Michelin-starred Chef Alain Verzeroli has a distinguished history working in some of the world’s most prestigious restaurants. He joined The Bastion Collection as Culinary Director for Michelin-starred L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon** and Le Jardinier* brands in June 2018. Verzeroli created and oversees the concepts for Le Jardinier restaurants, designed by award-winning French architect Joseph Dirand. The New York City restaurant is situated in 100 East 53rd Street in Midtown Manhattan, the luxury development by Aby Rosen and designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Norman Foster.
Verzeroli’s stellar career has included leadership positions at Michelin three-star restaurants across Paris, Hong Kong and Tokyo. He most recently served as Director of Culinary Operations at Château Restaurant Joël Robuchon in Tokyo, where his guidance led to the annual receipt of three Michelin stars for eleven consecutive years. Prior to working with Robuchon for 21 years, Verzeroli was the Executive Sous Chef at the esteemed three Michelin star Arpège with chef Alain Passard in Paris. He also trained at the famed three Michelin star Taillevent and three Michelin star Guy Savoy in Paris.
Verzeroli was born in Vietnam and grew up in Paris. His culinary story began during his freshman year at Universite Paris-Dauphine studying economics. After his first dining experience at Michelin-starred Alain Rayé restaurant, Verzeroli was inspired to approach the renowned chef and asked to apprentice for him. Following a successful month-long apprenticeship with chef Rayé, he decided to change directions and pursue his passion which prompted him to drop out of business school. Verzeroli attended the acclaimed École Grégoire-Ferrandi’s École Supérieure de Cuisine Française (ESCF) in Paris, France.
Chef Verzeroli moved to New York after 18 years in Japan and resides in Midtown Manhattan with his wife.
A longtime protégé of the legendary Chef Joël Robuchon, Martone serves as Executive Pastry Chef, overseeing the bakery and dessert programs for all of the restaurants of The Bastion Collection across New York, Houston and Miami. He is behind the Michelin-star winning desserts served at L’Atelierde Joel Robuchon** and Le Jardinier*, and leads creative efforts at our chocolatier Stettler-Castricher.
Prior to joining The Bastion Collection, Martone was the Executive Pastry Chef at the three Michelin starred Joël Robuchon Restaurant and the Michelin starred L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, a position for which he was initially recruited when it first opened in 2005, moving up the ranks from Executive Pastry Sous-chef to Executive Pastry Chef in 2010.
Prior to working in Las Vegas, Martone served as Pastry Chef at the two Michelin starred L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City. Renowned for his highly creative, whimsical, and delectable plates, Martone’s technical mastery allows him to combine aesthetics and flavor—resulting in desserts that are both visually stunning and delicious. He will often spend months conceptualizing and perfecting a dish, creating custom serviceware and new techniques in order to execute his vision.
A native of Naples, Italy, Martone began his education at the Hotelery School in Naples, Italy, and later attended Instituto Superiore Arti Culinarie in Venice. He came to the United States to pursue his passion for pastry-making and attended the French Pastry School: Art de La Patisserie in Chicago, Illinois, the only culinary school in the country dedicated exclusively to teaching pastry technique. Chef Martone has garnered numerous accolades over the course of his career. He received a James Beard Award nomination for Best Pastry Chef in 2015, was named one of the Top 10 Pastry Chefs in America by Dessert Professional in 2015, and won the 3rd Annual StarChefs.com International Pastry Competition in 2012.
Renowned for his exquisite and visually striking pastry creations, Martone most recently created and opened Frohzen, an innovative ice cream shop. Frohzen offers unique treats, including our signature ice cream cupcakes, macaron ice cream sandwiches, and cakesicles.
Andrew was born and raised in San Francisco. He was introduced to the world of food and cooking from a very young age by his mother, who worked as a butcher for over 35 years. Today she remains his main inspiration along with his trips to England and Taiwan. While attending high school, he began cooking at a small local restaurant. After enrolling in Audio Engineering School in Emeryville, California, Andrew quickly realized that this was not his passion and decided to join Le Cordon Bleu California Culinary Academy in San Francisco.
Andrew went on to work at 5 Star hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants in the Bay Area including the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay, Chez TJ in Mountain View and Campton Place in San Francisco where he met and worked with Chef, friend and mentor Srijith Gopinathan. In 2013, Andrew decided to move to New York to further develop his career. There, he first joined the team at Restaurant DANIEL and then Per Se restaurant. Andrew joined The Bastion Collection in 2017 as part of the opening team for L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon and Le Grill as Executive Sous Chef. In 2019, he was promoted to Chef de Cuisine of Le Jardinier New York where we gained one Michelin star only 5 months after opening. Today, Andrew holds the position of Executive Chef. Besides New York, Andrew also supports the development of Le Jardinier in Miami and Houston alongside Chef Alain Verzeroli.
With over 15 years in the hospitality industry, Nikolas has developed a strong passion for building teams that are focused on creating memorable guest experiences. He has adapted and grown into many unique roles during his career including Front Desk Manager and Concierge at Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa, Restaurant and Bar Manager at Hotel Granduca, Outlets Manager at AT&T Hotel + Conference Center, and Hotel Manager at The Kimber Modern in Austin’s iconic South Congress district. During the Spring of 2021, Nikolas joined The Bastion Collection as Restaurant Manager at La Table, and was quickly promoted to Assistant General Manager. After a brief assignment at Le Jardinier MFAH, he made the move to Le Jardinier NYC where he will no doubt advance his skill set and propel his passion for hospitality to new heights.
Elizabeth Henkenius joined the Bastion Collection in September 2022 as the Social Media Marketing and Events Manager. She brings 5 years of Digital Marketing, Social Media, Influencer, Talent Relations and Events experience from the food and beverage industry. She leads the events for New York City, overseeing all private dining rooms and restaurant buyouts for Le Jardinier New York and Bar Bastion.
Elizabeth has global work experience in food and beverage brand marketing spanning across London, Europe and New York City. She holds a Master of Science degree in Clinical Nutrition, and Bachelor of Science in Culinary Science.