CANANDAIGUA — Two rising star chefs have joined The Lake House on Canandaigua, elevating a culinary program already known for its exceptional Finger Lakes cuisine and its deep-seated commitment to local producers. Newly appointed executive chef Steve Eakins and executive baker John Bard join Lake House’s food and beverage director Nicholas Massimilian at the helm of a dynamic young kitchen team serving Lake House’s signature modern American restaurant Rose Tavern, local favorite Sand Bar, the cozy Library Bar and the seasonal Pool Bar.
Their arrival at Lake House marks a return to their hometown roots for both Eakins and Bard, whose culinary careers have followed similar arcs. Both gained an early passion for cooking during childhood, inspired by the home-cooking traditions of their families. And both worked in local restaurants before honing their craft in some of the nation’s hottest culinary destinations—Manhattan for Eakins and Austin, Texas for Bard.
The new team is already building on Lake House’s local partnerships, launching a series of monthly wine pairing dinner events at Rose Tavern that showcase the exceptional wines of the Finger Lakes growing region. The first, held in January, featured local Riesling producer Red Newt Cellars, with the wines of Hermamn J. Wiemer, Buttonwood Grove Winery, and 680 Cellars slated for the spotlight in February and March, respectively.
The team has also introduced a new light menu for the Library Bar, including house-baked pastries at breakfast, served with specialty coffee drinks featuring locally roasted beans from Joe Bean Coffee Roasters. In the evening, a choice of farmstead cheese and charcuterie or Brooklyn burrata complement a well-curated selection of cocktails and both local and international wine and beer.
Eakins was most recently executive chef of Radio Social, a recreational hub and event space in Rochester with two in-house culinary venues—Ophira and Shortwave. For six years prior, he worked with Marc Murphy’s Benchmarc restaurants in Manhattan, serving as executive chef of Ditch Plains, Landmarc at the Time Warner Center, Kingside in the Vicery Hotel and Landmarc in Tribeca. His New York City restaurant experience also includes Central Park Boathouse and Danny Meyer’s Maialino. Eakins earned his degree from Connecticut Culinary Institute and has appeared on two Food Network hit shows: Chopped and The Best Thing I Ever Ate.
Bard joins Lake House from Austin, where he most recently worked with McGuire Moorman Lambert (MML), taking over the bread and pastry program at Clark’s Oyster Bar and opening Swedish Hill bakery and deli in 2019. It was in Austin that he learned bread baking while working in the pastry kitchen of Jeffrey’s, a high-end French-inspired steakhouse, becoming head baker. Before his move to Texas, Bard worked in the kitchens of two restaurants in Rochester’s popular Park Avenue neighborhood—the upscale Mexican restaurant Dorado and Magnolia’s Café, where he had the privilege of cooking for President Barack Obama.
Massimilian joined Lake House in January 2021, bringing with him more than 14 years of hospitality and restaurant management experience in Upstate New York. Most recently, he served as general manager of Redd Rochester, the city’s premier dining destination led by Michelin-star chef Richard Reddington, and before that general manager and sommelier at Morton’s The Steakhouse locations in Rochester and Buffalo. Massimilian managed operations and the customer experience as general manager of food and beverage for The Strathallan Hotel and Spa from 2015 to 2018. Earlier in his career, he was regional training manager for Romano’s Macaroni Grill while also serving as acting front of house manager at locations in Rochester and Albany. A Boston native who has spent most of his life in Rochester, Massimilian launched his hospitality career at a young age, working his way from busser to a leadership role at a local restaurant.