(WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.) – Pedro Rangel, formerly of Chicago, has been named chef at Mezze Bistro + Bar. Rangel has devoted his culinary career to developing skills in a wide range of cuisine styles and ethnicities. Rangel is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago (formerly known as the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago) and a seasoned chef whose focus is on creative interpretations of American, contemporary Latin, Asian, Spanish and classic French cuisine.

Rangel is already at work with the Mezze kitchen team creatng dishes with a focus on local, seasonal ingredients in keeping with their core mission to support local farmers and food makers.  In collaboration with Nancy Thomas, proprietor of the restaurant, Rangel is working on developing the Mezze Bistro menu to add in small plates and vegetable-based dishes to meet guests’ requests.

Before making the Berkshires his home-away-from-home, Rangel had the opportunity to work in a number of noted restaurants and travel with several well-known chefs crafting food from around the world. Favorite stops along the way include four-star, world-renowned restaurant Tru in Chicago, working with executive chef Rick Tramanto and his progressive French cuisine. He then went on to work in the kitchen at Uchi in Austin, Texas, a local seasonal restaurant where traditional Japanese is served with new flavors and textures sourced from local farm-fresh produce and seafood flown in every day from the Tsukiji market in Tokyo.

Rangel also had the opportunity to work with chef Douglas Rodriguez, globally acclaimed godfather of Nuevo Latino Cuisine, whose culinary creativity has changed the image of Latino food in America. He most recently worked at Bedford Post, an 80-seat American farm-to-table restaurant in Bedford, N.Y.

“The farms and orchards in the Berkshires are a steady source of fresh ingredients and I am really excited to cook with such an excellent supply of food from local farms,” said Rangel. “I look forward to working with the talented and dedicated farmers, artisans and chefs in the Berkshire region and am working to continue to develop Mezze’s menu to reflect the landscape that surrounds us.”

A sample of Rangel’s menu can be found here.

Mezze Bistro + Bar specializes in contemporary American cuisine highlighting the best of the season in support of independent farmers and artisan producers using sustainable practices. The food is handcrafted by Chef Pedro Rangel and his team; they take great care to source local and seasonal ingredients including farm-fresh produce, meats and cheeses. Located at 777 Cold Spring Road (Route 7) in Williamstown, Mezze Bistro + Bar serves dinner nightly beginning at 5 p.m. All major credit cards are accepted. For more information or reservations, call 413.458.0123 or visit www.opentable.com.

Mezze Restaurant Group is committed to local food with an emphasis on the highest quality ingredients. Working with like-minded, small family farms using sustainable practices, the restaurant group strives to bring the freshest ingredients possible, directly from the farm to the table. In addition, restaurant bar menus feature small-batch microbrews, local spirits and seasonal, small-production wines.

Co-owned by Nancy Thomas and Bo Peabody, the Mezze Restaurant Group is comprised of Mezze Bistro + Bar in Williamstown, Allium Restaurant + Bar in Great Barrington and Mezze Catering + Events, which provides full-service event planning. Mezze Restaurant Group is a member of Berkshire Grown, Slow Food and the Berkshire Visitors Bureau.