In 1990, Bellini’s Ristorante and Grill opened at 63rd and Penn. From those beginnings, this iconic restaurant overlooking Waterford Pond has consistently received praise for its fresh, delicious and authentic Italian dishes, traditional American favorites and contemporary cuisine, as well as for its impressive selection of wines to complement every meal and a fun assortment of cocktails.
Excellent service and a friendly wait staff also are hallmarks of this fine dining establishment.
If you’ve ever wondered how Bellini’s manages to maintain its reputation as the “go-to” place for casual dining, celebrations, business meetings and other special occasions, one look no farther than Bellini’s executive chef, Servando Santillan.
The native of Mexico has worked in the restaurant business since his teens. He joined the Bellini’s team some 25 years ago, and has worked there on and off since (with stints at Boomerang Grill, Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant at Quail Springs Mall and Bellini’s in Edmond).
In 2014, he was named executive chef at Bellini’s. In this capacity, Servando plays an integral role in the restaurant’s operations, helping ensure that both back-end (kitchen) and front-end operations keep moving smoothly and efficiently.
In the kitchen, Servando oversees some 17 cooks and other kitchen workers, from those charged with prep work to the dishwashers. This work involves everything from ensuring the kitchen has what it needs to prepare dishes to drawing up work schedules. He also fills in as cook when needed or when time allows. (“Cooking—that’s my passion,” he shares.)
Servando also works on the public side as needed, taking orders, waiting tables and, most importantly, visiting with their customers to make sure they are 100% happy with their orders and the service.
Occasionally, this means fulfilling a customer’s request for a dish not on the menu.
I’ll cook about any dish, as long as we have the ingredients, upon request,” he says. “Anything that will make them feel special.”
If you’ve ever worked in the food industry, you know there’s always a lot of cards in the air at any given time: a dishwasher or waiter fails to show up, a large group of customers appears during their busiest hours without reservations, a necessary ingredient for popular entrees isn’t available due to supply chain issues …
Without a passion for his work and his extensive experience in most aspects of the restaurant business, Servando said the work could easily become too much.
“It’s a stressful job if you don’t have a passion for it. But I love to cook, I love working to make sure all our customers feel special.
“Everything I’ve learned about the business I learned at Bellini’s,” he added, noting that he considers Bellini’s family. In particular, he thinks of Bellini’s founder and owner, Tommy Byrd, like a second father.
Pausing to reflect, he concludes: “The restaurant owns you, not the other way around. I love ensuring the quality of food and service remains high, I love our customers. We’ve kept them coming for 30 years; I hope to help keep them coming for another 30.”
"I’ll cook about any dish, as long as we have the ingredients, upon request."
“It’s a stressful job if you don’t have a passion for it. But I love to cook, I love working to make sure all our customers feel special."