Chef

D F W, The Village Lounge, is an all-day gathering place for drinks, conversation, and mischievous light fare—a living room for the Catskills. Our food program is intentionally built around drinks & snacks: a focused selection of substantial, inventive snacks designed to be enjoyed in succession, alongside a drink, shared, or eaten on their own. We’re interested in what a snack can be when it’s given the same attention to ingredients, technique, and flavor that you would bring to a traditional restaurant dish, without becoming one.

We value collaboration and expect ideas to come from different people and places. You’ll work alongside the D F W team and guest culinary collaborators, building on ideas, influences, and ingredients rather than working in isolation. You’ll have creative autonomy to flex, collaborative input to grow, and foundational support to execute. 

We’re interested in the weird go-to snack you make for yourself but have never served to guests. D F W’s “lowkey high-brow” ethos means quality without pretense, confidence without ego, and a healthy irreverent streak—knowing when something’s good and when to leave it alone.

D F W sits within a small mountain village in the Catskills, and it’s important that the food program feels approachable to a dynamic community. Margaretville is both a rural farming community and NYC’s backyard. Some days, the village looks and feels like a Hallmark scene; other days, like a who’s-who adult summer camp. The ideal Chef is excited to embrace that dynamic with menu concepts that are surprising, thoughtful, and delicious.

As a member of the opening team, you’ll help shape the kitchen and food program from the beginning. This is a hands-on role involving menu development and execution, kitchen operations, service, and supporting and guiding cooks and porters. You’ll also influence and collaborate on a scheduled series of dinners, brunches, and other thematic events that extend beyond the everyday snackable menu.

You’re technically capable, organized, adaptable, and creatively restless. You care about the details of execution, but you’re not afraid of experimentation. You understand that a well-run kitchen and consistently executed menu create the foundation for taking risks. You’re generous with your knowledge, on top of current culinary trends, open to influence, and interested in continually refining your craft.

If you have more ideas than hours in the day, consider D F W a platform for them. We have a clear vision, a distinct format, and plenty of room for the right person to develop their ideas and build recognition around their work.

If this sounds interesting but moving to the mountains seems out of reach, reach out anyway. For the right person, a short-term collaboration and/or housing can be discussed.

Job Purpose: Collaboratively shape the culinary identity of D F W through recipe development, oversight of day-to-day kitchen operations, administrative management, and thoughtful team leadership.
Status: Full-time
Reports to: Owners
Direct Reports: Cooks; Porters, AM / PM
Start date: October 2026

Duties and Responsibilities 
including but not limited to:

Menu development
Collaborate with team on menu research & development, sourcing and costing. 
Update allergy sheets, recipe bibles, and order guides as necessary.

Training
Create and uphold training procedures for new kitchen hires, amending the employee handbook as needed. Support in scheduling and training FOH on recipes, allergens, sourcing, and techniques. 
Maintain up to date manuals and allergen sheets.

Kitchen Management
Manage service and uphold standards of the restaurant in the absence of Owner. Oversee service production.
Maintain health and cleanliness standards to ensure A grade upon DOH inspections along with a safe and efficient workspace.
Collaborate with Owner on any renovation and maintenance needs within the kitchen space.

Ordering & Receiving Inventory
Place daily orders with purveyors and ensure they are received properly upon arrival.
Complete monthly BOH inventory and share with Owner for accounting.

Operations
Be able to work any and all stations within the kitchen as needed.
Expedite a la carte, tasting menu and events efficiently.
Participate in monthly P&L analysis meetings with Owner and team
Assist in hiring, training, and implementing corrective actions and protocols with staff. 
Manage schedules of cooks and porters and supervise BOH during operating hours.
Oversee quarterly team meal preparation in tandem with other kitchen staff.
Participate in BEO meetings as needed

Required Qualifications
Positive, solutions-oriented attitude
Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills
Strong personal drive and work ethic
Team and community oriented
Stress management - kind, calm, and collected under pressure
NYC food handlers license
Maintain HAACP plan and ensure all data and time entries are accurate
Ability to work a flexible schedule. Available evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed
Strong computer skills with a working knowledge of the Google Drive suite of products (Sheets, Docs, etc.)
English fluency

Physical Qualifications
Ability to stand and walk for long periods of time including moving safely through all areas of the restaurant
Ability to lift objects 50+ pounds in weight
Safely and effectively use all tools and equipment
Navigate tight and crowded spaces in a safe manner

Preferred Qualifications
3+ years of fine dining experience
2+ years of management experience

Compensation
$60,000 - $70,000, commensurate with experience

Email dfw@dfwnewyork.com to apply.