Beaver Creek, Colorado Restaurant's Executive Chef

Bringing Big City Taste to the Mountains

The Metropolitan's Executive Chef Eric Berggren is in familar territory.  Having spent a few years with Dionysus Hospitality in Summit he is most at home in the Mountains.  Wanting to further his culinary career, he made the move to enrich himself at one of the finest culinary institutes in America, Le Cordon Bleu.  He now brings his knowledge and skill back to the high country of Colorado, showcased nightly at the Metropolitan. 

Born/Raised:
Born in Detroit Michigan and raised in the small town of Cridersville, Ohio.


Experience in the restaurant industry:
I started working in professional kitchens at the age of 13 in the small town of Wapakoneta Ohio. After working briefly in a plastics factory in 1995, I went on to work with the Cracker Barrel Restaurants as a lead line cook and trainer in Ohio and Urbana Ill until I moved to Summit County Colorado in 1999 and started to cook at the Dillon Dam Brewery. From there I moved on to work for the Kickapoo Tavern in Keystone as a lead line cook/Sous Chef for 4 years until I was promoted to the Executive Chef position at the Quandary Grille in Breckenridge. In 2005 I resigned as the Executive Chef of Quandary Grille and enrolled myself into the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Academy in Pasadena, CA where I graduated in 2007 with high honors and jumped right into the demanding kitchens of the greater Los Angeles area.
I have been blessed to work at many great establishments in the LA area such as La Cachette Restaurant with Chef Jean Francoise Metignier, The Valley Hunt Club with Chef Michael Beck, and also the Fairmont Miramar Hotel and Bungalows as a Jr Sous Chef with the late Chef Sean Hardy and Executive Chef Raymond Garcia of Fig Restaurant. Through Fairmont Hotels I was asked to travel to the north end of Boston, MA and be a part of the opening team for Sensing restaurant, the first American restaurant for 3 star Michelin Chef Guy Martin of Paris. I got the opportunity to work hand in hand with Guy Martins hand picked Chef, Gerard Barbin in all operations of the restaurant opening.
In 2008 I was laid off in the economy downfall of California and soon landed on my feet at Blue Plate Restaurant in Santa Monica where I served up breakfast, lunch and seasonal dinner options. From Blue Plate I moved on to work in the nitch industry of private jet catering for a company called Stevie's Catering. While at Stevie's I had helped with the entire rebranding of the company in all 5 cities of operation, while dealing with the elite Hollywood, and world royalties special request on a daily basis. In my 2+ years with Stevie's Catering I had placed the company into the top private jet catering company on the West coast with the professionals pilot survey and worked as a regional Chef in all 5 cities of operation to ensure that quality, and consistency standards were being met on a regular basis.
In August of 2012 I had approached the Dionysus Hospitality group about the open Executive Chef position at their new Tapas and Wine Bar, The Metropolitan in Beaver Creek Village. After a nice road trip from LA to Avon I was offered the position and decided that it was time to leave LA and come back to the Colorado Rockies!!


Academic/industry education:
Over 21 years of hands on working culinary experience.
Graduated with a High Honors A.O.S degrees from the California School of Culinary Arts, Le Cordon Bleu program in 2007.


Personal Interests:
Food, Family, Friends, Spirits, and enjoying every minute of life!


Favorite run at Beaver Creek:
I am still learning the mountain and always up for someone to show me the stashes...don't worry...I can keep a secret!!


Favorite summer activity in the Vail Valley:
Camping, mountain biking, soaking up the hot springs and just enjoying the natural beauty of the Colorado Rockies!


Family and Pets:
I live with my girlfriend Gina and my dog Homer in Avon. My older brother lives in Avon as well and also works in the Beaver Creek Village. My father passed in 2008 and my mother resides in Mooresville, NC