KARL EDLBAUER, Executive Chef
 A native of Wels, Austria, Karl Edlbauer began his culinary career at one of Europe's most distinguished hotel and restaurant schools for chefs, Gmunden-Salzburg. This step set in motion a personal odyssey that took the young Edlbauer to the farthest reaches of the globe by land, sea and air.
Following graduation from Gmunden-Salzburg and stints at some of the world's most exclusive hotels, including The Savoy on The Strand, London, The Palace Hotel in St. Moritz, Switzerland, and the InterContinental Hotel in Dusseldorf (where he served H.R.H. Queen Juliana and King Bernhard of The Netherlands), Chef Karl answered the age-old, irresistible call of the ocean waves and ran off to sea.
Of course, he did so as executive chef aboard such luxurious cruise liners as the Royal Viking Sea, Star and Sky (where he first met Mr. and Mrs. Jack Belz of Belz Enterprises, parent company of Peabody Hotel Group), and on the exquisite Sea Goddesses I and II where he served Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco and crossed paths with such mega-movie stars as Sean Connery, Barbra Streisand and Cary Grant.
In 1986, a newly-arrived immigrant in the United States of America, Chef Karl came to the unfinished hotel building on International Drive. His goal: to create the finest team of culinary professionals in Orlando and establish the cuisines of The Peabody Orlando as la creme de la creme.
"My life has been a veritable fairytale-come-true," smiles Chef Karl as he talks of his youthful dreams and ambitions. “I had a burning desire to visit America, to see for myself this vast, vast land of extraordinary contrasts. Of course, I thought I'd only want to stay for a year or so. Now, after eleven years with The Peabody Orlando, I am one of the most contented human beings on the planet. And, why not? I work for a marvelous company with the best colleagues and friends anyone could ever desire.”
Chef Karl smiles as he talks of his days at sea. They were wonderful times. I enjoyed every cruise liner I sailed, and indeed; I can thank this episode of my career for bringing my wife, Brita, into my life. And, it was while at sea I first met Mr. and Mrs. Jack Belz, who with their sons Marty and Gary were instrumental in bringing me to Orlando as Executive Chef for their new hotel.
“People ask if I regretted leaving life at sea for a land-based job. When Brita and I met, fell in love and married, we both knew it was time to get back on terra firma, settle down and start our family. Everything in my life has had its right time and place. I am now in the right place at the right time of my life.”
The Edlbauer family is a miniature United Nations: Karl was born in Austria, Brit in the United Kingdom; son Andreas who is now 17 years old was born in Norway, and Mark, 15 years old, was born in Orlando.
Since The Peabody Orlando first opened its doors in 1986, Chef Karl has made a significant contribution to the phenomenal success of the hotel. His expertise and leadership have been instrumental in the many awards showered on the hotel's restaurants and banquet services.
What's next for Chef Karl? "Here's to the next ten years at The Peabody Orlando," he smiles. 
SCOTT MAURER, Executive Sous Chef
Chef Scott is a man with a mission and a passion for food. From his earliest days back home in Old Tappan, N.J., he devoted himself with youthful ardor to the in-depth study of, and devotion to, all aspects of food, from the fundamentals of produce planting and harvesting to the preparation and presentation of exquisite, plated, culinary masterpieces.
Today, as a fully-fledged chef, the groundwork he so carefully laid as a student chef is the rock-steady foundation of his culinary skill and prowess as the banquet chef for one of the nation’s most prestigious meetings and conventions hotels, The Peabody Orlando.
A 1988 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Scott worked for three years on a produce farm in the Garden State of New Jersey, where he planted and harvested produce. He apprenticed in a butcher shop for a year to learn how to fabricate beef, lamb, pork and poultry. His first job in the culinary field was a two-year stint as chef apprentice with an off-premise caterer. During his externship, Chef Scott worked two jobs to gain full exposure to all aspects of his profession.
In 1989, he first joined The Peabody Orlando and worked in all three restaurants, culminating in 1992 as chef de cuisine for Dux. He then became executive chef of Cove Cay Country Club in Clearwater, Florida, worked in Atlanta, Georgia for a year at Bistango Restaurant during the Olympics, and in 1998 opened the Phoenix Brewing Company as its executive sous chef.
However, like other chefs before him, Chef Scott returned to The Peabody Orlando and in 1998 was appointed chef for Capriccio. A year later he was elevated to banquet chef, and in August, 2001 was promoted to executive sous chef. “The Peabody Orlando is a special place, not only for the guests, but for the chefs who have the creative freedom chefs need to excel and to keep up with trends in the culinary field.”
The Peabody Orlando, a custom-designed meetings and conventions hotel, has won just about every major award from the nation’s meeting planners for the quality of the hotel’s banquet food. “Meeting planners know that even though we are catering for two thousand convention delegates, the food will be of stand-alone restaurant quality,” said chef Scott. “The hot food will be piping hot, the chilled dishes will be correctly chilled, and the presentation will be artful and exquisite. This is Peabody banqueting and this is why we have all of those awards lining our walls.”
SCOTT WHALEN, B-Line Diner® Chef de Cuisine
"Scott Whalen, the B-Line Diner's chef, is a real 'culinarian find,'" said Karl Edlbauer, corporate executive chef, Peabody Hotel Group and executive chef for The Peabody Orlando. “Chef Whalen has been with us since 1990. He fully understands and practices the Peabody's high standards of food preparation, presentation and service, and he is wowing guests for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.” And, even after dinner, in the “wee-small-hours-of-the-morning,” Orlando's night owls in search of good, late-night dining are beating a track to this I-Drive landmark restaurant because of Chef Whalen's innovative, creative direction. Chef Whalen closely follows Chef Karl's epicurean philosophy. “We use only the finest, freshest, seasonal ingredients. I prefer to let the food speak for itself,” said Chef Whalen. “It's hard to improve on Mother Nature. In my B-Line Diner kitchen, we pay a lot of attention to preparation, the cooking process, and very, very careful seasoning which is used only to enhance the natural texture and flavor of the ingredients we are cooking. Seasoning should never overpower nature's bounty. I aim to please the palate and the eye, so presentation, our final flourish, is all-important.” Chef Whalen was part of the opening culinary team in the B-Line® Diner in 1986. He left us for a short stint when the Universal Studios® Hard Rock Café opened. However, Chef Whalen missed The Peabody Orlando and returned in 1990. In 2003 Chef Whalen became B-Line manager, handling the daily affairs of guest service with great success. In March 2009, Chef Whalen donned his whites again to ensure the quality known in the B-Line Diner® continues.
JARED N. GROSS, Chef De Cuisine, CAPRICCIO GRILL
In 1997, Jared Gross left the cold, snowy winters of York, Pennsylvania, and traveled to Orlando in the sunshine state of Florida. He had an externship lined up with The Peabody Orlando, under the expert tutelage of Karl Edlbauer, corporate executive chef, Peabody Hotel Group. Working as a sous chef at the then Capriccio Italian restaurant, Jared made a big impression on Chef Karl.
This young, innovative chef was hired full-time when his externship was completed and he began to cook at the number one position in Capriccio. Meanwhile, Chef Jared cross-trained in all areas of the hotel’s food operations: banquets, garde manger, pastry shop, and at all three award-winning restaurants, Dux, Capriccio, and the B-Line Diner. Chef Jared also assisted in the development and presentation of the hotel’s monthly wine pairing dinners. Two years later he was promoted to sous chef, a meteoric rise for any young chef.
As he developed his management skills, he became proficient in menu development, placing food orders and managing staff, and joined the hotel’s mentor program.
In 2003, Chef Jared was appointed chef de cuisine of the newly re-conceptualized Capriccio Grill® Italian Steakhouse, a new twist on the old Capriccio concept. The menu for Capriccio Grill® is devoted to US prime beef and chops from Ruprecht’s of Chicago, fresh seafood and pasta dishes. Chef Jared is totally responsible for the culinary team at Capriccio Grill® and the rave reviews by patrons affirm the quality of the menu items that are presented under his direction. He also directs operations for the hotel’s award-winning Sunday Brunch.
Chef Jared admits that while his passion for cooking and menu development came from his culinary school education, he once decided to explore front of the house management. But, he quickly realized that the kitchen was his true métier, a place where he could be creative, blend flavors and textures together and present exciting plates.
In his spare time, Chef Jared likes sports, especially basketball. He and his wife, Maggie, whom he met at culinary school, have one child, Camden, and another is due to arrive very soon.
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