Chef dylan soro

The concept of “Savage” comes from our Chef Dylan’s underlying determination to succeed and his ability to execute and tweak recipes in a non-traditional way. He actually wanted to name his own son Savage, but his wife quickly vetoed it. (Can you blame her?) We figured, if you can’t name your family member Savage, why not utilize it for a company and vision you are so passionate about!

The Savage Chef’s culinary journey started when he was 9 years old. His dad handed him a sauté pan and he began learning how to cook alongside him. It was there that his true passion and love for the culinary arts blossomed. If you ask Dylan the first thing he remembers about his love for food in his childhood, he will tell you the story about his first grade class. When the other students were naming their favorite foods to be pizza, Mac n’ cheese, and the likes, Dylan shocked everyone with his answer of Steak Diane. Dylan and his dad opened Soro’s Mediterranean Grill in Old Town Temecula in 2009. They transformed the space from a McDonald’s into a quick service Mediterranean restaurant. As they became more versed in the restaurant industry, they started to lean more towards a fine dining approach. this caused Dylan to seek out more! It was at this time this his wife, Nikki, convinced him to pursue a culinary education at the most prestigious culinary program in the United States, the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. While studying in New York, Dylan staged at Boulud Sud (Chef Daniel Boulud) and managed large catering events with Lola’s Weddings and Events in Poughkeepsie (Chef Eddie Kowalski). Dylan completed his externship in Las Vegas, NV at Wolfgang Puck’s renowned Spago in the Shoppes at Caesar’s Palace. Here he worked alongside his mentor, Chef Eric Klein, and participated in events with Wolfgang Puck himself. At the end of his externship, he was offered a permanent position and made the decision to leave the restaurant at the hands of his father to pursue his dream in Las Vegas.

While living in Vegas, Dylan worked with several celebrity chefs, including being part of the opening team for Herringbone in the Aria casino (Chef Brian Malarkey), and part of the opening team for Beauty and Essex in the Cosmopolitan casino (Chef Chris Santos). Dylan was then faced to make the decision on whether to pursue his own interest or put his family first and uproot his wife and kids to move back to Temecula to take over the family restaurant. This was an easy decision for the Savage Chef and they moved back to SoCal in 2018.

At this time, Dylan became the sole owner of the restaurant and changed the name to Soro’s Grill. He made changes to the existing menu to add his own unique flair and incorporate techniques and flavor combinations he had learned along the way. He wanted to change the dining scene in Temecula and that is exactly what he did.

Since then, he has started Savage Chef & Co meal prep company with his wife and sister, birthed Savage Events with his “OG” (original gangster, aka right hand woman) Sandi, and is putting his dream restaurant concept into fruition (Savage Chef Bar & Grill) with Chef Mario Amaras.

The Savage Chef not only transformed his family’s restaurant, but has also been making a big impact within the community and in the restaurant scene. He participated in the 2021 Temecula Chef Opn and swept first place in both divisions, the “People’s Choice” and the “Pinnacle Award” with his street corn raviolis. He is an active member in the community, doing work with the Oak Grove Center, the City of Temecula, and the City of Menifee.

Awards

SoCal Chef Open (2021)- Pinnacle Award

SoCal Chef Open (2021)- People’s Choice Award