Walter
Leffler '84
Executive Chef, The Hilton at Short Hills
Chef Walter '84 is known for preparing magnificent cuisine that has tantalized
taste buds of royalty and United States presidents.
Whether it's in the pages of Nation's Restaurant News, The New York Times, Hotel Business or Food Arts, his name and face are showing up in the pages of well-respected publications across the country.
Leffler works with culinary aficionados, showing them how to prepare the menus of their dreams. His passion for education others on the finer points of gourmet cuisine is apparent in his dynamic hands-on teaching style.
After a brief period as a juggler and cook for a circus troupe and as a French café assistant, Leffler opted for formal culinary training and attended the Providence Campus of Johnson & Wales.
Before being named the executive chef at The Hilton at Short Hills, Leffler developed his skills at many different hotels and restaurants. Some of these include Willard Inter-Continental Hotel in Washington, D.C.; the Peabody Hotel, Memphis, Tenn.; Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, Orlando, Fla.; and the Empress Room at Walt Disney World, Orlando.
In 1999, Leffler became the 122nd Distinguish Visiting Chef at the Providence Campus of Johnson & Wales. He serves as an adjunct professor at Middlesex County College in Edison, N.J. and is on the advisory board for both Middlesex and Union County colleges.
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