Meet The Team

David Starkey
Founder

David moved from Manhattan with his family to the Hudson Valley and soon after (2004) opened Tomatillo in Dobbs Ferry. With its Farm-to-Taco philosophy, it quickly set the tone for what was to follow. Five years later in 2009, Sweet Grass Grill opened in Tarrytown and then Grass Roots Kitchen (2018), all three sharing the same locavore integrity.

Juan Jimenez
Chef

Chef Jimenez was born in Puebla, Mexico. He moved to San Diego and eventually New York where he joined the restaurant group led by Louis Lanza. He learned every station and was quickly running Lanza's most popular restaurants, Citrus and Josephina, on the upper westside. In 2013, he joined Sweet Grass Grill as a sous chef and a year later took over as the chef.

Eric Korn
Chef

Chef Eric brings his extensive experience catering large events to ERL. Prior to catering, Eric had his own restaurants in the Hudson Valley, Good Choice Gourmet and Wolferts Roost. He brings to ERL his passion for sustainability and sourcing locally, not to mention his sense of culinary adventure.