Executive Chef Eric Mauldin, Ristorante Italiano Vercitti at the Hilton Greenville & Towers.

GREENVILLE, S.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 25, 1999--

Eric Mauldin, a multi-award-winning chef with more than 20 years of professional expertise, joined the Hilton Greenville & Towers as Executive Chef in 1997. Prior to that, Mauldin was a chef at the Ritz Carlton Buckhead, the corporate flagship hotel for the Ritz Carlton chain.

His first major task was the design and creation of a whole new portfolio of menus to highlight the essence and delights of quality local, regional, national and global cuisines.

With the recent opening of the Hilton Greenville & Towers' magnificent Vercitti Ristorante Italiano, Mauldin's true culinary colors were revealed:

The red white and green flag of Italy and the palate-pleasing cuisine of Northern Italy's Tuscan region.

In a word, the man is passionate about zesty, fragrant, cuisine of Tuscany, and this passion is flavorfully expressed in the culinarian verve and flair of the restaurant's menu and exquisite, individual food presentation.

In general, Mauldin's cuisine pays homage to tradition, with a generous dash of 21st century, global culinary innovation. However, at Vercitti Ristorante Italiano, his cuisine is seriously faithful to Tuscan culinary tradition.

Eric Mauldin began his professional career at age 17, an apprentice at the Hyatt Regency Memphis. Three years later, he was promoted to sous chef at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta where he led his culinary team to, and subsequently maintained, a prestigious Four Diamond rating.

Chef Mauldin trained at the Capital City Club in Atlanta under the guidance of master chef Christian Chenin. This was followed by a stint at the Westin Hotel Atlanta as executive sous chef. He was trained and inspired by some of the world's most famous and celebrated chefs: Todd English, Jose Gutierrez, Franz Mitterer, Emeril Lagasse, Karl Edlbauer and Guenter Seeger.

Among the many celebrities Eric Mauldin has served are: Governor Zell Miller, Donald Trump, Ted Turner, Hank Aaron, Eric Clapton and Janet Jackson.

Mauldin is an active member of the local and national American Culinary Federation. He volunteers in charity events including Loaves and Fishes, March of Dimes, Taste of the Nation, Mobile Meals, Easter Seals, Red Cross, Meals on Wheels and local soup kitchens.