Prep Kitchen Brings On Prominent Las Vegas Chef

The hospitality group that recently purchased the three Prep Kitchen locations and is gearing up to open a fourth in San Marcos next month has hired a new chef team to refresh its existing menu. IAM Hospitality co-founder Deborah Krause, who has already begun updating the restaurants’ interiors, brings on chief culinary officer Joseph Elevado to help develop the brand’s food offerings as it continues to expand.

Elevado has significant experience with Asian cuisine; for the last six years he served as executive chef of the Pan-Asian Andrea’s Restaurant in the Wynn Hotel Las Vegas. He previously ran the kitchens of chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s eponymous Nobu restaurants in New York City and Las Vegas, as well as Social House Las Vegas. Joining him at Prep Kitchen is Geno Fontanoza as the new corporate executive chef de cuisine; Fontanoza most recently led Katsuya Brentwood in Los Angeles and worked with Elevado at Andrea’s and the L’Ermitage Hotel in Beverly Hills.

Elevado will debut his new take on the Prep Kitchen dining experience when the San Marcos location launches in late April. He’ll keep longtime Prep Kitchen favorites, including the burger and pasta, but bring on dishes that have become his signatures, such as wagyu beef sliders and other plates designed for social dining. He’ll also work with Fontanoza to develop seasonal dishes for the ever-changing menu.