JOSEPH MARSCO
Director of Operations – Managing Partner, Gastronomy Management GroupJoseph Marsco serves as Director of Operations and Managing Partner for two Michelin 1-star restaurants, Alizé at the Top of the Palms and Andre’s Restaurant & Lounge at Monte Carlo.Marsco began his restaurant career at his family-owned and operated Italian restaurant in Youngstown, Ohio. To pursue an interest in cooking and an ultimate desire to be a chef, he moved to New York to attend the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York. While attending the CIA, Marsco had the opportunity to apprentice in many famous New York City restaurants. Having the privilege to work with Andre Soltner at Lutece, Daniel Boulud at Le Cirque and Jean Jacques Rachou at La Côte Basque exposed him to classical French training that would shape his future career.After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Marsco worked as a chef tournant in the kitchen of La Reserve under Chef Dominique Peyraudeau. Influenced by an instructor of The Culinary Institute of America and a general interest to learn more about the front of the house operations, he pursued a service position at New York City’s Le Perigord to master the art of the Dining Room.With continued interest in fine service and being among the public, Marsco maintained a career in restaurant management and front-of-the-house operations while working at the famed Bouley. An opportunity to venture into management came when Claude Troisgros offered him a job at his new CT restaurant in New York. As an assistant to the Maitre d’, CT earned three stars from the New York Times.Then, the news broke: Las Vegas was turning into a dining destination! Being involved with Rio Suites Hotel and Casino’s expansion at a time when Jean-Louis Palladin was coming to Las Vegas was an opportunity Marsco couldn’t pass up. Marsco began his work at the Rio as a food and beverage manager at which time he managed the Masquerade Village restaurants including VooDoo Lounge and Café, Mama Maria’s Cucina, Antonio’s and Buzio’s before taking the position of Fiore Rotisserie and Grille’s general manager.

In 2001, Marsco joined André Rochat’s restaurants, opening Alizé. He held the position of General Manager at Alizé for three years before taking on the position of Director of Operations for Andre’s entire restaurant group.

JANA LANE SOUTHARD, CMP

Director of Sales, Gastronomy Management GroupWith more than 20 years of sales experience, Jana Lane Southard knows how to pack a restaurant with happy diners. As Director of Sales for both Alizé at the Top of the Palms and Andre’s at Monte Carlo, Southard oversees all sales efforts, making sure both restaurants are perpetually catering to corporate groups, wedding events, meetings and events.

Whether it is selling out Alizé that boasts one of Las Vegas’ most unique views 56 floors in the air, or Andre’s intimate second floor dining rooms and the city’s only Cigar Lounge on the Strip, Southard develops and executes sales strategies that give guests an incredible experience every time.

Prior to joining the Gastronomy Management Group, Southard was with the Venetian/Palazzo Resort Hotel as a catering sales manager, eventually working her way up to Director of Catering where she managed 28 catering sales managers and a department that produced $102 million in catering food and beverage revenue annually. Prior, she served as catering sales manager for Morton’s of Chicago, where she increased group sales revenue by 30 percent and created special quarterly events.

Throughout her career, she has earned several awards including the Bravo “Maestro” Manager’s Award at The Venetian; Top Catering Sales Professional and Highest Boardroom Occupancy, both from Morton’s of Chicago and the Five Star Training and Development Award from the Desert Inn.

TANYA BUCHANAN

Director of Marketing & Restaurant Manager, Gastronomy Management GroupAs a self-described “restaurant-aholic,” Tanya Buchanan is perfectly positioned in her field. As the Director of Marketing & Restaurant Manager for Gastronomy Management Group, Buchanan oversees marketing, public relations, human resources and management responsibilities for the Michelin awarded Alizé at the Top of the Palms Casino Resort and Andre’s Restaurant & Lounge at Monte Carlo. Responsibilities include buying media, coordinating promotions, securing press coverage, creating advertising materials, managing day-to-day operations, sommelier, editing recipes and running the human resources department, among others.

Buchanan has been in the restaurant business since she was 14. She has worked for notable Chefs Roberto Donna and Jean-Louis Palladin. Buchanan became a restaurateur when she opened her first Italian restaurant, Dolcetto Trattoria, in Washington D.C. at the age of 17, running both front and back of the house during her senior year at Langley High School. After three successful years, Buchanan closed the restaurant and moved to Las Vegas to assist Palladin with the day-to-day business of her then in-demand boss. Buchanan’s position required superb communication skills and an eye for detail.

“Jean-Louis would always invite me to work events around the world which exposed me to many different personalities in the industry” said Buchanan. This led to Buchanan’s career launch in restaurant event marketing and management in 2005. “I love the excitement of restaurants, knowing that every day is different when the lights go dim and it’s service time.”

Buchanan is also dedicated to her community; she volunteers her to time to Boys & Girls Club; Share Our Strength; Three Square; Meals on Wheels; Opportunity Village; Chefs for Kids and March of Dimes.

CLAUDIO VIGANI

Wine Director, Gastronomy Management GroupSo spectacular is the wine collection for our two restaurants, –Andre’s Restaurant & Lounge and Alizé at the Top of the Palms – that the collection has been awarded the rare Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator magazine.

Claudio Vigani, the man at the helm, serves as wine director for both Alizé and Andre’s Restaurant & Lounge at Monte Carlo. He has been with André Rochat for nearly 20 years.

His career began in a local restaurant in Sarnico, Italy. At the age of 20, he moved to London to refine his service skills at The Grosvenor House Hotel and at the restaurant, Cecconi’s. After his time in London, he went to the ocean – working aboard the Queen Elisabeth II, a Cunard Line ship that was the biggest passenger ship at that time in 1980.

Two years later, Vigani worked for the Brock Hotel Corporation in Dallas where he was a chain gourmet trainer. From there, he began opening French restaurants throughout the Kansas-Iowa-Missouri area. During this time, he honed his skills for creating wine lists and training staff for table-side service, which serves him well in the position he holds today.

Vigani proudly showcases two award winning wine lists between Alizé and Andre’s Restaurant & Lounge at Monte Carlo that, combined, feature more than 2,500 labels and 15,000 bottles. Vigani expertly pairs wines with a 5- and 7- course chef’s tasting menu daily.

PATRICK TRUNDLE

Beverage Manager, Gastronomy Management GroupPatrick Trundle helms one of the most notable collections of cognacs and armagnacs known around the world at Andre’s Cigar Lounge, located on the second floor of Andre’s Restaurant at Monte Carlo.

Andre’s Cigar Lounge – AndresCigarLounge.com – offers one of North America’s largest selections with nearly 50 varieties of scotch and more than 150 armagnacs and cognacs in the 12,000-bottle collection. For an added experience, cognacs and cigars can be professionally paired… and that’s where Trundle comes in for the guest. On any given night, he can be heard recommending one-of-a-kind bottles in Andre’s Cigar Lounge, the only bar-and-cigar lounge on the Las Vegas Strip.

Trundle joined Andre’s in 2003 and worked his way from captain to eventual beverage manager at both Andre’s and Alizé at the Top of the Palms. Today, he enjoys learning about the restaurants’ myriad high-end spirits collection, which boasts cognacs from the late 18th and 19th centuries. Trundle has also been featured in numerous media outlets for his knowledge and experience with the collections including Toronto Star and 944 Magazine.

Prior to moving to Las Vegas, Trundle worked in numerous restaurants in Carmel, Calif. He lived in Barcelona, Spain for one year where he traveled and learned Spanish.

Mark Purdy

Chef de Cuisine, Alize at the Top of the Palms
Chef Mark Purdy’s high-level, award-winning cuisine finally found its perfect match when Purdy found his way to the Michelin rated 1-star restaurant Alizé at the Top of the Palms… 56 stories high in the air.

Renowned for creating traditional French cuisine with contemporary twists and magnificent accents, it’s easy to see why Chef Mark Purdy is consistently ranked a Top Chef in a city filled with “famous” names.

Mark Purdy’s first job was at the age of 13 as a dishwasher in the kitchen of a modest Nantucket restaurant. He next moved on to another small restaurant, Morning Glory Café, where he started doing basic prep work for the chef and was eventually introduced to the poetry of plating food. After graduating from Skidmore College in Upstate New York, he moved to Washington, D.C. and became sous chef at Trattoria, I Matti.

In 1996, Purdy returned to his native New York. He landed a job as an appetizer cook at the famed Aureole under celebrity Chef Charlie Palmer, where he was exposed to true haute cuisine and world-class service standards. Chef Palmer further reinforced Chef Purdy’s sense of commitment and mentored him in every aspect of the business. During his two years at the rarefied venue, he mastered every cooking station and ascended to the position of chef tournant. In 1998, Palmer invited him to be the opening executive sous chef at the new Aureole at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Chef Purdy worked tirelessly at the striking $11 million, 375-seat restaurant, which received international acclaim for its cuisine, wine list and dramatic architectural design.

Because he demonstrated a commitment and skill level beyond his years, Palmer then hired Chef Purdy to serve as chef de cuisine at his new Dry Creek Kitchen, in the Sonoma wine country. Dry Creek Kitchen was an instant success and Purdy was named Rising Star Chef by the San Francisco Chronicle.

But Purdy was anxious to return to Las Vegas. Within six months, legendary Las Vegas chef/restaurateur André Rochat recruited him as Chef de Cuisine for Alizé at the Top of the Palms.

“I’ve never been so happy in my professional life…not even close,” says Purdy.

Stavros Georgiou

General Manager, Alize at the Top of the Palms
Stavros Georgiou is the general manager of the exquisite, Michelin 1-start Alizé at The Top of the Palms. Georgiou began working with André Rochat nearly 15 years ago when he began as a member of the dining room team that opened Andre’s Restaurant & Lounge at Monte Carlo.

He worked at all levels of management in other restaurants on the Las Vegas Strip, taking a brief break from Rochat to open Chinois at The Forum Shops and then the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at Paris Las Vegas. In 2005, Georgiou teamed up with Rochat once more to serve as general manager and maitre d’ at Mistral, Rochat’s now former restaurant at the Las Vegas Hilton. That same year, he came to Alizé to be in the position he is today – General Manager.

In addition to his love of food and beverage, Georgiou is very passionate about service. His standards have garnered Alizé with the coveted 4 Diamond Award from AAA for the last 5 years. Georgiou is very active within the Las Vegas community, volunteering for and contributing to non-profits organizations such as Three Square and the Nevada Cancer Institute.