Ron Siegel began his career in the culinary arts as a butcher in a grocery store in Palo Alto, CA, where his family moved from New York when he was seven. A few years and many jobs later, Siegel enrolled in San Francisco’s California Culinary Academy. It was during this time that he met Michael Mina, who hired him as a line cook at Aqua in 1991. In 1993, Siegel returned to his native New York to work with Daniel Boulud at Restaurant Daniel. Just one year later Thomas Keller brought the young Siegel back to the Bay Area as his opening sous chef at The French Laundry in Yountville, CA.

In 1996, Siegel left The French Laundry to become the Chef at Charles Nob Hill in San Francisco, where he remained for five years. During this time, Siegel quickly became one of the Bay Area’s rising culinary stars, including defeating the reigning Iron Chef champion Hiroyuki Sakai on national television in 1998. Siegel was also named one of Food & Wine magazine’s “Best New Chefs of 1999.” In 2001, Siegel was offered the position of Executive Chef at Masa’s where he remained until June of 2004.

In July 2004, Siegel joined The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco as Chef of The Dining Room. His cuisine, which he describes as Modern French with a Japanese influence, is complemented by an extensive wine list by Sommelier Stephane Lacroix.

Stephane Lacroix joined The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco in September 1999 as Director of Wine and Sommelier for the 336-room Nob Hill landmark.   The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco is the only hotel in the nation to capture Mobil’s Five Stars and AAA’s Five Diamonds for the hotel as well as its renowned Dining Room.

Lacroix is responsible for overseeing the selection of all wine and spirits and maintaining an extensive list of more than 1400 fine wines and champagnes in The Dining Room.  He works closely with Dining Room Chef Ron Siegel to develop a wine list that includes rare wines from around the world to complement the seasonal modern French cuisine.  The Dining Room’s wine list focuses primarily on California’s finest wineries and some of the world’s rarest vineyards. 

Lacroix began his wine career in 1985 at Le Puy-en-Velay Hotel School in France.  After graduating two years later, he became assistant sommelier at Le Clave in Clermont France.  Stephane continued his education at Chamalieres Hotel School where he was named “Best Young Sommelier of Central France.”  In 1990, he attended the highly regarded Tain L’Hermitage Sommelier School and was deemed “Best Young Sommelier of France – Bordeaux Wines” and “Best Young Sommelier of Monaco.”

After graduating from Tain L’Hermitage, Lacroix worked with many talented chefs including Roger Vergé at Le Moulin de Mougins in Mougin; Alain Ducasse at Le Louis XV at the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo; Jean-Louis Palladin at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C.; and Michael Mina at Aqua in San Francisco.  He also opened Aqua at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.