JW Marriott Indianapolis Chef Rino Baglio Achieves One Of The Most Prestigious Chef Titles In The World

MERRILLVILLE, Ind., May 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- JW Marriott and White Lodging Services are pleased to announce Chef Rino Baglio, the award-winning chef at Osteria Pronto in the JW Marriott hotel in Indianapolis, IN, was one of 21 chefs in the world to receive the first Master Chef F.I.C. certification awarded by the World Association of Chefs Society (WACS). 

The Master Chef WACS title is the highest level of certification that can be bestowed upon a chef in his or her career, an honor equivalent to winning an Academy Award at the Oscars. Of the first 35 chefs handpicked around the world by the WACS, Chef Baglio was among the 21 graduating students to receive this distinction after his completion of courses in Milan, Italy.

"It is an honor not only to be named one of the first WACS Global Master Chefs, but the only one in the North and South American continents," said Chef Baglio. "I look forward to bringing my new skills into the kitchen and continuing to provide a true Italian culinary experience for Osteria Pronto's discerning guests."

To obtain the certification, chef nominees were required to be at least 30 years of age and had to complete two sessions of coursework in Italy. The first session included college-level classes, which Chef Baglio completed with 39.2 of 40 possible points. For the second session and final exam, the chefs had to write a complete dining plan thesis, prepare three items from their thesis' menu and complete a mystery box dinner, which includes surprise ingredients for the chefs to create a three course meal in two hours.

"I went through the program not for the acknowledgment, but as a personal challenge to be my best and see how far I could go," Chef Baglio explained. "The coursework was refreshing as it was an extension of what I get to do every day."

Chef Baglio studied at the prestigious school Le Cordon Bleu of Paris and earned a Master's Degree in Food and Nutrition. He is also the youngest chef in history to be given the title Master Chef by the Federation of Italian Chefs, which he earned at age 23. Prior to working at Osteria Pronto in 2011, Chef Baglio had served as the personal chef to Princess Caroline of Monaco and was also a professor at Lake Washington Technical College in Kirkland, WA.

About JW Marriott Indianapolis
The JW Marriott Indianapolis opened in February 2011.  The hotel offers 1,005 guest rooms in a 33-story tower, and 103,000 square feet of onsite function space. The hotel is connected by a sky bridge to the Indiana Convention Center and has three onsite, distinctive dining options, a full-service Starbucks, a state-of-the-art fitness center, an indoor pool and a multi-million dollar public art plaza. The JW Marriott Indianapolis has also been recognized by the America's Lodging Investment Summit as the "Development of the Year" for 2011, received Marriott International's "Full Service Opening of the Year" and was named as one of Fox News' Top 10 New Hotels.

For more information on the hotel, or to book a room, visit www.jwindy.com and follow the hotel on Twitter at @JWMarriottIndy and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/JWMarriottIndianapolis.

About JW Marriott
JW Marriott is part of Marriott International's luxury portfolio and consists of beautiful properties in gateway cities and distinctive resort locations around the world. These elegant hotels cater to today's sophisticated, self-assured travelers, offering them the quiet luxury they seek in a warmly authentic, relaxed atmosphere lacking in pretense. JW Marriott properties artfully provide highly crafted, anticipatory experiences that are reflective of their locale so that their guests have the time to focus on what is most important to them. Currently, there are 60 JW Marriott hotels in 24 countries; by 2015 the portfolio is expected to encompass 79 properties in 28 countries. Visit us online, jwmarriott.com, @jwmarriott and facebook.com/JWMarriott

Visit Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) for company information. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com.

SOURCE JW Marriott Indianapolis