The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) Conference Center has welcomed Elena Wasnak, an experienced restaurant and hotel chef, as its new head chef. In this role, Wasnak will oversee all food production for the Conference Center and Megabytes Café.
“Chef Wasnak brings an impressive background that aligns perfectly with our commitment to high-quality, memorable service. Her creativity, passion and depth of experience will elevate the dining experience for our guests and help us continue building the Conference Center’s reputation as a premier destination for meetings and events.” – Tracy Fink, Vice President, IALR Conference Center
Wasnak brings more than a decade of culinary experience to IALR. Most recently, she served as executive chef with Antonia’s in Hillsborough, N.C., and as sous chef with Il Palio in Chapel Hill, N.C., two well-known fine dining Italian restaurants. Her expertise spans Southern Italian, Mediterranean and Spanish cuisine, as well as baking and pastry arts. Known for her from-scratch pastas, she has a reputation for creating memorable dishes that highlight fresh, high-quality ingredients.
“My approach to cooking is food first,” said Wasnak. “I’m excited to help take the food and beverage service for the IALR Conference Center, as well as Megabytes Café, to the next level.”
The IALR Conference Center offers professional, on-site catering services ranging from buffet luncheons and boxed lunches to formal sit-down dinners. Megabytes Café provides a variety of sandwiches, daily breakfast and lunch selections, and a hot buffet.
Wasnak is employed through Up to Par Management, a Virginia-based hospitality management company that partners with IALR to provide food and beverage services.
