Daven Wardynski brings nearly twenty years of culinary experience and excellence to his role as Executive Chef of 676 Restaurant and Bar at the Omni Chicago Hotel. Chef Wardynski's culinary vision of "Midwest & Local Whenever Possible" is not only helping make 676 Restaurant and Bar a top food and beverage destination on Chicago's Magnificent Mile, but also supporting our local farmers and economy. His passion for quality and local goods has inspired a roof-top garden located directly above 676. Atop the roof, Chef nurtures his produce daily himself only to be harvested and featured in 676 at their peak.
Prior to joining the Omni Chicago Hotel, Chef Wardynski spent several years as Executive Sous Chef at Chicago's legendary Pump Room Restaurant. While at the Pump Room, he was instrumental in reestablishing the restaurant's culinary reputation and regaining its coveted AAA four-star rating.
Chef Wardynski's Chicago pedigree also includes notable experience at TRU, one of the city's most elite, AAA five-diamond restaurants. He served as Chef de Partie under celebrity chef Rick Tramonto and oversaw the restaurant's high-profile fish, shellfish and foie gras preparations.
Before transplanting to Chicago, Chef Wardynski served as Executive Chef at Stone Harbor Resort in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. There he operated a fine dining kitchen with outlets to hotel banquet, dining room, lounge, room service and employee dining.
As Executive Chef at Clark's Landing restaurant in Marquette, Michigan, Chef Wardynski oversaw the establishment's dual-outlet, casual dining kitchen for five years. His professional culinary experience began at an early age in Michigan in 1990, where he logged Sous Chef experience at Treasure Island, a fine dining restaurant.
Chef Wardynski received a Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan. He holds multiple honors and medals from the American Culinary Federation and has been featured in Midwest regional print magazines and television segments. He also has served as a guest chef at Omni Hotel's prestigious Noe restaurant in Houston, Texas.
