BLT Steak at the Betsy Hotel

Betsy Hotel South Beach general manager Jeff Lehman has announced that Matthew Oetting has been named chef de cuisine of BLT Steak, the highly acclaimed restaurant that graces the lobby of the stylish boutique hotel. Oetting, 32, comes to Laurent Tourondel’s modern steakhouse from New York, where he oversaw operations as executive chef for The Trump Soho Hotel.  Oetting is excited to join the BLT Steak team and looks forward to creating extraordinary dining experiences for restaurant guests.

Working closely with Tourondel to perfectly execute the star chef’s menu, Oetting’s individuality shines through on the restaurant’s daily blackboard menu specials.

Born in Albany, Oetting moved to Tempe at a young age. Cooking with his father as a child, he found his first job at age 15 in a local restaurant while still in high school.  While attending Arizona State University he paid his way through college by working in restaurants for two years, until finally deciding to pursue his passion for cooking, he enrolled in the Scottsdale Culinary Institute.  An externship brought him to New York’s Union Square Café in 2002; and from there he went onto work at some of the city’s top restaurants including Judson Grill, Barbuto, The Modern, Telepan, STK and Scarpetta before becoming executive chef for The Trump Soho Hotel.

After ten years in New York, when Laurent Tourondel called him to discuss the Miami Beach job, Oetting knew the move would be the right one.

Said Oetting,“I was honored to be offered the position. After just having a new baby, my wife and I knew that now was a good time for us to move, especially to sunny Florida! I love the steak house concept, and knew that BLT Steak is one of the best, so I couldn’t turn it down. Representing this prestigious brand is one of my proudest accomplishments.”

BLT Steak at The Betsy is located in the lobby at 1440 Ocean Drive on South Beach.  Telephone: (305) 673-0044; www.thebetsyhotel.com/dining/blt-steak.