Chef's Corridor

As a Massachusetts native, seafood is part of Chef Steven Richard’s DNA. Some of Richard’s earliest memories involve driving around New England with his grandfather and trying out different lobster rolls together at all kinds of places, from eateries located on the side-of-the-road to upscale restaurants. His grandfather’s love of seafood and of cooking for friends and family were both contagious.

Once in college at Northeastern University, Richard often found himself cooking for his roommates at any opportunity he could. After graduating and embarking on a successful career in the pharmaceutical industry, Richard decided to change course and follow his passion for cooking.

In the late 1990’s, Richard moved to Florida and started his journey to becoming a chef. He began at Wolfgang Puck Grand Café as a pantry chef and worked there part-time while taking every culinary class available at Valencia College. For the next seven years, he quickly worked his way through the ranks and became an Executive Sous Chef. In 2007, Richard was named Executive Chef for Portobello Yacht Club. While there, Richard worked closely with James Beard Award-winning Chef Tony Mantuano on the transformation of the restaurant into Portobello Country Italian Trattoria. Richard was named regional chef for Levy Restaurants in 2011 and is excited to bring his talents to Paddlefish.

Kate Harrelson handles private events and group sales as Director of Sales for Levy Restaurants’ Disney Springs properties: Paddlefish and Terralina Crafted Italian. Harrelson’s previous experience includes coordinating large, high-profile events during major sports industry championships and tournaments such as Super Bowl LI, the Men’s US Open and the NBA All-Star Weekend. During her trip to the Super Bowl, Harrelson served as event manager at an off-site event that served more than 50,000 people in just four days.

“My first job when I was 13 was working at a restaurant, and I’ve been hooked ever since,” said Harrelson. “Working my way up in the industry throughout my teenage and college years has given me a well-rounded understanding of the operations and the business side of restaurants. I’m so thrilled to continue growing in my career at one of the most prestigious restaurant groups in the country.”

The University of Central Florida graduate most recently served as Events Sales Manager for The ONE Group’s STK Orlando, which is also located at Disney Springs.