Meet the chef

Rock Lava


Rock worked for numerous private clubs, hotels and restaurants throughout his 30+ years in the hospitality business. Rock's well-known venture, ROAST "organic + wild + delicious" brought delicious, high end sides and house made deli meats and seafood to the West Side. Roast quickly became the “go-to” spot for celebrity clientele such as Michael Keaton, Dustin Hoffman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Ray Liotta to name a few, to pick up restaurant quality organic and sustainable dishes for their gatherings.


Rock became executive chef at The Beach Club in 1998, one of the oldest clubs in Southern California. The restaurant was soon branded “Whitney’s at the Beach” and quickly grew business from a 200k/year club restaurant to over a million in sales in its first year. The success continued until he left The Beach Club in 2009 to develop ROAST, spanning a total of twenty-one years of the “Whitney’s” branded restaurant operations since the beginning of “Whitney’s on Montana” in 1990.


Rock holds a degree from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. He apprenticed at the “World Famous” Tavern on the Green in Central Park and then went on to work at a number of prestigious hotels in Asia, Hawaii, and California, such as The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel; Ambassador Hotel, Taipei; The Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills; and Le Bel Age Hotel, Hollywood.


Rock is now focusing on “Cooking as Medicine” with his new “ROCKGEVITY PROJECT.” After healing himself of arthritis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity through diet as well as "feeling the power" of food as medicine, he saw the need for change. Rock has cross referenced the top doctors in the Functional Medicine field and come up with the perfect health protocols using the newest research and information.


Using these protocols he has devised ways for chefs to change ingredients and cooking methods to maximize the health benefits and reduce nature's harmful “anti-nutrients” so that tomorrow's chefs become part of the solution.



Menu

Carrot Spice Cake, Banana-Coconut Ice Cream

no flour, no dairy, no sugar

Cauliflower Steak

Backyard Chicken Egg, Warm Veggie "Molido" Salad

no potato or other nightshdes

Chocolate Mousse Cake, Wild Backyard Berries

no flour, no dairy, no sugar

Asparagus 100 - steamed in own juices and served with the cuisson stock for 100% of the nutrients

*Adjust Pyramid to little or no grains, legumes or fruits and 1lb animal protein/week

This pyramid is closer to what I subscribe to: I eat as close to a vegan diet as possible 1lb/week animal protein or less is better, no grains and very little fruit in season, no dairy, sugar or refined starches