Meet Executive Chef Peter Haubi
A native of Switzerland, Peter Haubi grew up enjoying family gatherings that centered on an appreciation of good food. When Peter was 10 years old, his father sold the family farm and fulfilled a lifelong dream, buying the first of two restaurants. Peter attended school from 7 to 11am each day, biked to the restaurant to work the lunch hour, and then biked back to school. After school, he returned to the restaurant. From the age of 7, he said, he knew he wanted to be a chef.
As is common in the European educational system, Peter served an apprenticeship. He said, "I was fortunate enough to work with a kitchen director and executive chef who had connections around the continent, and who were interested in arranging top internships and externships for me." He trained in Lausanne and St. Gallen, Switzerland, with three years as a chef, baker, and pastry chef and an additional year in hotel and restaurant management. He graduated in 1983.
Peter has held executive chef positions at the Hofbrauhaus in Newport, Maggiano's Little Italy locations in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Michigan, and at several resorts in Canada. He also has consulted in the opening or reopening of restaurants and resorts in the Ontario area. While in Canada, Peter also served as an instructor in culinary skills at Ontario's Humber College and owned his own deli in Toronto's Film Industry District. His career has taken him around the world to positions in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and India. He has served state dinners for the Queen of England and every president since Jimmy Carter.
Peter is particularly concerned with flavor combinations, texture, color, and consistency in presentation. While in some settings the menus are routine and rarely vary, at Turfway, he said, "There is no auto pilot. The position offers a variety of food service challenges," including a widely varying clientele who come for lunch or dinner and stay for hours, a unique schedule, and in-house and off-site catering.
