Executive Chef Matthew Levin knew from an early age that cooking was his passion. He was always fascinated with the inner workings of a restaurant kitchen and he vowed this would be where he would spend most of his time as an adult. A Philadelphia native, Chef Levin attended Syracuse University on a lacrosse scholarship and studied business. His passion, however, was creating culinary masterpieces and so he followed his dream and enrolled in the prestigious Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY.

Upon graduation, Levin began his culinary career training under the finest chefs in the area including George Perrier at Le Bec-Fin and Brasserie Perrier, and Craig Shelton once voted “The Best Chef in the Mid Atlantic,” at the Ryland Inn. Chef Levin eventually went on to distinguished restaurants such as Aureole in New York City, Charlie Trotters in Chicago and The Pluckemin Inn in Bedminster, NJ.Chef Levin’s unique culinary flair eventually led him to New Hope, PA, where he drew national attention as executive chef at Moonlight Restaurant. Bon Appetit reported, “[In] New Hope, culinary creations now share the spotlight with art, thanks to “Moonlight.” American Way called the restaurant a “hot spot worth the hike.” Prominent Philadelphia Inquirer food critic Craig LaBan awarded three coveted bells, lauding Moonlight’s “sophisticated cooking and edgy ambiance.”

Soon after Levin became executive chef at Lacroix at The Rittenhouse. In December 2006, Philadelphia Inquirer food critic Craig LaBan awarded the cuisine a rare four bells stating, “Chef Levin has elevated this luxury destination to an elite four-bell status,” hailing Levin’s creations as “Philly’s most sophisticated contemporary cooking.” Recently, Lifestyle Magazine named Chef Levin among the region’s best chefs. One month later, Philadelphia Style named Chef Levin one of Philadelphia’s “Hot Chefs” acknowledging his imaginative dishes. Chef Levin describes his method of cooking as focusing “on all the latest techniques and a little bit of molecular gastronomy.”