Chris Damskey

Four Seasons Tenure

• Originally 2014; now since 2024
• First Four Seasons Position: Chef de Cuisine, Four Seasons Resort Hualalai

Employment History

• Sea Island Company, St. Simons Island, Georgia; The Club at Hokuli’a, Kealakekua, Hawaii; Auberge Resorts Collection; Hawaii; Montage Kapalua Bay, Maui, Hawaii; Four Seasons Resort Hualalai; Alan Wong’s AMASIA, The Grand Wailea Resort, Maui, Hawaii; Market by Jean-Georges, Boston; Chambers Kitchen by Jean-Georges, Chambers Hotel, Minneapolis; Five Restaurant and Street Lounge, Minnesota; Solera Restaurant & Event Center, Minneapolis; Aquavit, New York City & Minnesota; La Toscana, Minnesota; Napa Valley Grille, California; Minnesota Vikings Catering, Minnesota

Education

• Associate Degree, Inver Hills Community College, Minnesota; Associate Degree, Culinary, Scottsdale Culinary Institute, Arizona; Associate Degree, Culinary, St. Paul Technical College, Minnesota

Birthplace

• Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Languages Spoken

• English

“The beautiful thing about this island is its bounty of specialty food items. So, we focus on beautiful flavours,” says Chris Damskey of the dining experience he shapes with local ingredients and artful technique as Chef de Cuisine of ‘Ulu Ocean Grill. Now on his second turn in a decade at the aquarium-edge restaurant of Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Damskey has a straightforward strategy to ensure ‘Ulu hits the spot for diners. “We will celebrate what Hawaii and all the islands offer, to create unique and memorable experiences that blend the multicultural traditions we share and provides a ‘sense of place’ to relax and enjoy with us.”

Initially recruited to oversee ‘Ulu in 2014, Damskey returned in 2024 when the restaurant was under renovation, including the addition of an elevated sushi offering led by a former colleague. “We are very excited about the new experiences we will create for our guests and team.”

There are another 20 talented cooks in the kitchen fashioning three menus daily at ‘Ulu, including an overnight shift for in-room dining for the entire Resort. Damskey sees himself as a “conduit” to spark creativity and inspire all hands. “I’ve learned that everyone on the team brings something to the table. My goal is to grow collaborations to present a taste of the bold flavours that are unique to the Islands.”

He also aims to keep guests coming back for more, recalling advice from his former employer Jean-Georges Vongerichten, including “Season with your senses,” and “Give your guests memorable, delicious moments that they will crave again and again.” Engaging guests is a favourite ritual for Damskey, and an important one given that the property is both a community and a Resort. “We are in the business of making memories and that includes making connections. I try to listen more than I talk.”

Born in Minnesota, growing up Chris spent weekends and vacations working at his grandparents’ dairy farm in Wisconsin. “I milked, churned, pickled, and could drive tractor before I could drive a car.” He also joined his grandmother in the kitchen making the meals. She was a baker by trade and a passionate gardener, and he fell for both.

With encouragement from his parents, he studied marketing and art history and came within a whisker of earning a bachelor’s degree before switching to learn culinary at an accelerated pace. Timing turned out to be everything: Damskey got in right before the launch of the Food Network, which caused cooking school enrolments to soar. “I jumped with both feet, working a kitchen night job at the same time. The sensory overload appealed to me. I don’t know what clicked, but it did.”

After getting his start catering for the Minnesota Vikings, he landed at restaurants in the Bay Area before returning home for, among other things, work at a Jean-Georges concept in downtown Minneapolis. He moved on to another posting with the chef in Boston before answering a Craig’s List ad for a plum opportunity to open a global izakaya, sushi and robata concept for a local celebrity chef in Maui. Again, something clicked, and he spent the next 12 years at luxury restaurants in the islands.

Along the way, Damskey built a community of farmers and fishmongers that he still taps for the finest local ingredients for ‘Ulu. Indeed, when word got out that he was returning to Four Seasons, those producers “couldn’t wait,” he says. “I couldn’t either. I’ve always appreciated the connections made in my journey and the time and love our local farming communities put into their products.”

Chris proclaims he’s a bit of a homebody now, but he is eager to be back on the water again, nonetheless. “In Maui, I joined an outrigger team while opening Alan Wong’s AMASIA. Both were very demanding of time. These days, I’m more inclined to standup paddle boarding.”