Chef Da Fonseca’s award winning experience includes an apprenticeship under the strict classical French teachings of Chef Jaques Arpi from Choron in the Southern French Region of France.
Chef Da Fonseca studied Italian cuisine under the teachings of Chefs Enzo Barbetti and Gisella Isidori of Sienna and Umbria Regions of Italy. He went on to gain experience as Executive Chef at Lucas Wharf Restaurant, and wrote a food column for a local newspaper.
Da Fonseca and operated his own restaurant as well as Flavor Source Sauces and Catering Services, which he still owns, working for several wineries in the California Wine Country. After selling his restaurant, Chef Almir became the Corporate Executive Chef for Marconi Conference Center, coordinating food operations and catering special events for numerous state and local dignitaries. During this time he participated in the consultation and opening of several restaurants and a culinary program for a high school in San Francisco.
Completing a certification course in nutrition at San Mateo Medical Center, he moved on to the position of Corporate Chef and Manager for Compass Group USA, where his duties included private chef for the California Federal Judges. Chef Almir participated in several food competitions, and has been highly recognized for his work in the print media. He left Compass Group to become the Corporate Chef and Manager for Delaware North Companies and CA One Services, where he was in charge of creating new food concepts for several restaurants as well as handling all special events for the Port of Oakland.
After compiling a twenty five-year career of varied cooking experiences, Chef Almir Da Fonseca came to the California Culinary Academy in 2003 and could be found teaching the Restaurant Production classes at the Careme Room, In charge of the fine dining restaurant and banquets for the Careme Restaurant, California Culinary Academy graduation chef speaker ’03, voted Chef Instructor Culinary Educator of the year ’04.
In May of 2006 Chef Almir Da Fonseca lectured and cooked at The Professional Culinary Institute and was offered a full time Chef Instructor position.
In September, 2006 Chef Da Fonseca took a challenging position at The San Francisco Towers as the Executive Chef, and handled all culinary operations and a full food service department and remains as a Chef/Consultant.
January 2007, Chef Da Fonseca became a Chef Instructor at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America at the St. Helena CA campus where he teaches advance culinary, catalog and custom classes.
Chef Almir Da Fonseca has been nominated by the students as the graduation speaker several times, and has traveled to teach, lecture and do cooking demonstration at gastronomy conferences, universities and schools in several places in America and over-seas.
