“He refused to produce mediocre ‘casino food,’ and so together we focused on creating upscale, gourmet cuisine for each of our foodservice outlets. “I worked with Chef Dean for two years,” notes Phillips whose own impressive career includes time as an executive chef with Dallas-based ClubCorp, as well as a stint with The University Club in San Diego. When Thomas stepped down from his position to pursue other interests earlier this summer, Phillips was named Executive Chef. The two culinary dynamos expertly combined elegant presentation with the creativity of contemporary cuisine in each of the resort’s stylish dining establishments. Until recently, Executive Chef Dean Thomas, the 2007 American Culinary Federation (ACF) Chef of the Year, oversaw the Barona culinary staff along with his Executive Sous Chef, Jim Phillips, CEC. Jim Phillips, Executive Chef, Barona Resort & Casino “Cooks get a lot of hands-on experience through the apprenticeship program, and the resort gets more passionate employees.” “Today, we’ve not only shortened our name to Barona Resort & Casino,” he reports, “we also have 17 different culinary operations and over 900 foodservice employees.” “Our customer base has evolved, so we must as well, and the tribe and the staff now constantly work to improve our foodservice offerings and menus. “When the expansion was complete, we had eight distinct dining venues, but we haven’t stopped there,” Klein says.

To mark its repositioning as more of a resort destination than strictly a gaming center, the property was renamed the Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino. In 2003, Barona-owned and operated by The Barona Band of Mission Indians-completed a $260 million, two-year expansion that included, among other things, a new casino, a resort hotel, an events center and an 18-hole, championship golf course. Foodservice was stuck in neutral it was not a culinary-driven operation.”īut time has changed not only that mentality, but the resort itself. “The resort was focused primarily on service and gaming. “There was a 200-seat buffet and a 50-seat café,” recalls Klein. Additional Amenities: Barona Creek Golf Club, AmBience Day Spa and Barona Casino.Average a la carte meals per week: 53,000.Average Annual Number of Catered Events: 15,000.Dining venues (capacities): 12 foodservice outlets: Ranch House Buffet, Barona Oaks Steakhouse, Sage Café, Ho Wan Noodle Shop, Game Side Dining, Food Court (4 concepts), Cucina and Seafood Plaza.

Club Name/Location: Barona Resort & Casino, Lakeside, Calif.

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