Chef Larese’s passion for food is in his blood. Born and raised in Austria, his parents, Monika and Gunther Larese are owners of Cenario, a rustic bar/bistro, with a stylish edge. He fondly recalls helping out as a young boy both behind the bar and in the kitchen, sparking his interest in cooking. At 14, his parents encouraged him to enroll in a five year comprehensive Hotel & Tourism Management Course, where he spent his summers doing practical training not only in his homeland of Austria, but also Switzerland, Portugal and as an exchange student in France.

The following year he fulfilled a mandatory year of service in the army where they took full advantage of his chef skills, necessitating great imagination and determination on his part to be creative with cans! The next several years encompassed an eclectic foray of locations and experiences beginning with a stint on a cruise ship, a vintage Austrian restaurant in Vienna, The Mariner’s Club in Bermuda, an international training program at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida working in six different restaurants orchestrating banquets for 5000 to fine dining for 60, and back over the pond to The Water’s Edge in Ireland. After which he began working for Graces Cottage in Provo, and now find himself working with the international luxury brand Nikki Beach.