___________________________

Chef Keira Moritz

Pacci Ristorante & AltoRex Rooftop Lounge

Although Keira Moritz was originally headed for a career in criminal justice,

her passion for cooking led her on a different path.  A Georgia native, Moritz

first attended Valdosta State University before fully realizing her talents in the

kitchen while attending an event where the chef failed to show up.  Moritz filled

in to feed 150 guests and knew she had stumbled upon a career.  She went on

to attain her culinary degree from Johnson and Wales University in Charleston,

South Carolina, and then her foodservice management degree from the university’s campus in Denver, Colorado.

After finishing culinary school, Moritz remained in Denver to work alongside

Chef Elise Wiggins at Panzano where her admiration of Italian cuisine grew. 

During Moritz’s time as executive sous chef at Panzano, the restaurant

received the 2005 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and was named one

of the top five restaurants by the Rocky Mountain News.

Prior to her arrival at Pacci, Moritz spent two years as executive chef for

Puccini & Pinetti which is one of San Francisco’s top Italian restaurants where

she made extensive changes and brought new ideas to the menu.  Moritz

utilized fresh and local ingredients to create exciting Italian dishes.

At Pacci Ristorante, Moritz’s passion lies in supporting local farms and

artisan producers and providing the best meats and seafood and seasonal

produce at the peak of their quality.  Her menu features seasonal, Northern

Italian cuisine alongside traditional steakhouse classics.  Moritz and Pacci

were recently recognized in Esquire magazine as one of the “Best New

Restaurants of 2009.”

Moritz’s culinary talents also garnered several other accolades in Pacci’s

first year of business, including The Sunday Paper’s recognition as one of the

50 Best Restaurants in Atlanta for 2009 and also in 2009, the award for Best

Table Display at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Chocolate!

Moritz currently resides in Midtown with her border collie, Magnolia, and

enjoys staying active in her free time by running marathons and kayaking.

She also enjoys growing her own herbs and tomatoes.