Chuck Gittleman, Executive Chef at Bogart’s Bar & Grille at the JM Lexus Premier Level at Muvico Palace 20 in Boca Raton

 

Chuck Gittleman brings over twenty-five years of impressive culinary experience, along with a lifelong passion for cooking, to his newest post as executive chef at Bogart’s Bar & Grille, at the JM Lexus Premier Level at Muvico Palace 20, in Boca Raton, Florida.

A Miami native, Chef Chuck was inspired by a relative and began cooking as a youngster. He landed his first restaurant job, at the age of 16, and decided to forge a career in the industry. Chef Chuck went on to attend Miami-Dade Community College, where he majored in hospitality management and studied cooking and restaurant management. He went on to cook at a variety of distinctive Miami restaurants, including King’s Bay Yacht and Country Club (3 years), The City Club of Miami, Reflections on the Bay (sous chef for six years), Lombardi’s (executive chef for three years), and Hard Rock Café (sous chef for one year).

 

In 1995, he accepted a position as sous chef at Burt Rapoport’s restaurant, Prezzo, in Aventura, Florida. After excelling at this position, for two years, Chef Chuck went on to cook (as the sous chef) at several of Rapoport’s other South Florida restaurants, including Max’s Beach Place, in Ft. Lauderdale, Max’s Grille in Mizner Park in Boca Raton, and Henry’s in Delray Beach.

 

He is extraordinarily pleased to be spearheading the kitchen, at Bogart’s and truly enjoys creating delicious dishes that adhere to Rapoport’s culinary vision. Chef Chuck views cooking as an art form and is intent on creating dishes that combine flavor, texture, and color. He also enjoys camaraderie, of the kitchen, and considers his kitchen staffers as part of his talented culinary team.

 

The menu, at Bogart’s, includes many popular dishes from a variety of Rapoport’s popular restaurants—past and present—such as Old Fashioned Pot Roast, with mashed potatoes, baby green beans, wild mushrooms, and green peas, in a wine demi glace, from Henry’s in Delray Beach; Calamari with yuzu soy glaze, from Opus 5 in Boca Raton; Mahogany Chicken Wings with peanut glaze, and Radiatore Pasta, with roasted chicken, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, and pine nuts, from Max’s Grille in Boca Raton; Onion-Crusted Florida Snapper with mashed potatoes, sautéed spinach, and Madeira wine butter sauce, from the former Mon Ami in Boca Raton; and thin-crust pizzas from the former Prezzo (in multiple locations).

 

When Chef Chuck is not flexing his culinary muscle at Bogart’s, he enjoys fishing, going to the beach, and trying out new recipes on friends and family members. He resides in Coconut Creek, Florida.