Decatur House has a Fabulous New Chef!
Alana Flath is a fireball of energy, charisma, and unbridled talent. A Mexican native, she is well-educated and driven to succeed. Her pedigree includes 3 years of English for Professionals and a special program that combined training in hospitality management from Switzerland, tourism, Madrid and of course, culinary from Chicago. All of it comes from her love of learning and her dedication to working hard to perfect her craft.
As part of Alana’s culinary program, she completed internships in Mexico City (where her guests included many A-list pop stars including Britney Spears and Shakira!) at the highly acclaimed Beaver Creek in Colorado and finally, at Ocean Edge Resort in Brewster.
At first, Alana didn’t know what to make of the sleepy seaside community and was homesick. But she soon became absorbed in her work and her new family of friends. At the end of the summer, when it was time to return home to Mexico, she didn’t want to leave, but she did, all the while vowing to return!
Fast forward to the following summer, Alana was invited to come back to Ocean Edge, and she gladly accepted. This went on for several summers. At the end of each season when she had to leave due to the constraints of her work visa, she felt like she was leaving her home. She was now a self-proclaimed “Cape Codder!”
In 2015, she was offered a professional visa and accepted. She quickly rose through the ranks of the male-dominated kitchens at Ocean Edge, eventually becoming the first female chef at Ocean Terrace, the resort’s fine dining restaurant.
In 2019, Alana decided that it was time for a change and accepted a job offer in Boston with the Intercontinental Hotel. She missed her people on Cape Cod, but grew her resume. In her new position she learned more about the administrative side of being a chef – managing a kitchen, dietary restrictions, purchasing, payroll, creating seasonal menus and elevating menu offerings for special events.
At the same time, her personal life took an exciting turn as well. Her former co-worker Phil Flath the Executive Chef at Ocean Edge reached out and the two went to dinner in Boston. He couldn’t recruit her back to working for him, but the two formed a strong friendship. In 2021, they began a romance. Then in 2022 they got married, bought a house and had baby girl, Gabrielle!
Alana said that when they worked together, she and Phil shared an unspoken chemistry. That same chemistry has carried through to their marriage. Phil is the cook in their home, where he plates every dinner and pairs it with a good wine.
Alana says that she has always been a foodie. Her mother loves Spanish cuisine and her parents owned a seafood company so she was raised eating a wide variety of foods. Alana herself loves “fusions” of different foods. She says people go to the market every day in Mexico to buy fresh ingredients. “It’s a whole different flavor. Buying fresh, local, sustainable foods is paramount to the way I cook.”
Alana is very happy to be at Decatur House now. She believes that fresh, high-quality ingredients that are cooked to perfection and arranged beautifully is the little bit of love that she can offer residents.
Click HERE to see Alana’s menu.
