For Paris-born Chef Claude Gaty, Restaurant La Bretagne, situated on the island of Maui, was his first creation featuring cuisine and was inspired by his French heritage spiced with tropical accents. After a brief stint as resident chef at Turtle Island Lodge in Fiji, Gaty relocated to Northern California and opened The Hatchery restaurant in Petaluma, followed by a move to the Heritage House in Mendocino; the Wine Country was a great provider of fine ingredients.

Leaving the California coast for Chicago, he opened Bistro Zinc, bringing French Bistro cooking to the Windy City, and he served as Chef Instructor at Kendall College for a brief period. Gaty next accepted an offer from the Lettuce Entertain You organization to collaborate on the creation of the very successful Mon Ami Gabi concept and he served as Chef/Partner for ten years. He then took the year 2008 to pursue his own interests, traveling to France to learn the art of Artisan Bread baking at the San Francisco Baking Institute and to the island of Koh Samui for training in Thai cooking.

Gaty is delighted to have joined the team at the Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower upon Chef Rick Giffen's invitation where he is now the Chef de Cuisine at Top of the World restaurant. After 26 years as a Culinarian, Chef Gaty's main focus is total guest satisfaction through attentive service, use of quality ingredients and refined cooking skills.

Executive Chef Rick Giffen brings 26 years of hotel restaurant culinary experience to his management role at the Stratosphere. Over the course of his highly successful career, he has opened more than 40 restaurants worldwide, trained at the Hotel Intercontinental San Diego while going to culinary school, and opened the U.S. Grant Hotel as saucier for Grant Grill, which was reviewed in several culinary magazines including Food and Wine.

Running five restaurants and the banquet center in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, he was the youngest executive chef in the Sheraton Hotel chain. Chef Giffen served as Western Regional Corporate Chef for Planet Hollywood, and was also the Culinary Training Director, overseeing daily operations of the fourteen properties west of the Rockies as well as Marvel Mania and the Official All Star Cafe.

Giffen also served as Executive Chef of the Maxim Hotel, and as Regional Corporate Chef for China Grill Properties at Mandalay Bay (Rum Jungle, Red Square, Rock Lobster and China Grill). He was Chef Partner of Cafe Wasabi which operated on West Sahara and inside the Las Vegas Convention Center and was Chef de Cuisine of Mon Ami Gabi at Paris Las Vegas. Chef Giffen oversaw operations of Cafe Baba Reba, opened Strip Burger in Fashion Show Mall, and opened Trader Vic's at Planet Hollywood Hotel as the Corporate Chef.