ChefS
Denise Appel
Hailing from Glastonbury, Connecticut, Denise Appel has been wildly successful in her passion and vision as a chef. As co-owner and head chef of Zinc Restaurant, CHOW New Haven and the upcoming CHOW West Hartford, Denise credits her Grandmother Katherine for instilling in her true love for the art of cooking.
Chef Appels trademark cuisine features regionally farmed produce and cheeses, poultry and fresh, non-endangered line-caught fish. At her restaurants, Denise tends to switch her menu every few weeks and during the summer season, she will spend mornings at the Farmers Market before deciding what meals to cook for the evening. With promise of good food, good wine and good company, Zinc and CHOW New Haven are bound to tempt your taste buds.
A fan of Vietnamese-inspired cooking and, in her free time, art exhibits, metal work and painting, Denise is regularly involved with charitable organizations in Connecticut and the surrounding areas. Outside of creating culinary masterpieces and broadening her cooking repertoire, you can also find Denise spending time with her 3 rescued Lab pups or traveling the world, seeking inspiration for new dishes.
Jeff Sansone
A native of Naugatuck, Connecticut, Jeff grew up in a close Italian-American family where cooking, food and celebrations were a regular part of daily life. Jeff discovered early that he loved being in the kitchen.
He began working in restaurants, bartending and waiting tables, cooking constantly at home and taking new inspiration for early cooking shows and cookbooks by Julia Child and Paul Prudhomme.
He enrolled in the Center for Culinary Arts in Cromwell, Connecticut and within two years of completing his culinary training, Jeff rose to the position as Sous Chef in ZINC’s kitchen. His curiosity, determination and skill have made his position invaluable. Jeff was instrumental in the conception of CHOW New Haven, along side Co-Owners Donna Curran and Chef Denise Appel. He left ZINC’s kitchen to open and manage CHOW, guiding one of New Haven’s most popular downtown locations to success.
Jeff returned to the Sous Chef position and continues to take on additional responsibilities in ZINC and CHOW New Haven, while Chef Denise Appel oversees operations for both restaurants and the Spring 2008 opening of CHOW West Hartford.
He lives in New Haven with his wife and baby daughter and does his part for our environment by walking to work every day.
Keith Ruttan
Keith C. Ruttan grew up on a small farm in Kent, Ohio. His mother fed the family of 6 healthful homegrown meals: eggs and milk from the chickens and goats, produce from the garden and cider from the local orchard. "And that’s just the way it was," he remembers. His father helped foster a spirit for experimentation and adventurous eating. "My Dad and I spent a lot of time together in the kitchen eating things like sardines on crackers, brauchwager sandwiches and 7 year old Canadian cheddar."
Although well fed, Keith had no idea that he would one day be a chef. While studying at Kent Sate University he volunteered, apprenticed with a jeweler, waited tables, answered phones and changed majors repeatedly. When he started making salads at a local country club something clicked. He was curious and excited by the fast moving knives, the fire, and the food. After three years at KSU he dropped out, gave away all his furniture and moved to Vermont to attend the New England Culinary Institute.
In way over his head, but eager, Keith strove to learn as much as possible as fast as possible, "My girlfriend and I used to raid our respective roommates’ refrigerators and practice knife skills. It was pretty funny when they came home to find all the fruit and veggies cut into little flowers and footballs."
After culinary school Keith spent the next several years working seasonally as a line cook in Nantucket, MA, Rhinebeck, NY, Vail, CO and Cleveland, OH, and as a Sous Chef at the Edgartown Yacht Club on Martha’s Vineyard. He landed at ZINC in 2006. "I never intended to stay in New Haven for more than six months. I fell so in love with the ZINC family and Denise’s style that I just couldn’t leave."
Alba Estenoz
Pastry Chef Alba Estenoz was born in Mérida, Spain. As a child, Alba played in her uncle's Pastelería, and quickly grew to love the art of baking. After studying cultural anthropology at the University of Seville, she went back to her roots, and in 1995 she began designing her desserts at the acclaimed Shoreline Grill in Austin, Texas. In 2001, Alba returned to Spain and joined Madrid’s prestigious El Gran Barril, and infused her creations with modern Spanish flavors and influences. Alba became the pastry chef at Zinc in 2003 and found culinary synergy. At both Zinc and Chow, Alba appeals to the clients’ memories of traditional pastries while using a more playful, contemporary approach towards dessert making. She lives in New Haven with her husband Joel, their son Noah, and their dog, Oreo.