WORLEY, Idaho (July 2, 2026) — Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel today announces that Alex Santos-Cucalon has earned Certified Executive Chef status from the American Culinary Federation (ACF) for successfully completing an array of educational requirements and work experience.
The ACF is a professional organization for chefs and culinary professionals, founded in 1929, with over 14,000 members across the United States and internationally.
Santos-Cucalon’s certification requirements included:
- Completing five or more years as a chef de cuisine, executive sous chef or chef in charge of food production in a foodservice operation.
- Supervising at least 5 full-time people in the preparation of food.
- Completing a practical exam (3 hours and 15 minutes) and a written exam (1 hour).
- Achieving a high school diploma/GED plus 150 Continuing Education Hours (CEH), or 250 Continuing Education Hours (CEH), or Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts, or completing the ACF Executive Chef Apprenticeship Program.
Certification is good for 5 years. Recertification requires 80 CEH over a period of five years.
“Becoming an ACF Certified Executive Chef is a professional milestone that I take great pride in achieving,” said Santos-Cucalon. “It’s my goal and that of Coeur d’Alene Casino to provide our guests with top-notch food and beverage experiences.”
Under Executive Chef Santos-Cucalon’s tutelage, Coeur d’Alene Casino is working with North Idaho College and ACF in a 3-year apprenticeship program. This entails the property hosting an NIC student for three years, during which they spend one day a week doing classroom work at NIC and four days doing on-the-job training. The student graduates after three years with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Culinary Arts and a Certified Sous Chef certificate from the ACF. This apprenticeship program requires the property to have a certified Executive Chef with the ACF. This past spring semester was the first year of the program.
Each semester new apprentices can join. This will only continue to grow as the community learns of this opportunity. “Each property is allowed a maximum of five apprentices; we currently have two,” said Santos-Cucalon. “We’re currently the only property in the area to be implementing the apprenticeship program.”
Wasting no time flexing his Executive Chef acumen, he recently introduced a dry-aging steak program at the casino’s Chinook Steak, Seafood & Pasta restaurant that is regularly selling out as it draws rave reviews.
For more information:
- visit https://www.cdacasino.com/dining/chinook/ or call 800-523-2464.
- follow these social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram
- Casino: @cdacasino
- Golf: @circlingravengolfclub
- Spa: @spassakwaqn
- Dining: @cdacasinoeats