Todd Whitman
Chef Todd teaches the fundamentals of cooking and the nuances of preparing French Cuisine. With over 20 years of experience in a variety of restaurants, under various Chefs, Todd is eminently qualified to prepare our students for any position in the kitchen. Chef Todd is also a Serve Safe Proctor.
Chef Todd was born in 1980 and grew up on the west side of Cleveland, the youngest of ten children. Growing up, Todd did not have consistent parental support and guidance and at the age of 12 spent a year in Juvenile Detention.
Several years later he began working with the Cleveland Rib Burn Off and then traveled across the country with the Great American Rib Cookoff which was first exposure to the culinary industry. Back in Cleveland, he worked at a family owned Italian restaurant. These two experiences inspired him to set his career goal to work in a restaurant environment.
During his teenage years, Todd began using drugs and drinking alcohol. At age 20, Todd was incarcerated. After his release he continued to use drugs and drink and by the age of 35, with a wife and 8 children, Todd decided to fight his addiction and asked for help. He was admitted to the CATS Treatment program and worked in the kitchen where his mentor, Mr. Brown, suggested he apply to attend the Edwin’s Culinary Training program. This was a turning point in his life.
In January of 2016, and in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, Todd started the program and graduated six months later. Edwin’s assisted with job placement and he became a line cook at Parker’s downtown under Chef Andrew Gorski. He worked there for two and half years being mentored by Chef Andrew and grew in his skill and knowledge.
When Sérénité Restaurant opened in 2018, he was asked to join the team to work the students and to continue his culinary education. Todd jumped at the opportunity to be mentored by and work with Chef Gilbert while combining his passion to help those in recovery from addiction.
Since coming to Sérénité, Chef Todd has established 12 step programs around the community and has worked with inmates at Mansfield Correctional Institution to support their recovery. He has been a speaker at many events and is committed to sharing his story to inspire others to remain in recovery. He was named Executive Chef in May 2020 and is delighted to have the opportunity to fulfill his dream of being an Executive Chef and support those in recovery.
Bradford Toth
Bradford is the lead instructor for the hospitality side of life in a restaurant. Although he is a cook in his own rite, Bradford is most comfortable when he is working with customers to provide the highest quality guest experience. Bradford has over 20 years of customer service and restaurant experience and is instrumental in training the wait and bar staff, table side service, food safety and restaurant health department guidelines.
Bradford is a graduate of Edwin’s Leadership and Restaurant Institute where he particularly enjoyed working in the front of the restaurant. Bradford worked at La Albatross for three years where he started as a server and became a manager after six months. Soon after Sérénité Restaurant opened, Bradford was asked to join the team and manage different aspects of restaurant operations and to work with the students on facets of the curriculum. Having been through the Edwin’s program made for an easy transition to managing Sérénité and training the students.
Cary Granakis
Cary brings over 20 years of restaurant experience as part of the team working with the students in the Culinary Institute. As a former teacher he is skilled in curriculum delivery and focuses on all aspects of the training. Cary is passionate about providing positive support to the students.
Alyssa Simon
Alyssa is the Case Manager at RCMC with a background in community mental health as well as community nutrition education. Alyssa received her Bachelor of Arts in Health Promotion and Education from Baldwin Wallace University and will be receiving her Master of Public Health from Kent State University in December 2020.
Alyssa works with the students at Sérénité Restaurant and Culinary Institute to provide case management services such as: assisting with housing, transportation, food assistance, health insurance and scheduling services pertaining to mental health and substance abuse needs. She checks in with each student weekly to offer support and address needs as they arise. In addition to her role with RCMC, Alyssa works with the Cleveland Clinic and has a strong passion for helping others.
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