About Us
Adam & Alexa DeMezza
Since moving back to Tahoe and starting a family in 2017, Rosewood founders Adam and Alexa DeMezza had been dreaming of opening a welcoming neighborhood restaurant and bar that catered to the local community. They envisioned a place where they could showcase decades of hospitality experience in the form of a great yet simple food menu rooted in the comforting dishes Adam grew up eating with his Italian family, along with a thoughtful cocktail and wine program, and—most importantly—friendly service. After stumbling upon the location in Incline Village, the concept for Rosewood began to materialize and was opened in March 2023.
Adam is originally from the outskirts of Pittsburgh, PA, but he is no stranger to the Tahoe Basin. He worked at Tahoe institutions Garwoods and River Ranch before moving to San Francisco in 2014. While there, he bartended all over town before opening the Mission location of Giordano Bros. with his two business partners. Giordano's operated for over 11 years, closing in 2022. After moving back to Tahoe in 2017, Adam worked at Wolfdale's, The Ritz Carlton, the Resort at Squaw Creek, and Caliente before finding the Incline Village location of Rosewood.
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Alexa is originally from Amarillo, TX, but moved to San Francisco to attend college. During school she began serving tables and was lucky enough to land a job at District Wine Bar, where she was trained by Sommelier Caterina Mirabelli, who mentored her and her love of wine. Alexa went on to obtain her Sommelier Certification, helped open Kenzo Estate winery in Napa, and worked with Williams-Sonoma to develop their wine club. Before moving to Tahoe, Alexa worked at A16, furthering her knowledge and love of Italian wine varietals, which are showcased on the Rosewood wine list.
Will Brunk
Will’s journey started one day in the summer before his tenth grade year. He and his father were sitting in the local taqueria, Jimboy’s, having lunch. He was giving Will the token “it’s time to get a job” talk. Will told him that he thought he wanted to be a cook. At the end of their lunch his father suggested that
Will talk to the manager. Will started at 4pm that afternoon & has been cooking ever since.
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Will spent his early years going to college cooking at fine dining establishments. A move to San Francisco enabled him to continue to hone his skills as a chef. There, he also managed the front of the house to gain experience and become a well-rounded chef. His career has been focused on attaining the most culinary experience and knowledge as possible, including Asian-Pacific , French Mediterranean and American Regional. His inspirations evolve from healthy, fresh, seasonal & sustainable ingredients.
Joey Picchi
Joey comes to Rosewood and the Tahoe Basin by way of San Carlos, California, where he was raised in his family's Sicilian Restaurant until it was sold in 2003. It was there he developed a love for the industry and began honing his bartending skills. After years in the San Francisco restaurant and bar scene, Joey became one of the most sought after bartenders in the Bay Area, leading the cocktail programs at the city's best cocktail bars; Oddjob, Jones, and The Midway. His imaginative, market-driven creations garnered recognition in publications such as Wine & Spirits Magazine and 7x7 Magazine, among others. Joey and Adam met at Giordano Bros., became fast friends, and we'll just say the rest is history.
Joey runs the show here at Rosewood and if you're lucky enough to catch him behind the bar, trust us, you will not be disappointed.
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