Former Columbus Chef Takes Tour at The Masters

Guest chef Carlos Montemayor, left, consults with Lion Hills executive chef David Wilkerson Wednesday while preparing lunch in the Lion Hills kitchen. Montemayor returned to Columbus after cooking for a private event at The Masters golf tournament last week. He was head chef at the Columbus Country Club, which is now Lion Hills, from 2007-2009.

COLUMBUS – Fresh off of cooking at the Masters last week, Chef Carlos Montemayor returned to Lion Hills Wednesday.

Montemayor, head chef at Lion Hills’ previous incarnation, the Columbus Country Club, from 2007 to 2009, spent the previous week cooking for the Mitsubishi Hitachi company at August National Golf Club, home of the world’s most famous PGA golf tournament. Then he returned to Columbus to help out an old friend, EMCC culinary instructor and Lion Hills chef Matt Molina.

“Matt and I went to culinary school together and worked together at Old Waverly golf course in West Point. I told him I was coming through after the Masters and asked if I could come help out. I’m just an extra pair of hands, doing whatever needs to be done,” said Montemayor.

The timing couldn’t have been better as Lion Hills served nearly 300 lunch guests while hosting the Golden Triangle Development LINK’s Education Excellence Luncheon and multiple civic clubs Wednesday. Molina said the situation played to Montemayor’s strengths.

“He’s an excellent banquet chef. He can feed the masses in an efficient way and keep his food way above standard,” said Molina.

Lion Hills executive chef David Wilkerson said the buffet featured southwestern chicken spaghetti that showed off Montemayor’s Tex-Mex cooking style. And afterward, the guest chef was gracious enough to sit in on a few culinary classes.

“Our students see us every day, so to work alongside and hear from other people who have been successful in the industry offers a new perspective on what they can do after they graduate,” said Wilkerson.

And Debby Gard, EMCC vice president for Lion Hills, said Montemayor’s visit was helpful for her chefs as well: “Our chefs are young and some are graduates of EMCC’s culinary program, so you have some mentoring going on with Chef Montemayor.”

EMCC’s Hotel-Restaurant Management Technology and Culinary Arts programs are housed at the college’s Lion Hills center.