throughout his journey, Matt has never forgotten the impact of having great mentors early in his career. Driven by the desire to pay it forward, he aspires to be a guiding mentor for as many aspiring culinary professionals as possible. Matt’s love for food, creativity, and mentorship makes him an invaluable asset to The Edgewater team.