Vice President of Food and Beverage, Island Hospitality Management, Inc.

Executive Chef/Partner, Chakra Restaurant (Paramus)

Thomas Ciszak is one of the Northeast’s most acclaimed chefs.

Under his direction, Blue Morel offers modern, local, American farm-to-table cuisine.  Accessible and approachable, Blue Morel’s new menus feature dishes that range from old family recipes to playful twists on contemporary American favorites—in addition to the award-winning sushi and raw bars for which Thomas is famous.

Born in Germany and trained at top schools and restaurants in his home country, Chef Ciszak came to the United States in 1994.  His work grew noticed and he gained great popularity first at The Manor in West Orange, then at Tavern on the Green in Manhattan. From there, he joined The Fireman Hospitality Group as opening Executive Chef at Shelly’s New York. In 2005, Chef Ciszak launched Copeland (now Blue Morel) at the Westin Governor Morris to universally outstanding reviews.

Building on his culinary talent and business acumen, Chef Ciszak launched TC Culinary Solutions in 2006, consulting nationally for a number of high-end hotels and restaurants.  In August 2010, Chef Ciszak announced the merger of his company with Jason and Peter Longo and Philip Chiaramonte, owners of Chakra in Paramus, NJ, to form The TLC Restaurant Group, which owns, operates, and manages a variety of restaurant concepts in the New Jersey region.

TLC’s first project was the relaunch of Chakra, with Chef Ciszak as Executive Chef/Partner.  His newly energized and reconfigured menus there received a rave 3-1/2 star review from The Record‘s Elisa Ung, who noted, “The space is as dramatic as ever, but the real star is what’s on your plate.”

Chef Ciszak’s appealing international, multicultural menus are sophisticated but accessible. His food is presented thoughtfully and without pretense.  A unique style that melds his European approach and American experience.