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Congress of Chefs & Sommeliers

Continental’s executive chefs, Siegfried Lang and Gerry McLoughlin, are the orchestrators of distinctive inflight dining at 35,000 feet. They meet regularly with 15 chefs that make up our Congress of Chefs, a carefully chosen group of culinary experts who continually evaluate the ever-changing trends and popular flavors of food.

The chefs, who originally met in 1996 to brainstorm ways to improve Continental's First Class menus, now meet regularly to review Continental's International BusinessFirst markets, as well as Latin America Business Class and First Class markets in the U.S. and Canada. The culinary experts examine changing trends in food display and development, as well as exchange ideas on how to improve Continental's food service and keep updated on the ever-changing culinary world.

Continental’s sommeliers are expert wine aficionados who assist our beverage committee in the selection and pairing of wines.

Celebrity Chefs

James Canora is becoming known in the culinary world as the "Chef to the Stars." He is a native New Yorker and owner of NYC Culinary Events, which specializes in menu consulting and catering for upscale private events and parties. His culinary experience includes eight years at New York’s famous Tribeca Grill, as well as catering for the Masters, the US Open Tennis Championships, the Ryder Cup, the Tribeca Film Festival, the Breeders' Cup and the GRAMMY Awards.

Michael Cordúa is a recipient of the Robert Mondavi Award for Culinary Excellence. In 2003, Chef Cordúa opened Artista in the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in Houston, Texas. He is owner and chef of some of Houston’s most popular restaurants including: Amazon Grill, a self-serve Latin cafe; Churrascos, a South American grill; and Americas, a high-style restaurant that was previously named Esquire magazine’s Restaurant of the Year.

Paul Minnillo creates menus influenced by European traditions of simplicity at The Baricelli Inn in Cleveland, Ohio’s University Circle, where he is executive chef and owner. Gourmet named it "One of America’s 50 Best Restaurants" and Food & Wine named it "One of America’s Top 50 Hotel Restaurants." In 1999, he opened The Baricelli Cheese Company, where he offers exotic aged cheeses from around the world.

Roy Yamaguchi describes his highly personal cooking style as blending flavors of the East, West and Polynesia to create a truly contemporary Hawaiian cuisine. Roy is Hawaii’s first recipient of the James Beard Foundation Award for "Best Chef: Pacific Northwest" and has held the title of "California Chef of the Year." Roy’s 34 award-winning restaurants can be found across the U.S., Hawaii, Guam and Japan.

Sommeliers

David Gordon is wine director for the world-famous Tribeca Grill In New York City. He won the Grand Award from Wine Spectator for Tribeca Grill’s 1,800 bottle wine list, one of only seven restaurants in New York City to have this coveted honor. He has been featured in culinary publications such as Wine & Spirits and The Wine Enthusiast and is a regular guest lecturer for Crystal Cruise Lines.

Martin Korson is one of only a few advanced certificated sommeliers in Texas and a member of the Court of Master Sommeliers. Korson is the beer and wine manager for the European fresh food store Central Market and is responsible for the 4,000 wines that adorn its shelves. He has been featured in numerous culinary and wine publications from Santé to Food & Wine. His contributions helped Brennan’s of Houston become one of only two restaurants in the city to receive Mobile Travel Guide’s 4-Star Award, as well as Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence.

Additional Congress of Chefs Members

Chef Onboard

You may even see a member of the Congress of Chefs on your flight through our Chef Onboard program. Several times per year one of the chefs will don his hat and starched white jacket for a hands-on experience on an international or transcontinental flight. During the flight, the chef visits with customers to get their comments and suggestions, and also provides service tips to the flight attendants. Inflight interaction between our Congress of Chefs and our crewmembers enhances the chefs' understanding of the challenges an airline faces to create and present restaurant quality food at 35,000 feet.