Chef Alex Hough, CEC

I started working in our family restaurants when I was eight years old. When I was 10, I took cooking classes with Chef Gregory (the largest source for the cookbook, Joy of Cooking).

After high school, I moved to Seattle, Washington and attended Seattle University and Washington State University's Culinary Arts/Restaurant Management Program. At this time, I was also the Sous chef at Henry's off Broadway, a four star restaurant in Seattle.

After college, I opened my first restaurant in Laconner, Washington. I had the opportunity to go to Europe and England to attend classes in culinary arts at some of the finest schools in Europe. I was the corporate chef for Café Hollywood throughout Spain (a total of nine restaurants). I was the executive chef for the ambassador of the United States in Madrid, cooking for such dignitaries as Margaret Thatcher, Anwar Sadat, Mienokum Begin, the King and Queen of Spain, and more!

I spent over three years in Europe before I returned to the United States and settled in Cincinnati, Ohio. I cheffed some of the most prestigious restaurants and clubs including The Precinct, The Palace (at the Cincinnatian Hotel), The Waterfornt, and Kenwood Country Club. I was elected president of the Escoffier Society, chairman of the American Culinary Federation, and won the coveted Golden Skillet Award. I was also among twenty chefs in the United States to be invited to Russia for the culinary team expose on American food and trends.

I moved to Utah and was the executve chef for The Mivida Restaurant and The Grand Old Ranch House. Then, I married and moved to Minocqua to open The Mandarissa and The Little Brown Sombrero. I was the chef at The Cove.

We moved to Jamaica where I studied the flavors of the Caribbean and cheffed at The Smiling Parrot. Then, we moved to Washington where I was the executive chef at The Wenatchee Golf and Country Club.

My experiences have enabled me to learn about many different cultures and their particular culinary history. I have cooked for a number of celebrities including Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall, Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Molly Ringwald, Tom Selleck, and Princess Diane. I look forward to serving you at The Waters restaurant located in The Waters of Minocqua.