These masters of culinary art will prepare some of their signature dishes in private homes throughout Naples.
To read more about the 2023 chefs, click on their names.
Four-time nominated and two-time James Beard award-winning Chef Paul Bartolotta is the co-founder and owner of The Bartolotta Restaurants, the premier restaurant group in the Greater Milwaukee region. An internationally celebrated chef and restaurateur, Chef Bartolotta has brought his culinary talent and vision to kitchens all over the world – from Italy to Paris to New York to Las Vegas – for more than 30 years. With an education and training steeped in tradition and authenticity, Chef Bartolotta’s culinary skills have earned him numerous accolades from the James Beard Foundation, Michelin Guide, New York Times, the Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRoNA), AAA, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and others. His passion for creating authentic experiences continues to inspire the growth of the company that he and his brother, Joe, launched in 1993. Their achievements have earned them national recognition, with a nomination by the James Beard Foundation for Outstanding Restaurateur four years in a row – 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020.
Originally from Wisconsin, Chef Bartolotta offers his vision, expertise, and strengths in new business development to The Bartolotta Restaurants, contributions he has made since he and his brother opened their first concept, Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993, an inviting, authentic Italian restaurant. Today, The Bartolotta Restaurants operates 17 award-winning restaurants and catering facilities, including Bacchus – A Bartolotta Restaurant, Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro, and Harbor House.
Chef Bartolotta graduated from the Restaurant and Hotel Management Program at Milwaukee Area Technical College in 1980. His professional training began in New York City with famed restaurateur Tony May, owner of the Rainbow Room and founder of Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani. With May’s support, Chef Bartolotta traveled to Italy and trained in some of the country’s most prestigious restaurants, learning the art of authentic Italian cooking. Throughout his career, he has worked at 15 restaurants in Italy – from Sicily to the Alps – acquiring knowledge and expertise in 14 of the country’s 22 culinary regions. In France, Chef Bartolotta has worked alongside some of the world’s most acclaimed chefs, including Paul Bocuse and Roger Vergé, among others, and at restaurants that include La Maison Troisgros and Taillevent.
Following his education in Europe, Chef Bartolotta returned to New York to open San Domenico restaurant, earning three stars from The New York Times at the age of 24.
Chef Bartolotta moved to Chicago in 1991, where he spent nine years as Executive Chef and Managing Partner of Spiaggia. In 1994, he won the prestigious James Beard Award for Best Chef Midwest. Chef Bartolotta directed Spiaggia to many national fine dining awards including: a Four Diamond Rating from AAA, the DiRoNA Award and numerous awards from both Chicago Magazine and The Chicago Tribune.
In 2001, Chef Bartolotta opened Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare, at Wynn Las Vegas on the famed Las Vegas Strip, and went on to win the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest in 2009, one of five of the awards given in Las Vegas. This world-class restaurant served fresh seafood flown in daily from Italy. With a stellar wine list and high reviews from national publications, Chef Bartolotta successfully created a piece of Italy in the desert.
Chef Bartolotta serves on the board of Bocuse d’Or, where the U.S. team in 2017 won the prestigious gold medal award for the first time, as well as the board of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
Chef Bartolotta is known to television audiences worldwide for his appearance on Italian, France, and Japanese television; and in the U.S. he is recognized for his appearances on Top Chef, Iron Chef, The Today Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Talk, and Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, among others. He has also been recognized by the president of Italy as an authentic ambassador of Italian cuisine.
In 2019, Chef Bartolotta assumed the leadership role at The Bartolotta Restaurants upon the passing of his brother. When he is not cooking, Chef Bartolotta loves spending time with his wife and daughter and traveling.
Florida native Brian Baxter is the Executive Chef of The Catbird Seat in Nashville, TN. In this role, Baxter showcases his culinary point of view gleaned from working with some of the best chefs in the country. Chef Brian Baxter’s fifth iteration of the award-winning restaurant is a celebration of ingredients with an emphasis on those sourced at the peak of the season.
After graduating from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, Baxter headed south to Charleston, SC to work with Chef Sean Brock as Chef de Partie at McCrady’s. After two years, he moved to Nashville to be part of the opening team at Husk Nashville. In the position of Chef de Cuisine, Baxter ran the day-to-day operations alongside of Brock. Through working with Brock, Baxter learned the importance of sourcing local ingredients and a chef’s relationship with local farmers and artisans. During his time at Husk, Baxter was honored as one of Forbes 30 under 30 in 2016 and named as one of 5 Southern Chefs to Watch by OpenTable in the same year.
In 2017, Baxter joined the culinary team at Bastion, a Nashville staple helmed by Chef Josh Habiger. Cooking at Bastion allowed Baxter to expand his culinary repertoire beyond southern cuisine, exploring new techniques and ingredients. The open kitchen format of the restaurant also taught Baxter the importance of interacting with guests during service. With Habiger as a mentor, Baxter was able to get firsthand experience into what was needed to be a successful chef/owner and was an integral part of the decision-making for the restaurant,
In June of 2019, Baxter left Nashville for Atlanta to work with Chef Kevin Gillespie on the opening team at Cold Beer as Chef de Cuisine. Working with Gillespie, Baxter continued to gain exposure to the chef/owner perspective, this time with operating multiple restaurants.
One year later, in June of 2020, Chef Brian Baxter returned to Nashville and the Strategic Hospitality family, bringing his vast culinary experience and integrity for the craft into the U-shaped kitchen at The Catbird Seat.
Outside of the kitchen, Baxter became interested in watercolor art after a 2017 surgery left him off of his feet for three months. A culmination of longing for a creative outlet and sleepless binges of Bob Ross began a journey into the world of painting. Baxter now studies the craft with mentor Todd Saal to further hone his passion. Merging his two talents, Baxter’s vision for the restaurant incorporates both his culinary and artistic passions.
Stephen Coe is a nationally recognized and award-winning chef, best known for his victory against celebrity chef Bobby Flay in “Chopped: Beat Bobby Flay” on the Food Network. Whether in the kitchen or one of his many food trucks, Chef Coe is known for his culinary creativity and ability to compete at any stage against any competition.
Chef Coe’s other notable accomplishments include his “Chopped: Ultimate Redemption” win in 2019, winning the Grand Prize in the Food Network’s “Tyler Florence Recipe Contest” and the American Culinary Foundation’s “Boston Junior Chef of the Year.” He also holds the titles of “World Bacon Champion,” winner of the “World Food Championships” and “Grill Master” from the popular Food Network series “Chopped Grill Masters.”
Coe is a graduate of the prestigious culinary arts program at Johnson & Wales University and completed a certificate in French food and language at Institute François des Alpes in Annecy, France. He previously served as executive chef at Mirbeau Inn & Spa at The Pinehills and BOKX 109 American Prime at Hotel Indigo and is currently the executive chef of the Marshfield Country Club.
He is a strong advocate of sustainable agriculture, sourcing his own honey and seasonal vegetation from local farms around the South Shore of Massachusetts. Chef Coe volunteers his time and talents at the Boston and Rhode Island food banks, Share Our Strength, the Matt Light Foundation, Hockey Cure for Kids, the Boston Rescue Mission and Meals on Wheels.
Chef Coe is currently in development of his show “Dangerous Eats”, which takes him across the world to catch ingredients and prepare unique and amazing dishes. Stephen also recently starred as himself alongside Martin Kove and Erin Cahill in the feature film “A Taste of Love”. He is also working on his first cookbook due out in 2022 and is a brand ambassador for Cypress Brand, an American luxury goods manufacturer that offers a wide range of high-quality, one-of-a-kind items crafted from authentic American Alligator leather.
For more information, you can visit www.chefstephencoe.com.
Gardening, canning, and cooking were an ever-constant happening for Cassidee Dabney growing up. As the daughter of a wildlife biologist in the Forest Service, Dabney moved from National Forest to National Forest. Spending her summers in the family garden, Cassidee anchored her palate with the fresh flavors of seasonal ingredients harvested at their most expressive moments. Her passion for food led Dabney to a career in the culinary field. A graduate of the New England Culinary Institute, Dabney’s diverse background includes stops in Germany, Boston, Atlanta, Hawaii, Arkansas and Wyoming, most of which was spent working for the Four Seasons. Dabney came to Blackberry Farm in 2010 as a Sous Chef before working her way up to Executive Sous Chef. In 2015, Dabney was named the Executive Chef of The Barn at Blackberry Farm®. Dabney’s team prepares beautifully served multicourse menus of the farm’s signature Foothills Cuisine®, inspired by seasonal, farm-fresh products and produce grown in a garden a short walk away from the Barn. The Barn has been recognized as one of the top restaurants in the South and hosts the 2014 James Beard award for Outstanding Wine Program and the 2015 James Beard award for Outstanding Service.
During her time at the helm of The Barn, Dabney has earned exciting accolades in the industry, including being recognized as a nominee for the James Beard Awards Best Chef Southeast in 2018 and 2019. Other media milestones include cooking on the TODAY show, being featured on the cover of Art Culinaire and appearing in Food and Wine.
As he works the room at Fearing’s in his custom-tooled Lucchese cowboy boots, James Beard Award winner and culinary icon Chef Dean Fearing seems more like everyone’s best friend than the owner of one of Texas’s most critically acclaimed restaurants.
Growing up, Dean learned his way around the kitchen from his grandmothers, who knew southern cooking like farmers know weather. In the early ‘80s, he began perfecting traditional regional dishes, barbecue, and Mexican street food recipes using locally sourced ingredients (he was “buying local” long before it was cool), developing what the world now recognizes as southwestern cuisine.
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, which later recognized him as a “Pioneer of American Cuisine,” Fearing spent more than two decades as executive chef of The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek before opening his namesake establishment, Fearing’s, in the Ritz-Carlton Dallas in 2007. “Mr. Fearing was a real catch for the Ritz,” Frank Bruni wrote the next year in the New York Times. Since then, Dean has published a successful cookbook, The Texas Food Bible, and he and his recipes have been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, Newsweek, Food & Wine, Southern Living, Forbes, Fox News, Bon Appétit, Garden & Gun, Robb Report, Conde Nast Traveler, The Food Network, Texas Monthly, Guitar Aficionado, and elsewhere. His many accolades include the Silver Spoon Award for sterling performance from Food Arts.
If you’ve met him, it won’t surprise you that the charismatic Dean Fearing is also a television personality. For 22 years, he starred in a regional show called Dean’s Cuisine, and he starred in Entertaining With Dean Fearing on TVFN. Dean has appeared on countless news and talk show programs, including Good Morning America, The Today Show, The View, and Regis and Cathy Lee.
Named “Restaurant of the Year” and “Table of the Year” by Esquire, and ranked #1 in Hotel Dining in the U.S. by the Zagat Survey, Fearing’s sources steaks from Texas ranches; buffalo from the range of Lawton, Oklahoma; fish and crab from the Gulf; and produce from nearby farms. Exquisite but deceptively simple, Dean’s recipes – from the legendary tortilla soup to the rib eye cooked over live mesquite to the achiote-glazed antelope Dean sources from his friend’s ranch – “crackle” to quote a review in the Dallas Morning News. That same reviewer wrote, “You’d have to be in an awfully churlish mood not to feel a little thrill when you set foot in Fearing’s.”
And as if being the best chef in the southwest isn’t rock-and-roll enough, Dean is also an aficionado of early Fender Telecaster electric guitars, a guitar collector, and the guitarist in The Barbwires, an all-chef alternative country group. As musician and chef, he has entertained Willie Nelson, Sammy Hagar, AC/DC, Steve Winwood, and ZZ Top. He has also cooked for many dignitaries, movie stars, and even presidents, but if you want those stories, you’ll have to ask him for them yourself.
Joe Flamm, winner of Bravo’s Top Chef Season 15, opened his debut restaurant, Rose Mary, with Sancerre Hospitality in Chicago’s Fulton Market District in April 2021. Inspired by his Italian heritage and the bold, bright flavors of Croatian cuisine, the boisterous space—named for Joe’s grandmothers, Mary and Mary Rose, and the herb rosemary, which grows natively along the Italian and Croatian coastlines—offers a seasonal menu of rustic yet refined dishes that encapsulate what Joe has coined “Adriatic drinking food”.
Prior to Rose Mary, Joe worked as the Executive Chef of Chicago’s Michelin-starred Spiaggia and Café Spiaggia for nearly 6 years. There, he learned from and cooked with James Beard Award-winning Chef Tony Mantuano—the Godfather of Italian fine-dining in America—who is forever family.
Joe has worked in a number of other iconic kitchens alongside some of Chicago’s best chefs, including Stephanie Izard at Girl and the Goat, Art Smith at Table Fifty-Two, and Bill Kim at bellyQ. He has also staged in some of Italy’s most renowned restaurants, including Glass Hostaria in Rome and Del Pescatore in Mantova. Still, Joe credits his Grandma Mary for kicking off his career by teaching him how to truly cook pastas, ravioli, and pizzas—all made by hand.
While Joe has cooked for presidents, celebrities, the James Beard Foundation, and more, his favorite person to cook for is his wife, Hillary. In his free time, Joe enjoys #dayoffing with Hillary and their children, Luka and Sydney—and catching a Chicago White Sox or Bears game, of course.
For those who have dined at one of Chef Danny Grant’s restaurants, you know there’s something extra special about the experience, the service and the food. And while it’s hard to put into words what makes his restaurants so incredible, his dedication to his craft and his passion for pushing boundaries are what drive his success. Danny is classically trained in French cooking, which drives his technique, but his love and passion for travel inspire his creations. Among his many accolades received throughout his career in New York, Chicago and Scottsdale, Danny is proud to stand as the youngest US chef to earn two Michelin stars in 2011 and 2012. And while he’s proven his skills as a Michelin-Star chef, since 2015 he has focused his energy into building his restaurant group, What If Syndicate. Now Danny spends his time as a business owner, and chef, creating incredible restaurant brands across the country including Maple & Ash, etta, Monarch, Kessaku and many more to come.
Chef Beau MacMillan has cooked in some of America’s most distinguished kitchens. A two-time James Beard Foundation award-nominee for Best Chef: Southwest, he hails from Plymouth, Massachusetts and is a graduate of Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. He is a regular on several of Food Network’s most recognizable shows, including Guy’s Grocery Games, Best Thing I Ever Ate, and Cooks vs. Cons, and has made multiple appearances on The Today Show. Chef MacMillan served as the Executive Chef for the Sanctuary at Camelback Mountain from 2001 through 2021 before transitioning to the current role of culinary director for the resort. Chef MacMillan is also the Director of Culinary Operations for Clive Collective and oversees two new restaurant concepts Money, Baby! located in Las Vegas, Nevada and Cala in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Growing up in Northern California, Nancy Oakes has worked in the front of house and as a chef in San Francisco for her entire career. In 1988 Chef Oakes opened
L’Avenue to acclaim, and it was at this time that her unique food philosophy and execution took shape. By the time Boulevard opened its Art Nouveau doors in 1993,
her pioneering and creative vision was clear. Oakes’ kitchen is a celebration of the California producer: supporting the best purveyors and illustrating the beauty of their food on every plate. Oakes’ cuisine marries the best local elements effortlessly with their foreign counterpart or ancestor cuisines from Europe and Asia. These multiple elements and influences are reigned in by Oakes’ knowledge and use of classic and uncompromising French technique. The result: meals that are creative, memorable, and delicious.
A pioneering American chef, and a mentor to many chefs in the last decades, many credit Oakes for her generosity, consistency and vision. She is a student of other
cultures and cuisines, a champion of artisans, and has hospitality in her bones. Oakes has worked in many restaurant positions and the front and back of house, and runs her own restaurant with the kindness, clearness and confidence of a chef owner who knows all aspects of the restaurant. Oakes has a natural understanding of her
customers, and their needs and hopes as people.
Boulevard has been a loved classic for 28 years. Over this time, the restaurant has received numerous local, national and international accolades, nominations and
awards; among them, The James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in California 2001 and Outstanding Restaurant in the United States 2012, as well as the Filiale des Etats-Unis in France.
Chef Oakes co-wrote Boulevard: The Cookbook with Pam Mazzola in 2005 which was nominated for awards from both the James Beard Foundation and the International Association of Culinary Professionals.
In 2010, Chef Oakes opened Prospect Restaurant with Pam Mazzola and Kathy King in San Francisco’s flourishing South of Market/Embarcadero neighborhood. Located at the base of the Infinity Towers, it is a warm and modern urban environment, with high service standards and exceptional cuisine.
Chef Oakes’ energy and sense of community are reflected in the time and talent she has devoted to cooking for charitable organizations. In addition to serving on the
Board of Directors for Meals on Wheels of San Francisco, she has been Gala Chef Chair for the organization’s annual fundraiser for 12 years. She enjoys continuous
involvement with numerous other philanthropies, including Share Our Strength, The San Francisco Food Bank, The Center for Urban Education about Sustainable
Agriculture, Make-a-Wish Foundation, Auction Napa Valley, Alex’s Lemonade, and Maitri Compassionate Care.
Virginia-born Cassie Raithel, executive chef at The 404 Kitchen, has always been drawn to the culinary world. As a child of a military family, Raithel’s upbringing fostered a strong connection to travel and enjoying international cuisine. Raithel recalls some of her favorite memories growing up was when her family was all together for the holidays, enjoying each other’s company and an amazing meal they all cooked. Upon entering college, Raithel pursued a Business Administration & Marketing degree at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA, and after 2 years in corporate America, Raithel took a leap of faith to follow her true passion: cooking.
Raithel touts an extensive culinary background. In 2018, Raithel graduated as Valedictorian from Le Cordon Bleu Madrid with a Diplôme de Cuisine. While still in culinary school, Raithel worked in Croatia as a breakfast chef at The White Rabbit Hostel. Following graduation, she moved to Portugal and served as the opening menu chef at Casa Âncora, a quaint, seaside eatery known best for its fresh, local island cuisine. When she moved back stateside later that year, Raithel returned to Virginia and accepted a position as sous chef and pastry chef for The Williamsburg Winery. Raithel reveled in the opportunity to showcase her internationally-nurtured skillset and hosted regular French and Spanish-inspired chef dinners.
In 2019, Raithel moved to Nashville and took on the role of kitchen lead at The 404 Kitchen. Moving up the ranks quickly, Raithel became chef de cuisine in 2021 and six short months later, became The 404 Kitchen’s executive chef. To date, some of her most notable achievements and experiences with The 404 have been being nominated for Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2022 and repurposing restaurant products for families in need throughout the pandemic. At The 404 Kitchen, Raithel aims to prepare food “that warms you from the inside out, and incorporates bright cuisine into family classics that make guests feel like they are at home.”
Drawing inspiration from flavors and techniques from French, Mediterranean, Latin, and Southern cuisines, Raithel creates diverse inspired menus with local produce and meats, while still maintaining a cohesive dining experience for her guests. Raithel has a sweet pup at home, Bulleit, named for her love of Bulleit Bourbon. When she’s not cooking, you can find her kayaking or enjoying drinks and food out with friends, as it’s important to her to keep her mind fresh and experience the joy she spends her life creating for others at The 404 Kitchen.
Born in 1973 in Wisconsin, Seidel began his culinary career at 14, serving as sous chef at Racine’s Main Street Bistro by age 20. He attended culinary school at Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon, finishing at the top of his class.
Alex Seidel is chef-owner of Fruition Restaurant, Mercantile dining & provision, Füdmill, Chook, and Roca’s Pizza & Pasta. Alex, Fruition and Mercantile have been fortunate to find themselves featured as Chef of the Year and Best Restaurant rankings in numerous local and national magazines and guides including Denver Magazine, 5280, Bon Appetite, Gayot, and Zagat, and alumni from the restaurants have gone on to receive similar honors. Seidel himself has been the recipient of many accolades, including Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chef in 2010, Chef of the Year titles from local media including Denver Magazine and 5280. Seidel was awarded the 2018 James Beard Foundation Best Chef: South West.
Seidel participates in numerous off-site events for both charitable and fine dining experiences. He very much enjoys furthering the culture of cuisine all the while staying down to earth and championing such causes as food advocacy, mindfulness when it comes to eating habits and waste. Becoming a chef and a business owner has allowed him to hone his very impressive skills while controlling the ingredients and the sourcing of his provisions.
Chef Reid Shilling was born in Baltimore, MD, where he grew up cooking alongside his parents and grandmother. A passion for the abundance of the Chesapeake region was instilled in Reid from a young age. The family’s canning business operated in Finksburg, MD, from 1935 to 1958. Today Reid pays homage to that heritage through the name of his restaurant, Shilling Canning Company.
With a BA in hospitality management from Florida State University, Reid took a job with the Hillstone Restaurant Group. He completed their rigorous training program, eventually rising to the position of kitchen manager at the Hillstone on Park Avenue, in New York City. After earning a degree from The Culinary Institute of America, he joined the kitchen at chef Thomas Keller’s award-winning Bouchon Bistro, in Yountville, CA. Reid’s ethos in the kitchen is influenced by his time on each coast.
In 2015, Reid and his wife returned to the Mid Atlantic, where he took a position on chef Jeremiah Langhorne’s opening team at The Dabney. After a year with The Dabney, Reid left to focus on opening Shilling Canning Company. Reid lives in Washington, DC, with his wife, Sara, and their two children. Shilling Canning Company is located in Navy Yard, the same neighborhood where the family resides.
Open only eight months prior to the pandemic, Reid has navigated Shilling Canning Company through numerous changes, all while maintaining his commitment to quality ingredients locally sourced. Despite the challenges faced by the restaurant industry, Shilling Canning Company celebrated its third anniversary in July of 2022. In February of 2022, Shilling Canning Company received a nod from The Washington Post as one of the city’s best places to eat, and has been featured in The Michelin Guide for Washington, DC.
Born in Hilo, on the Big Island, Sheldon acquired his love for cooking from his parents. His path led from Hilo High to the Culinary Institute of the Pacific, onto an internship at Walt Disney World. Upon returning to Hawaii, Sheldon attended Maui Culinary Academy. Sheldon competed in the 10th season of Bravo Network’s Top Chef: Seattle, making it to the finals, and winning Fan Favorite. He returned to the show again in 2017 for season 14: Charleston, once again winning Fan Favorite. In 2016, Sheldon opened up his very first solo restaurant, Tin Roof, in Kahului, Maui, where he serves up local dishes in take-out bowls. Sheldon’s food is a playful take on classic local dishes, including a variety of poke, kau kau tins, sandwiches, noodles and more. His mix of innovative modern cuisine and adherence to tradition, influence his dishes and help shape his menus. His growing legion of loyal fans will attest to his award winning creativity and palate.
In Fall 2018, Sheldon opened Lineage, his second solo restaurant and full service concept delighting guests with traditional local Hawaii fare in Wailea, Maui. In 2019, Lineage was named a James Beard Award semifinalist for “Best New Restaurant.” In 2020, Sheldon left Lineage to focus on writing his first cookbook, Cook Real Hawai’i, which came out in the Spring of 2021 from Clarkson Potter. Cook Real Hawai’i showcases 100 recipes that embody the culturally diverse flavors of the islands, and has been celebrated by the likes of The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, The New Yorker, Bon Appetit, Vice Munchies, Serious Eats, Robb Report and more. In 2022, Sheldon became a short-listed nominee for Best Chef Northwest & Pacific by the James Beard Foundation.
In July of the same year, Sheldon and his wife Janice, took over Hawai’i mainstay Tiffany’s restaurant, adding to their portfolio and continuing to showcase the authentic flavors of his homeland to a global audience. Sheldon has appeared on such national TV shows as Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS Saturday Morning, Access Daily, E! Daily Pop, Hallmark Home & Family, The Globe, Gordon Ramsey’s Uncharted, CNN’s Parts Unknown, and even had his own 4-season video series on Eater, titled “Cooking in America.”
Sheldon resides in Maui with his wife Janice and their four children.
Chef Sheldon’s Awards and Accolades:
Chef John Tesar’s influential culinary career spans over four-decades, with a gastronomic footprint in the Southwest, and both coasts. Tesar has earned high praise for his critically acclaimed Knife steakhouse and burger concepts, and his two newest concepts, Outer Reef and Knife & Spoon. In 2022, Chef John Tesar was awarded a MICHELIN star for his exemplary work at Knife & Spoon at The Ritz Carlton Grand Lakes in Orlando.
Known for his classically trained chef’s approach to seafood and steakhouse cuisine, over the years he has cemented his reputation for reinventing the steakhouse dining experience. “For years, I thrived as the European-trained seafood chef,” Tesar explains, “so for Knife, I travelled to steakhouses around the country to find out how I could change and elevate the game.” Opened in May 2014 in the Highland Dallas hotel, Knife finds its drive from the products it sources through partnerships with nearby Heartbrand Beef and 44 Farms and the innovative, classically rooted techniques it employs in the kitchen, as well as the science behind its up-to-240-day on-site dry-aging process.
The success of Knife stems from Tesar’s distinct leadership philosophies. “It’s all about carrying on those classic traditions while keeping your mind open for growth and new experiences,” he says, valuing purity, hard work, style, and integrity. With the expansion of the Knife steakhouse brand throughout Texas and the country, as well as the introduction of Knife Burger and Knife butcher shops —Tesar relishes the enthusiastic support his concept garners from staff, guests, and critics. “To identify, execute, and multiply a niche like this is truly a treasure,” he says.
Prior to reinventing the Texas steakhouse landscape, Tesar enjoyed a lengthy career in fine dining that stemmed from his upbringing in Manhattan and the Hamptons. Inspired by his mother’s cooking, Tesar picked up a job in a Hamptons pub during the summer, when he would head to the laid-back enclave to surf and skate and progressed naturally towards a career in food. With classical French training from Paris’s La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine, Tesar worked at Westhampton’s Club Pierre, a premium French eatery, for six years until ultimately purchasing it. In addition, he furthered his craft throughout the ‘90s at iconic NYC restaurants including 13 Barrow Street, 44 & Hell’s Kitchen, Vine, and Supper Club—at which he worked alongside celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain—before leaving New York City behind in the early 2000s to join chef Rick Moonen in Las Vegas at RM Seafood.
With its blossoming food scene, Dallas drew Tesar to Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek in 2006 to lead the high-end establishment as executive chef, rapidly garnering two five-star reviews. He later went on to open Spoon Bar & Kitchen to bring premium seasonal seafood to central Texas in 2012, meanwhile consulting on numerous DRG Concepts properties including Dallas Chop House and Dallas Fish Market, as well as on The Cedars Social, The Commissary, and more. Spoon Bar & Kitchen gained immediate recognition as one of the best new restaurants in the world by Condé Nast Traveler, Bon Appétit, and Esquire, and Tesar’s visionary consulting worked helped shape the Dallas food scene.
Shifting his culinary focus to become an authority on steak, Tesar took on his steakhouse project in 2014 with the caveat that it be different from the rest—a distinction he achieved by investing in long-term dry-aging inventory and by contemporizing the classically stuffy steakhouse atmosphere into an intimate and engaging, product-driven experience. Recognition for Knife Dallas includes Eater National’s “Most Anticipated Openings,” Esquire’s “Best New Restaurants,” Zagat’s “Hottest New Restaurants,” Maxim’s “America’s Best Steakhouse Specialties,” D Magazine’s “Best Steakhouse in Dallas” 2015 and 2016, Gayot’s “Top 10 Best Steakhouses” 2017, and a feature on Esquire Network’s “Restaurant Revolution” program.
With eight successful years of growing the Knife brand, Tesar was ready to take on both coasts, bringing Knife & Spoon to The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes in October 2020, and Outer Reef to Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa in Dana Point, CA in April 2022. Outer Reef pays homage to Tesar’s critically acclaimed seafood restaurant Spoon Bar & Kitchen with a selection of favorites from its menu including crudo, caviar and fresh shellfish, as well as select meat offerings from his steakhouse concept Knife, while Knife & Spoon blends the best of both worlds.
Never one to slow down, Tesar continues to grow the reach of his consultancy in addition to his expansion of the Knife brand, the development of a television show, and the 2017 launch of his cookbook, Knife: Steakhouse Meals at Home, which features endorsements by talented chefs. A four-time James Beard “Best Southwest Chef” semifinalist, two-time contestant on Bravo’s “Top Chef,” and winner of Food Network’s “Extreme Chef,” Tesar’s national media presence also includes appearances on “The Today Show” and “The Early Show” as well as coverage in The New York Times, Food & Wine, New York Magazine, and more.
When he finds free time among his busy schedule, Tesar often fills it by attending food festivals around the world to meet new people, work with new chefs, and learn new culinary techniques. An avid traveler, he naturally gravitates to the beach and the slopes to fulfill his lifelong appreciation for surfing and snowboarding.
Chef Dustin Valette began his restaurant career at the age of thirteen washing dishes at Catelli’s in his hometown of Geyserville, California. Two years later he took an apprenticeship at Chateau Souverain, a Francis Ford Coppola Estate, where he worked under Executive Chef Martin Courtman, – beginning the twenty-plus year culinary journey toward his dream of opening a restaurant dedicated to showcasing the rich bounty and beautiful ingredients of his Sonoma County roots.
Valette honed his craft in some of the most celebrated restaurants on the West Coast, including the Michelin-starred Aqua in San Francisco and Napa Valley’s Bouchon. Additional credits include Hokus at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Honolulu, a five-star, five-diamond property; the exclusive North Ranch Country Club in Westlake Village, California; and VOX Restaurant & Wine Lounge in Henderson, Nevada. Most recently, Valette spent six years as Executive Chef of Dry Creek Kitchen, a Charlie Palmer restaurant in downtown Healdsburg. At Dry Creek Kitchen, he gathered great acclaim for the strong relationships he cultivated with local farmers and purveyors in order to provide the restaurant with the area’s freshest and most unique ingredients. Valette was known for his exceptional ability to pair some of the country’s best wines with his intense, flavorful and dynamic cuisine.
The idea of Valette Restaurant began nearly two decades ago over a glass of wine shared between two brothers, Dustin and Aaron Garzini, while sitting at their father’s house overlooking the expansive Alexander Valley. At the time, Aaron was establishing himself at John Ash in Santa Rosa as a dynamic server and sommelier; and Dustin was in New York finetuning the culinary craft that would be his life long passion. The two dreamed of opening a restaurant which featured the breadth and depth of ingredients Sonoma County has to offer. It would serve high quality, yet honest and approachable food; offer impeccable service and house a collection of boutique, small production wines. In 2015, Valette Restaurant opened its doors to the public, showcasing 47 years of combined restaurant experience, and a deep passion and dedication to Sonoma Country and its food and wine purveyors and producers.
Originally from Sonoma County, Valette is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. He currently resides with his wife, their two young daughters and two dogs in Downtown Healdsburg, a block away from the restaurant.
Fun Fact: During the summer months Chef Valette travels to the Healdsburg Farmer’s market and carries back the bounty of local produce in a classic Red Flyer wagon. Valette is also an avid home winemaker of classic Bordeaux varietals, which he hand harvests from his uncle’s vineyard in Alexander Valley, though he will proclaim he is a better chef than winemaker…..
Fabio Viviani has harbored a passion for food since his childhood in Florence, Italy. Between training in Italian and Mediterranean cuisines at top hospitality schools, working with culinary luminaries Alessandro Panzani and Saverio Carmagnini, Fabio also owned and successfully executed multiple concepts in Florence. By the time he was 27, he operated two nightclubs and five restaurants. In 2005, Fabio moved to California, where he opened his first US-based restaurants – Café Firenze, Firenze Osteria, Bar Firenze, and Mercato by Fabio Viviani – all in the Los Angeles area.
In 2013, Fabio teamed up with DineAmic Hospitality, and launched Siena Tavern, Bar Siena, Prime & Provisions, Builders Building, and BomboBar in Chicago. He also opened additional Mercato by Fabio Viviani concepts across the country.
In 2016, Fabio expanded his brand into airports with the opening of Osteria by Fabio Viviani, which won USA Today’s Reader’s Choice Award for “Best Airport Sit Down Dining.”
In 2017, he launched his casino brands with Portico by Fabio Viviani in New York’s del Lago Resort & Casino. This was soon followed by a partnership with Penn National Gaming, where he developed The Eatery by Fabio Viviani, a massively successful modern food and beer hall. Located in four Hollywood Casino properties in the Northeast, offerings include very diverse cuisines: Mercato, The Classic, Zen Noodle, and Joe & Dough.
Fabio also lead the development for the largest gaming and hospitality deal to date in a single property by creating eight restaurant concepts under one roof in partnership with Morongo Resort Casino and SPA in Cabazon, California.
He also expanded his hospitality empire in other areas of the country by opening both Osteria and Bar Cicchetti in Oklahoma City and developing the franchisee concepts Chuck Lager American Tavern, Colbie’s Southern Kissed Fried Chicken, Fresh Stack Burgers and a dessert concept named JARS – all with multiple locations across the US.
Expanding his reach into the hotel management business in 2018, Fabio teamed up with Cicero Hospitality for hotel business in Chicago, catering to business centers, events spaces and vacationing guests with the flagship brand “Osteria by Fabio Viviani”. In 2019, Fabio Viviani Hospitality partnered with Magna Hospitality to develop incredible culinary cuisines in Hilton’s Curio hotels. Locations include Curfew in Memphis’ Canopy hotel and Riviera by Fabio Viviani in Ft Lauderdale’s beautiful Hotel Maren, with locations in Boston, New York, and Ohio to open in 2022.
In 2021, Fabio also partnered with grocery titans Market District and Giant Eagle, opening his signature “Osteria by Fabio Viviani” in Carmel, Indiana, poised to roll out several locations nationwide.
Best known for his participation in Bravo’s Top Chef seasons 5 and 8 – earning the “Fan Favorite” title – his on-screen appearances and off-screen successes have propelled him to become one of the most influential culinary and hospitality names in the country.
Fabio is a recurring guest on national television shows such as Good Morning America, The Rachael Ray Show, and numerous Food Network Shows, such as Cutthroat Kitchen: All-Star Tournament, which he won.
Off-screen, Fabio is a regular headliner at global food events, and he has authored four successful cookbooks: Café Firenze Cookbook, New York Times Best-Seller Fabio’s Italian Kitchen, Fabio’s American Home Kitchen, and most recently Fabio’s 30-Minute Italian.
Fabio’s online presence draws millions of viewers yearly with his own cooking show, Fabio’s Kitchen, now in Season 5.
Chef Antoine Westermann’s career path looks like that of a child spoiled by the gastronomy fairy. He was not trained in the brigades of starred chefs or prestigious houses. Antoine Westermann, who has built his own culinary identity without referring to the dogmas instilled in him by a mentor, works by instinct. His freedom of expression makes his cooking very personal. If technique, which he masters perfectly, is essential, if he loves the products he cooks and wants to sublimate them, Antoine Westermann is above all a hunter of emotions.
He opened his own restaurant at the age of 23: Le Buerehiesel, in Alsace. He obtained his first star in the Michelin Guide at the age of 29, and then rose to the highly
prized rank of 3-star chef. For 13 years, he expressed himself brilliantly through a three-starred cuisine.
In 2007, after 32 years in the Michelin Guide, he decided to give up his stars. Was it a media coup? Too much pressure? Neither. This step was the
result of the evolution of his vision of culinary creation. After having rubbed shoulders with the stars by delivering exceptional cuisine on a daily basis, it became clear to him that his main quest was to sublimate the idea of sharing and celebrating at the table, with the desire to express it in a different way. In November 2006, Antoine Westermann therefore announced to the Michelin Guide that he would no longer be at the helm of the Buerehiesel from January 2007 and that his son would be the sole chef and owner.
In Paris, he already has to his credit Mon Vieil Ami, his vegetable bistro that opened successfully in 2003. In November 2006, he took on a new challenge by acquiring the cultural and culinary institution Drouant. Antoine Westermann sold Mon Vieil Ami in 2017 and sold Drouant to the Gardinier brothers in March 2018.
In 2012, opening of le Coq Rico, his mono maniacal place around poultry. In 2021, Le Coq Rico became Le Coq & Fils.
He does not seek to astonish, nor to follow fashions. He wants to convey emotion. And you can feel it.
Chef Sue Zemanick knew from the young age of 15 that she wanted to be a chef after working in fine dining restaurants all through high school in Pennsylvania. She
followed her passion and enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, where she graduated at the top of her class and worked as an intern in the seafood department. Once she discovered her passion for cooking with fish and seafood, she knew she had to move to New Orleans.
Here in New Orleans, Sue found immeasurable inspiration that quickly began to influence her cooking and the flavors she loves to work with. She was named Executive Chef at Gautreau’s Restaurant in 2005, which led to national success, including being named 2013 “Best Chef, South” by the James Beard Foundation and “Top Ten Best New Chef” by Food & Wine Magazine in 2008. She was also featured in many food festivals, such as the South Beach and Charleston Food and Wine Festivals, Sun Valley Vintner’s Festival, and Chef’s Club St. Regis Aspen. She has made regular television appearances, acting as a judge on Top Chef New Orleans and participating as a contestant on seasons 3 and 5 of Top Chef Masters. But to this day, her all-time favorite distinction was serving as the 2015 Honorary Muse in New Orleans’ premier all-female Mardi Gras parade, Muses. Zasu is her thank you to New Orleans for providing nonstop love and inspiration through all these years.
On most Sundays, you can find Sue, her husband Jorin and their two daughters, Lola and Simone, dancing and eating a hot sausage poboy’s at a Second Line.
The Naples Winter Wine Festival has been pleased to feature the culinary talents of these extraordinary chefs.
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