Contact | 805 277-9709
chef@rockchefrolls.com
Chef Alberto Vazquez has cooked for celebrities, rock stars, and professional athletes. He honed his craft in 5 Star World-class resorts and high-end restaurants all over the country. He believes in using the best ingredients possible with an eye toward organic, farm-fresh produce; humanely raised cattle and fowl; and sustainably harvested fish from local waters.
From the ages of 10-15, Alberto spent his summer breaks working at the famous “Harry’s Plaza Café” in Santa Barbara, California, where his father was the chef. He bussed tables, peeled onions, chopped veggies, washed dishes, and scrubbed pots. His dad never wanted Alberto to become a cook and tried to steer him away from the idea. He could not conceive that his son would not only follow in his footsteps but in fact, take it quite a bit further and become a seasoned and well-respected Chef working in the best of the best hotels and restaurants across the country. As kids do not put much merit into parents’ advice, it was actually Alberto’s best friend Afshin, who was well-traveled, at the age of 16 who believed in Alberto’s cooking abilities, enlightened him about this career path & the great opportunities it could offer.
Alberto’s career took off when he, at the age of 17, was scouted by Gerhard Oesterlien, the Corporate Chef for Hotel Management Corp., and Peter Ambrose, Director of Food Operations, who gave him a chance to travel the country opening hotel restaurants with the corporate team. He worked in Phoenix, Arizona; Bloomington, Minnesota, Chicago, Illinois; and St. Petersburg, Florida at The Don Cesar Resort (where he had the privilege to cook for Steven Tyler, David Lee Roth, Iron Maiden, ACDC and many others, many more).
After an 8-year touring stint, Alberto missed California and wanted to establish himself in the City of Angels. He delved into high-end hotels and restaurants such as Tuscany il Ristorante in Westlake Village and at Ca’ Del Sole Ristorante a favorite of the film execs at Universal Studios in Universal City in the early 90′s.
Alberto’s work at the world-renowned Shutters on the Beach Resort in Santa Monica taught him how to source produce from farmers, use sustainable seafood, and where find locally raised beef and poultry. It was here where one of his dreams came true—cooking a 4-course gourmet dinner for Julia Child. Besides cooking for other well-knowns, he found it most rewarding working and crafting alongside his good friends, Chef Jeff Jackson and Chef Jeff Littlefield, who inspired him to cook at his best and find himself as a solid Chef. Shutters on the Beach was also where he began garnering press attention from Gourmet magazine, the Food Network, and local TV Networks.
After that, Chef Alberto ran the kitchens at the private Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, where he cooked for Tiger Woods, Will Smith, Michael Jordan, and Justin Timberlake. Next, he moved on to the beautiful Westlake Village Inn in Westlake Village, where he was hired to change the face of their signature restaurant into a thriving, local foodie destination and a vineyard picnic-style gathering place that went on to be Stonehouse. Within a two year stint and in the middle of a recession—he would pack guests in night after night. Mission accomplished!
“RCR is on its fourteenth year of business and I have mastered the formula I set off to do when it was just a concept on paper and high voltage foodie ideas in my head.” Says Chef Alberto. “I didn’t do it alone. I had the help of very talented and amazing people who poured all their hard work and love to help me fulfill my dream to one day have one of the most Rockin food trucks in the world. To me, Cooking is Life! I still love my job as a chef after all these years behind the stove. It’s my first love. It’s what drives me every day. If you’ve experienced RCR, you know what I’m talking about. Imagine having the freedom to get up every morning to keep working hard at perfecting a crafty cuisine that you personally developed, a customized foodie style of service like no other, and the all-around presentation of an amazing high-end yet casual mobile kitchen. That is what Rock Chef Rolls has become. It is the coolest most bitchin food truck that feeds the masses and it is truly a real crowd pleaser!” I’m so blessed!