made by hand. served with heart.
Chef Taylor was born in Roanoke, Virginia and moved to Sanibel in 1985. Taylor joined the Marines right out of high school and completed his service in 2001. Utilizing the GI Bill, Chef Taylor attended The Florida Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach to earn his culinary degree.
Chef Taylor started his culinary career at Gulf Harbor Yacht & Country Club in FT. Myers and extended his knowledge of culinary arts at the EL Dorado Resort and Casino in Shreveport, LA. After moving back to the Sanibel / Ft. Myers area, Chef Taylor became Corporate Executive Chef of IL Tesoro on Sanibel and traveled to NYC and Martha’s Vineyard to oversee all of the restaurants during the winter and summer months. Taylor was invited to cook at The James Beard House in October 2012.
After being a Private Chef for a few years, Chef Taylor opened UVA”S Vino and Tapas in Ft. Myers before joining Cielo’s team in April 2023.
A native New Yorker, Rachel Urbelis has been a mixologist and bartender for over a decade, serving in bars and restaurants both large and small, from New York City, to Melbourne, Australia. Rachel’s style of cocktail creation is all about incorporating new fresh flavors with a focus on classic techniques. Rachel’s passion for continued education has led her to be awarded a scholarship by the Society of Wine Educators to complete their Certified Specialist of Spirits certification. In the position of Mixologist at Cielo, Rachel is creating a seasonally changing menu of rifts on classic cocktails, as well as creative new ideas to make every visit a pleasant surprise.
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