Prime + Proper

Karen has a true passion for the hospitality industry and for perfecting the details that create an unparalleled guest experience. She gave up her Economics degree to be in the business of creating emotions, cultivating relationships, and crafting memories. She loves the idea that at any given time, we are moments away from chaos. Some of her restaurant experience includes Assistant General Manager at Wolfgang Puck, Regional Beverage Director for Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Beverage Director for Mastro’s Steakhouse Houston, and now General Manager at Prime + Proper. In addition to leading our team, she is a Level II Whiskey Specialist, Executive Bourbon Steward and Level I Sommelier. She loves to pursue her passion for Scotch. When she is not at work, she spends time with her husband and two little girls and they love to be outdoors, camping, hiking, boating, and kayaking together.

Renee was born and raised in Massachusetts and is a newcomer to the city of Detroit. Her journey into the restaurant industry started at a local Italian eatery when she was just thirteen and has continued ever since. On a whim, Renee decided to move her talents to Grand Rapids, MI and found employment at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. During her time in West Michigan, she has had the pleasure of perfecting her skills at Wolfgang Puck, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Terra GR and MDRD. Renee is drawn to the challenge of opening new restaurants and places an emphasis on providing the best possible experience by connecting with the community, highlighting quality ingredients, and cultivating relationships. In her free time, she is looking forward to indulging in all that Detroit has to offer.

Walter, Our executive butcher, began his career in New Jersey where he was born and raised. After 8 years of experience in the industry working at butcher shops and fine dining restaurants all over the Tri-state area he decided it was time to elevate his knowledge and experience as a Butcher so he elected to attend Culinary School at The Culinary Institute of America. After graduating, he took a huge leap and moved to Europe, where he worked along the coast of the Mediterranean. He eventually returned to the United States and began carving his way onto the scene, working for some notable brands such as the Hard Rock hotel and casino, Delmonico’s, and the Iconic Peter Luger Steakhouse. So how did Walter end up in Detroit? On a visit in 2016, he fell in love and knew the city of Detroit would be his next stop. He joined the Heirloom Hospitality family in 2017 as an opening team member for Prime and Proper and continues to elevate the Butchery Program through his vast knowledge of all things meat and his affinity for sharing that love and passion with others.

Chef Vince’s culinary and hospitality career started off at the young age of 17 in Rochester, Michigan. He started his career as a food runner and quickly fell in love with the grind and passion of restaurant life. After graduating high school Vince became a line cook at his first job and later grew into the role of lead line cook. With Detroit’s restaurant boom and Heirloom Hospitality’s new concept at the time (Prime + Proper), Vince made his way downtown to join the venture. Starting off as a line cook at Prime + Proper, Vince was quickly promoted to the role of Sous Chef. His passion continues to grow as he now leads the culinary team as Executive Chef at Prime + Proper. Outside of the restaurant scene, Vince enjoys fly fishing and cooking for his family.

Dan, a native of Detroit, spent his culinary career working in several restaurants located around the metro Detroit area, including The Shinola Hotel and The Whitney, where he led the team as an Executive Chef. As a proud member of Prime + Proper’s opening team back in 2017, Dan found his way back to the team as an Executive Sous Chef in 2020. His loyalty to Detroit has created a passion for cultivating relationships with local vendors, and he places utmost priority on sourcing fresh, locally grown products to encourage the growth of Detroit small businesses. Along with striving to provide the best quality food, Dan takes pride in going out of his way to create experiences that will leave lasting impressions for his guests. Outside of work, Dan likes to spend his free-time with his daughter, as well as casually pursuing his dream of becoming a professional disc golfer.

Karl’s love for cooking began at an early age. As a child, he much enjoyed watching culinary programs on Food Network,especially ‘Emeril Live’, absorbing everything he could and testing his skills by preparing dinner for his family with his Father. His admiration for Chefs and the Culinary world carried into all areas of his childhood, he even dressed as a Chef for Halloween one year. As he grew older, the passion only grew stronger, so he decided to jump into the industry. Starting as a dishwasher at a local restaurant, he patiently watched his predecessors and took note, eventually becoming the assistant Kitchen Manager. It was then he decided that he craved more and wanted to continue to expand on his understanding of all things culinary, so he left Michigan to attend the Culinary Institute of America in New York. He spent some time learning and growing in NYC before returning home after being offered his first Chef position in Royal Oak with Cafe Muse. Following his time with Cafe Muse, Karl has been a staple with Heirloom Hospitality, from holding Chef positions with Townhouse Birmingham, to eventually moving to Prime + Proper where he is currently a member of our Chef Team. Karl may be Prime + Proper, but he truly believes sandwiches are the world's most perfect food. When Karl isn’t in the Kitchen, he enjoys mountain biking, and keeping up with the 10 year tradition of playing D&D with his friends weekly. He’s also a car enthusiast, and is currently upgrading a BMW 335i.

Steve’s journey into the culinary industry began during high school, working as a fudge and candy maker in his hometown of Frankenmuth. While obtaining a degree in business and finance in Mount Pleasant, Steve continued to find a home in the kitchen and worked his way up from dishwasher to lead line cook at a local bar and grill. Though Steve started his career in the financial sector, he soon realized his heart was with food. Transitioning into a culinary career, Steve trained as a sushi chef for a year before moving to Metro Detroit. He then had the pleasure of working at Gold Cash Gold as a line cook and eventual Sous Chef, gaining expertise in butchery, fermentation, and pasta making. Steve joined Prime + Proper in February 2020 and is thrilled to work alongside a passionate and talented team. In his free time, Steve loves to spend time with his wife Julia, listening to good records, biking, playing cards, and spending time in nature.

Richard’s culinary career started when he was 18 at a small sushi restaurant in the city of Ferndale, Michigan. Taking the job as a dishwasher, he quickly took the responsibility of preparing the rice and other prep projects for the restaurant. Shortly after being put behind the sushi bar as a full time cook the owners moved him over to an Italian restaurant two doors down. Richard mostly self-taught at this point, was running the kitchen by the time he was 20 with the title of Head Chef. Richard spent a few years at the helm until he decided to continue growing and honing his skills with other culinary projects. Which included consulting and restructuring restaurants. Richard came back to Prime + Proper in the summer of 2020 as a Grill Chef with hopes of continuing his own growth in the hospitality and culinary group. His prime interest in food is the vast history and culture that comes with it. Richard is one of five children and in his spare time spends time with his son and family. Richard is also a 5th degree black belt in Jui Jitsu and is legally considered a lethal weapon.

Marisa’s culinary journey began when she was just 14 taking vocational culinary classes throughout high school. She quickly fell in love with the industry, moved to New York and enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America. She graduated with her Associates in Baking and Pastry, then with her Bachelor’s in Business Management. She worked at The Lodge at Woodloch in Pennsylvania and the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach as lead pastry cook for each of the hotels’ fine dining restaurants. She joined the Prime + Proper team in July of 2018 and has quickly worked her way to Pastry Sous Chef. She loves the world of fine dining because of its attention to detail and high standards of each of our guest. Outside of work, Marisa is an avid cyclist and enjoys reading books.

Chad graduated from Grand Valley State University with a degree in Economics and Finance, and worked in restaurants during his time at GVSU. Upon graduation, it quickly became clear that the finance world was not his calling. He determined that he very much enjoyed working in restaurants and decided he had a strong desire for hospitality and would continue to pursue + grow his interests within the industry. During his ascent in hospitality, he enjoyed careers within fine dining at restaurants such as Wolfgang Puck, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, and as Assistant General Manager at JW Marriott’s Margaux in Grand Rapids. His interest in wine grew exponentially during his career development within food + beverage, and is now a deep passion he shares with our guests and team at Prime + Proper. Chad continues to educate and hone in on his craft daily, while sharing this education with those around him. If you had to ask Chad what wine is his favorite, it would be hard to pinpoint, however he will say that he is favoring wines from the Southern Rhone Valley. When Chad is not serving wine in the Prime + Proper dining room, you can find him on the golf course or enjoying a handcrafted cocktail.

Tiffany is a Metro-Detroit native with over 14 years of experience within the cities nightlife and entertainment industry. She joined the P+P team to implement her knowledge to help transform Heirloom Hospitality’s visions into a one of a kind experience for their guests. Best’s attentiveness has dubbed her the 2-time reigning Maitre D of the year by Hour Magazine. Simply in her name. In her spare time, the tequila enthusiast enjoys relaxing with her two Boxers and relishing the adventures the city has to offer.

Matt’s hospitality journey started when he left Michigan and moved to Minneapolis to pursue a higher education. During that time began serving at restaurants on the weekend where he learned one of his greatest strengths was that he was able to keep cool in high pressure situations. He then began working under local celebrity Chef, David Fhima. Over the years, Matt worked his way up by executing worthy dining experiences for Minneapolis’ impressive clientele. After 14 years in the Twin Cities at restaurants such as Pittsburgh Blue Steakhouse, 6Smith, and BLVD kitchen & bar, Matt has come back to Detroit with a clear goal in mind- to be an integral part in the resurgence of his home. As a former drummer, Matt is looking forward to spending his free time taking in all the sights and sounds of Detroit’s music scene.