Bollhoefer has been recognized for his menu creation and kitchen operation expertise and is a true champion of locally-sourced cuisine. Bollhoefer has developed several key partnerships with local farmers, volunteers for the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, and oversees our Chef’s Garden with the assistance of our friends and partners at Ivy Creek Farms.

Bollhoefer arrived in Asheville in 2014 to join the culinary team at The Omni Grove Park from its sister property, Omni Chicago Hotel, where he served as Executive Sous Chef and expanded the hotel’s house-made charcuterie program to an award-winning level. Before his role in Chicago, he also spent a year and a half as Chef de Cuisine at Omni La Mansion Del Rio in San Antonio, Tex., overseeing the AAA Four Diamond-rated fine-dining restaurant Las Canarias.

Prior to joining to moving to Asheville, Bollhoefer worked for Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport where he held multiple chef positions. Bollhoefer has been working in professional kitchens since 2005.

Bollhoefer is a graduate of the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Orlando.

Since joining the team Escalante has flourished in an environment where she is empowered to put all of her time, energy, and passion into guest interactions and individualized training to staff. Her heart goes into the handcrafted, both simple and complex seasonal cocktails for every palate.

Escalante has been in Asheville since 2004 when she moved to study Creative Writing. Escalante joined the Asheville food and beverage scene in 2008 at the iconic Grove Park Inn where she held many positions in multiple outlets from bartender to the General Manager at Edison Craft Ales + Kitchen, a new restaurant concept that she was instrumental in launching.

Opening a new restaurant allowed Escalante to utilize both her role as a bartender and manager in creative ways, focusing on the importance of service and training. During this time Escalante truly honed her passion for classic cocktails, North Carolina breweries, unique wine, and local ingredients. Ten years at the Omni Grove Park Inn helped to solidify the mentality that the best cocktails and memorable dining experiences come from passion, knowledge of spirits, and locally sourced ingredients.

DeeAnn came to the Montford from The Swag, a Relais and Chateau property nestled in the heart of the Great Smokey Mountains. DeeAnn started in the fall of 2016 as the evening Sous Chef and was promoted to Chef de Cuisine in the spring of 2019.

Prior to working at The Swag, DeeAnn worked at The Wineseller, a small wine shop and bistro in downtown Waynesville where she was a waitress until the cook did not show up one night and Richard Miller handed her a legal pad of recipes and asked, “Can you do it?” thus setting off her culinary career.  Since then DeeAnn has achieved The Court of Master Sommeliers; Americas Introductory Course Examination.

DeeAnn has become very passionate about local food and partnerships with farms over the past several years working in kitchens.  DeeAnn’s Hispanic and Southern Appalachian background influences her style of cooking, which is simple but impactful in achieving her goal of providing guests with a memorable experience with a touch of southern hospitality.