One of our Renowned 2016 Chefs

John Lekic is the Chef/Owner of Le’ Express which is a farm to table Bistro in Wappinger Falls New York in the Hudson Valley.

He loves working with local farms and he specializes in on site farm dinners with a menu that is created from ingredients grown and sourced from the farm where the dinner is to be held.

He believes that as sand and beaches is subconsciously synonymous with Miami so should a farm dinner experience be with Hudson Valley.

His inspiration is drawn from sourcing ingredients throughout the Hudson Valley and creating unique dishes that reflect our Terroir.

He believes in the preservation of boutique agriculture and supporting our small farms while emphasizing that two same ingredients are not always equal to each other.

How things are done and grown at the farm matters.

John believes that these are still young days for the Hudson Valley in terms of growth and tourism.

He also thinks that our regional cuisine has not yet been defined and that here lies a great opportunity to plot the course for our future.

The core of Hudson Valley cuisine when defined should be focused more on small local farms that use sustainable practice. Embracing philosophy of less is more which means cleaner food with less chemicals, pesticides, and fillers.

John believes that there is a need to promote our Terroir to tell the story of our region and people who are behind these small farms.

Chef and Owner John Lekic have been in the industry for past 23 years.

His Chef De Cuisine for past 4 years is Isuf Sahiti.

John Lekic has an extensive resume that encompasses his work experience in various cuisines and concepts in some of the finest restaurants in New York City, Las Vegas and the Hudson Valley.

Our goal is to utilize locally sourced Hudson Valley ingredients, promote this region, and create a special place that will provide you with a memorable dining experience.