Chef Ken Oringer has created three distinct culinary experiences in Boston that each showcase his experimental and gastronomically inventive cuisine and reflect his international travels and adventures. Oringer’s menus reflect the persistence with which he sources wild and exotic ingredients and then integrates them smoothly in well thought out, beautiful dishes that are classically grounded but thoroughly modern in delivery and style.

Oringer began his education at Bryant College in Rhode Island where he earned a B.A in business management, and immediately followed up with a degree from The Culinary Institute of America, where he was voted “Most Likely to Succeed.” After school, Oringer went on to work with David Burke at New York’s River Café, who turned out to be a huge inspiration and mentor for Oringer. From there, he took on the Pastry Chef position at Al Forno. Oringer’s next stop was Boston, where he was Chef de Partie but quickly promoted to Sous-Chef at Le Marquis de Lafayette under Jean-Georges Vongerichten, another important mentor in Oringer’s culinary growth. From here, Oringer went on to open the tratorria Terra, which received three stars from The New York Times.

In a quest to expand his culinary skills and learn more about American wines, Oringer embarked on a westward journey to Silks in San Francisco’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel, where he took the post of Chef de Cuisine. At Silk’s, Oringer’s style, flair and finesse with food began to attract attention. When Oringer moved back East to Massachusetts, it was as Chef and partner at Tosca in Hingham.

In 1997, Oringer opened Clio, which quickly received a four star rating from the Boston Herald. In 2001 he was the recipient of the James Beard ‘Best Chef in the Northeast Award.’ In 2002, Oringer added the sashimi bar, Uni, to Clio’s lounge, giving himself a new venue for the love of Asian flavors acquired during his travels all over Southeast Asia. In 2005, Oringer opened Toro, a Barcelona-inspired tapas restaurant in Boston’s South End drawing inspiration from his travels across Spain and time spent in the local markets and restaurants. When the confetti settles from Toro’s celebrated opening, Oringer will take on another exciting project further afield, in Bangkok.