Bobby Flay’s Chef Taking Over at Popular Hudson Valley Restaurant

A highly acclaimed restaurant in Dutchess County is getting a new executive chef with an impressive pedigree.

At the age of 13 Jared Lozuponel began cooking for himself and others. Since then, Chef Lozuponel has cooked at some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the world.

After graduating from the New York Restaurant School, Lozuponel spent time on the line at a list of famous restaurants in Manhattan. His time at Tribeca Grill & Crispo allowed him to gain the attention of celebrity chef, Bobby Flay.

Lozuponel worked at Flay's famous restaurant, Bolo before being handpicked to open the celebrity chef's first international restaurant in the Bahamas. After launching Mesa Grill Atlantis on Paradise Island, Lozuponel returned to the states to serve as chef at 606 R&D in Brooklyn. The Michelin recommended restaurant was known for its weekly rotating menu.

During his time in the Bahamas, Chef Lozuponel met Ed Krebser, the GM at Heritage Food and Drink in Wappingers Falls. After deciding to move his family from the city up to the Hudson Valley, the chef reconnected with Krebser and has just been named Heritage's new executive chef.

In a Facebook post, the restaurant says that Chef Lozuponel will bring some "BIG changes to (the) menu over the coming weeks."  Heritage Food and Drink opened just over two years ago after transforming the old Greenbaum and Gilhooley's restaurant on Route 9.

Read more:

• Hudson Valley Snow Closings & Delays
• This Restaurant's Tipping Policy Left Me Speechless
• Idiot Crashes Car Attempting to 'Drift' on Route 44 in New Paltz
• We Tour 21 Abandoned Businesses on Route 9
• Hudson Valley Waitress Brought to Tears Over Surprise Tip
• New York Lake Named Most Beautiful in America
• Top 6 Hudson Valley Restaurants Featured on Food Network
• Enormous Fish Live in Hidden Cave Under City of Poughkeepsie

BONUS VIDEO