Markus Glocker

Markus Glocker has hospitality in his blood. Born in Austria, he grew up working in the family hotels, where his appreciation for the culinary arts became a passion. After culinary school, Glocker joined Munich’s renowned Restaurant Vier Jahreszeiten. Over several years he excelled in top kitchens all over the world, notably Restaurant Eckart Witzigmann in Berlin, Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago, Restaurant Steirereck Vienna, and Gordon Ramsay in London and New York (which received two Michelin stars during his tenure).

Glocker’s talent finds full expression at Bâtard, the Tribeca restaurant he opened with restaurateur Drew Nieporent (Nobu, Tribeca Grill) and managing partner John Winterman (Daniel, Gary Danko).

Located in the iconic space that previously housed Nieporent’s Montrachet and Corton, Bâtard is a relaxed, intimate setting for outstanding cuisine: fashioned with what New York Times critic Pete Wells calls “a sniper’s accuracy at the stove,” Glocker’s dishes are both robust and refined, including modern interpretations of Austrian traditions like schnitzel and tafelspitz. His Octopus Pastrami is already a new classic.

After its May 2014 début, Bâtard earned a three-star rating from The New York Times, three stars from New York Magazine, and a coveted Michelin star, among several other stellar reviews. In May 2015, Bâtard was awarded Best New Restaurant in America by the James Beard Foundation.

Sarah Grueneberg
Chef and Partner

Since her childhood cooking with her grandparents on their ranch in Victoria, Texas, Sarah Grueneberg knew she was destined to work in the culinary world. Originally from Houston, Grueneberg moved to Chicago in 2005 to join the team at the award-winning Spiaggia under the leadership of Tony Mantuano. Beginning as a line cook, she quickly rose the ranks to Chef di Cucina in 2008 and then Executive Chef in 2010. During her tenure as Executive Chef, Spiaggia was awarded one Michelin Star for three consecutive years.

After graduating from culinary school in 2001, she started her first career-changing job with a position at the iconic Brennan’s of Houston and by 2003 was named the restaurant’s youngest female sous chef. Grueneberg has traveled throughout Italy, Asia, Europe and the U.S., which has inspired her culinary approach of “following the food” and truly understanding “the dish” by knowing the people and culture that created it.

In 2017, Grueneberg received the James Beard Foundation Award for “Best Chef: Great Lakes.” Grueneberg has been a competitor and finalist on Bravo’s “Top Chef: Texas” and Food Network’s “Iron Chef Gauntlet.” She has also been named a “Rising Star Chef” by Chicago Social magazine in 2009 and 2016 and Eater Chicago’s “Chef of the Year” in the 2011 Eater Awards. In April 2018, Grueneberg premiered the new WTTW – PBS Chicago show “Dishalicious,” where she serves as host and invites three guest chefs, and friends, to create dinner party dishes in front of a live studio audience.

Grueneberg is currently Chef/Partner of Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio in Chicago’s West Loop, which she opened in November 2015 with business partner and long-time friend Meg Sahs. The restaurant has received acclaimed reviews from various outlets, including three out of four stars by The Chicago Tribune. In 2016, Monteverde received accolades including: one of Food & Wine’s “America’s Best Restaurants,” a top 50 finalist in Bon Appetit’s “Best New Restaurants” list, Eater’s “21 Best New Restaurants in America,” GQ’s “12 Best New Restaurants,” Eater Chicago’s “Restaurant of the Year” in the 2016 Eater Awards, the “Worth the Wait” award in Chicago Tribune Dining Awards and named one of Chicago Magazine’s “15 Best New Restaurants.” In 2017, Monteverde was named one “America’s 38 Essential Restaurants” by Eater and then awarded “Restaurant of the Year” in the 2018 Jean Banchet Awards.

Jennifer Jasinski
Executive Chef 

Cooking started at a young age out of necessity for Jasinski.  Growing up in a single-parent household with two siblings who all took turns cooking, Jasinski developed a knack for following recipes and creating her own, until eventually, it was always her turn to cook.  In a high school occupational program for aspiring chefs, Jasinski made the decision to leave her other passion – music – behind, and dedicate her studies to cooking, permanently trading the melodic sounds of her clarinet, oboe and flute for the cacophony of clanging pots and pans.  At the time, the best cooking school in the state of California was right in her own backyard, Santa Barbara City College, where she not only refined her cooking skills, but got a taste of restaurant management and front-of-the-house experience.

Ever the over-achiever, Jasinski then took her training to the next level at the Culinary Institute of America, making the dean’s list and unsettling more than a few teachers by challenging their principals or techniques.  “I believe you get out of things what you put into them,” she explains.  “I always want to get the most out of everything I do.” And she does. Working her way through school waiting tables on campus during the week and apprenticing in the famed Rainbow Room kitchen in New York City on weekends, Jasinski completed her formal education before she was 21-years-old.

After graduation, Jasinski worked at the Rainbow Room under renowned restaurateur Joe Baum and Chef André Rene, which gave her the real foundation of her training.  The turning point in her career came from a chance meeting with a guest at the restaurant – Wolfgang Puck.  In polite, casual conversation, he mentioned she should “look him up” when she was in Los Angeles.  So she did.

Weary of the crazy, fast paced lifestyle in New York City, Jasinski was drawn back to sunny Southern California with a bold strategy: to apply for a job at the top ten restaurants in Los Angeles, one of which was Puck’s Spago.  She landed a job at the prestigious Hotel Bel Air, where she had the opportunity to re-acquaint herself with Puck, a consultant at the time for the hotel’s restaurant.

When their paths crossed this time, Puck took more than a passing interest, referring her to Jody Denton, of Mansion on Turtle Creek fame, who was in the process of training a kitchen team for a new restaurant opening.  Jasinski started as lead line cook at Eureka, a Los Angeles brewery restaurant, and within one year was promoted to sous chef.  From there, Jasinski’s fate was inexorably linked to Puck’s.

Their creative and fruitful 10-year relationship took Jasinski around the country, with her helping to develop and open restaurants, create menus, train and manage staff, and, of course, wear her chef’s hat for restaurant concepts ranging from fine dining to café cuisine.  Her impressive restaurant credits include sous chef at Postrio, San Francisco; café chef at Spago, Las Vegas; executive sous chef at Granita, Malibu; executive sous chef at Spago, Chicago; and corporate chef at Wolfgang Puck Food Company.  With Puck’s support and encouragement, she even did a stint in Paris at Ledoyan, a Michelin two-star restaurant.

“Wolfgang was my mentor and my culinary role model,” Jasinski says.  “His philosophy that it’s not necessarily what you do, but how you do it, is my mantra…You can make mashed potatoes, or you can make great potato puree.”

In 2000, Jasinski decided to simplify her life and settle down in Denver, one of the stops she fell in love with on the Wolfgang Puck tour.  She became Executive Chef at Panzano, where profiles and reviews in local and national publications put Jasinski at the head of her class.  Not only was she wildly successful, but she had the opportunity to work with future business partner Beth Gruitch.

In 2003, Jasinski and Gruitch decided to leave their posts to begin their first venture into restaurant ownership.  The following year they opened Rioja, a restaurant in Denver’s Larimer Square with a contemporary design and Mediterranean menu influenced by local and seasonal Rocky Mountain ingredients.  Having designed over 10 kitchen models during her tenure with Puck, Jasinski had no qualms about doing the same for her own.

2013 was a very good year for Chef Jen. She became the first Denver chef to win The James Beard Foundation Best Chef Southwest award in a ceremony in New York City on May 6th. She was a finalist on Bravo’s Top Chef Masters Season 5 with other notable chefs Brian Voltaggio, David Burke, Douglas Keane and Sang Yoon and won the Princess of Porc title at the Denver tour stop of Cochon 555 in 2014. In 2016 she was named a semi-finalist for the James Beard Foundation Outstanding Chef award.

Rioja, Bistro Vendôme, Euclid Hall and Stoic & Genuine are consistently listed among the top restaurants in Denver by 5280 Magazine, the Rocky Mountain News, Zagat and the Gabby Gourmet Restaurant Guide and Rioja has been annually awarded four stars by AAA since 2008.  Jasinski has been named Chef of the Year, Best New Chef, Rising Star and more in Denver Magazine, Restaurant Hospitality, Nation’s Restaurant News, The Denver Post, eater.com and 5280 Magazine.  In 2007, she was the Jean Yancey award winner in the National Association of Women Business Owners Outstanding Women in Business awards presented by the Denver Business Journal. Jasinski was named 2004 Colorado Chef of the Year and 2005 Western Regional Chef of the Year by the American Culinary Federation, and also appeared on The Food Network’s “Thanksgiving Challenge” the same year.

In April 2006, Jasinski and Gruitch made the decision to purchase Bistro Vendôme, a classic French bistro located across the street from Rioja.  The pair opened Euclid Hall Bar and Kitchen on 8/9/10 at 11:12:13 a.m., their third restaurant just around the corner from Rioja.  Euclid Hall was one of 5280 magazine’s top 10 new restaurants in 2010. 2011 brought the release of Jasinski’s new cookbook, The Perfect Bite, 76 recipes from the Rioja kitchen. Stoic & Genuine, their fish house in Denver’s historic Union Station, opened in July of 2014. Ultreia opened in Denver Union Station in December 2017 showcasing food from the Iberian Peninsula countries of Spain and Portugal.

A tireless worker, Jasinski appears as a guest chef at numerous fundraisers throughout the country.  In her spare time she enjoys traveling, mountain biking and skiing with her family and friends.

Mike Lata
Chef and Partner

Mike Lata is Chef/Partner of FIG Restaurant in Charleston, SC, which he opened in 2003 with Partner Adam Nemirow. In 2009, Mike took home the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Southeast. In 2015, his protégé Chef Jason Stanhope garnered the same award – a rare achievement for one restaurant to earn this prestigious prize twice. Additionally, FIG was nominated in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 for Outstanding Wine Program by the James Beard Foundation, and took home the award in 2018. Now a local institution, FIG is consistently voted by locals as the “Best Restaurant in Charleston” in Charleston City Paper.

In December 2012, Lata and Nemirow opened The Ordinary, a classic oyster bar and seafood hall in Charleston’s Upper King district, to much local and national acclaim. The James Beard Foundation nominated The Ordinary as Best New Restaurant in 2013, and GQ, Esquire and Bon Appétit named it in the top 20 best restaurants of the year.

A native New Englander, Mike started his culinary career at an early age, working in kitchens in Boston, New Orleans, Atlanta and France before landing in Charleston in 1998. He is a hands-on, self-taught chef who is relentless in his pursuit of the freshest products, which constantly inspire and define his work. Mike’s mission is to create bright, satisfying food that is both uncomplicated and elegant, all the while paying respect to the efforts and traditions of his family of purveyors. His longstanding and outspoken commitment to support these local farmers and fishermen has cemented his position as a notable champion for Charleston’s flourishing culinary renaissance.

Mike’s food, philosophy, and contributions to the Charleston community have earned him recognition on national platform, including coverage in The Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, Esquire, Garden & Gun, Southern Living, Travel + Leisure, USA Today, The New York Times and many more. He has been featured in several television appearances, including Food Network’s “Iron Chef America,” Bravo’s Top Chef, PBS’s Moveable Feast with Fine Cooking, and ABC’s “Nightline Platelist,” which described his food as “so good it will buckle your knees.”

When he’s not in the kitchen, Mike can be found hitting the links, riding his prized Ducati motorcycles, or enjoying life with his son, Henry.

Jason Stanhope
Executive Chef

James Beard Foundation Award Winner, Best Chef: Southeast 2016

Growing up in Topeka, Kansas, Jason Stanhope’s experience with great cuisine was reserved for special occasions. For his family, the ritual of cooking and eating together was more important than what was on the table, which helped fuel his life-long obsession with sourcing the highest quality ingredients. Cooking with his family also instilled the desire to put on a great show every night and make guests feel like they are a part of the restaurant family, which is a founding principle of his culinary philosophy.

Stanhope moved to San Francisco to pursue a culinary degree at Le Cordon Bleu, and fell in love with the kitchen immediately. During this time, he had the chance to work in Cusco and Machu Picchu, Peru, for Michael Raas, where he seized every opportunity, including one to fill in for the fish cook at Hotel Monasterio. The former Division II college football player moved back to the U.S. to work with James Beard award-winning chef Debbie Gold at Forty Sardines in Kansas City. While on a vacation to Charleston, Stanhope fell for the city and its rich epicurean history, and decided to move East and join the team at Mike Lata’s acclaimed FIG, where he has worked his way through the kitchen, starting as chef-tournant to his current position of executive chef, which earned him the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Southeast in 2015.

Working side-by-side with Lata during his six-year tenure taught Stanhope the restaurant’s timeless philosophies, including how to write a menu: start with the best possible ingredients and products available and then create dishes from there. By creating new dishes using ingredients and products thoughtfully sourced from local farmers and purveyors who are meticulous about their standards, Stanhope also upholds FIG’s philosophy of serving cuisine that is relevant, approachable, sensible, technically driven, and seasonally inspired. Some of FIG’s long-standing relationships include sourcing fish from Mark Marhefka; eggs, dairy, beef and pork from Celeste Albers; and heirloom vegetables from Pete Ambrose or Greg Johnsman of Geechee Boy Market and Mill. A leader in the farm-to-table movement since opening over ten years ago, FIG pays homage to the bounty of the Lowcountry region by offering a daily changing menu that is honest and straightforward.

“At FIG, we continue to build and maintain the repertoire that Mike Lata created, and working from that repertoire is like cooking out of my favorite cookbook every day,” says Stanhope. “We are committed to offering many of the signature dishes that everyone has come to know and love, like the gnocchi, tomato tart and chicken liver pate, and our goal is to continually execute them flawlessly and with the highest quality ingredients, while developing new signature dishes, like our razor clams or house-made pasta that’s hand-rolled, pinched or cut. We want our guests to feel welcome, enchanted by our service and cuisine, and, most importantly, we want them to feel great the next morning because of the quality of ingredients they ate the night before. That is how we go from great to memorable.”

Some of Stanhope’s current favorites include Salad of Nine Spring Vegetables with Caesar dressing and rye crisp; Marinated Razor Clams with golden raisins and pine nuts; and Spaghetti with stone crab and bottarga.

“Charleston’s farms, fisherman and purveyors provide us with an embarrassment of riches,” says Stanhope. “By using ingredients at their peak, preparing them simply and with respect to honor their integrity, we are able to capture the essence of the season.”

Rogan Lechthaler
Chef and Owner

Chef Rogan Lechthaler is as creative in the kitchen as he is adept on skis. With no formal training, the Weston, Vermont native has honed his eclectic culinary skills everywhere from Boston to Mississippi and specializes not only in using local, seasonal ingredients at his flagship fine dining spot- The Downtown Grocery, but also in hand made Italian at his newest venture, Mama’s.

The chef started his career in 1999 at The Ritz Carlton in Boston, before moving to Mistral, a see-and-be-seen restaurant in Boston’s South End. In 2004, he returned to the Green Mountains for a job at Warren’s Relais & Châteaux Pitcher Inn. During this time, he began wooing his Mississippi-bred wife, and later left for jobs at Blackberry Farm in Walland, TN and L&M’s Salumeria in Oxford, MS. He was called back to Vermont in 2007, taking a Head Chef position at Stratton Mountain’s Verdé. And, in November of 2010, Rogan and his wife, Abby, created The Downtown Grocery near Okemo Mountain in Ludlow.  Then, in September of 2017, they renovated a main street building from the 1800s to house Mama’s Hand Made Italian.

Rogan has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, GQ, SKIING Magazine, Garden & Gun, Yankee Magazine & Outside Magazine. He’s also cooked at a private dinner party with Ashley Judd & Morgan Freeman, as a Guest Chef at the Delta Hot Tamale Festival, at an Ambassador’s Dinner in D.C. and at The James Beard House.

Joseph Lenn
Chef and Owner

Chef Joseph Lenn, a native of Knoxville, has always had a deep love for East Tennessee.  Food has played a major role in the lives of his family members, including his immediate family, as well as his grandparents and great-grandparents, many of whom grew up on farms in East Tennessee.

Joseph found his way into the kitchen primarily due to his curiosity. He recalls that one of his first cooking lessons from his mother was simply put, “just don’t burn them.” His interest in cooking heightened after high school while working at Butler & Bailey Market in Knoxville. Quality ingredients from the market led to cooking for friends and family after work, and it was the enjoyment of these gatherings that led him to the decision to attend culinary school.

Joseph left East Tennessee in 1999 to attend Johnson and Wales University in Charleston, SC. His professional cooking career began following his first year of culinary school, when he accepted an internship under Chef John Fleer at Blackberry Farm.  During his second year at JWU, Joseph began working for Chef Robert Carter at Charleston’s Peninsula Grill, where he remained for three years. While there, he cooked alongside Sean Brock, who invited him to be on the opening team at The Hermitage Hotel’s Capitol Grill in Nashville, TN, which he happily accepted.

After two years in Nashville, Joseph longed to return to East TN, and he was able to work with Chef John Fleer again at Blackberry Farm. Soon he was promoted to Sous Chef, and after 5 years in a variety of positions, Joseph Lenn became Executive Chef of the Barn Restaurant there. During his tenure he was named a Grand Chef by Relais and Chateaux, and he received the James Beard award for Best Chef Southeast in 2013, the first chef in Tennessee to win this prestigious award. After a decade at Blackberry Farm, Joseph decided in April 2015 to undertake the challenge of opening his own restaurant.

He chose the Daylight building in downtown Knoxville, TN, on the corner of Union Ave. and Walnut Ave., one block from Market Square. Joseph has had his eye on this space, a former photography studio, since cooking on the sidewalk at the location for a dinner honoring close friend Allan Benton in 2011. In 2016 he opened J.C. Holdway Restaurant (named after a special uncle), which celebrates foods from the Southeast, cooked by wood-fire.

Donald Link
Executive Chef and Chief Executive Officer

Inspired by the Cajun and Southern cooking of his grandparents, Louisiana native Chef Donald Link began his professional cooking career at 15 years old. Recognized as one of New Orleans’ preeminent chefs, Chef Link has peppered the streets of the Warehouse District of New Orleans with several restaurants over the course of the past fifteen years. Herbsaint, a contemporary take on the French-American “bistro” was Link’s first restaurant. Cochon, opened with chef-partner Stephen Stryjewski, is where Link offers true Cajun and Southern cooking featuring the foods and cooking techniques he grew up preparing and eating. Cochon Butcher is a tribute to Old World butcher and charcuterie shops which also serves a bar menu, sandwiches, wine and creative cocktails. Calcasieu is Chef Link’s private event facility that takes its name from one of the parishes in the Acadiana region of southwest Louisiana. Pêche Seafood Grill serves simply prepared coastal seafood with a unique, modern approach to old world cooking methods featuring rustic dishes prepared on an open hearth over hardwood coals. Enjoy handcrafted pastries and breads at La Boulangerie Link’s neighborhood bakery and café.

Link’s flagship restaurant Herbsaint earned him a James Beard award in 2007 for Best Chef South. The same year Cochon was nominated for Best New Restaurant; Link was also nominated by the James Beard Foundation for the prestigious award of Outstanding Chef for multiple years. Pêche Seafood Grill was awarded Best New Restaurant at the 2014 James Beard Foundation Awards. Gourmet Magazine listed Herbsaint as one of the top 50 restaurants in America, and was inducted into the Nations Restaurant News Hall of Fame. Cochon was listed in The New York Times as “one of the top 3 restaurants that count” and recently named one of the 20 most important restaurants in America by Bon Appétit. For his commitment to the industry, the Louisiana Restaurant Association honored Link by naming him Restaurateur of the Year in 2012.

The James Beard Foundation also honored Link’s first cookbook– Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link’s Louisiana (Clarkson Potter) with their top award for Best American Cookbook. Released in 2009. Real Cajun is a collection of family recipes that Link has honed and perfected while honoring the authenticity of the Cajun people. In February 2014, Link celebrated the release of his second cookbook “Down South: Bourbon, Pork, Gulf Shrimp & Second Helpings of Everything,” “(Clarkson-Potter), which looks beyond New Orleans and Louisiana at dishes in nearby states.

In 2015, Chefs Link and Stryjewski created the Link Stryjewski Foundation to address the persistent cycle of violence and poverty, as well as the lack of quality education and job training opportunities available to young people in New Orleans. http://www.linkstryjewski.org

MEDIA CONTACT:
Elizabeth Goliwas Bodet
504.583.5550; lizbodet@gmail.com

Nancy Oakes
Executive Chef and Owner

Chef Nancy Oakes grew up in Northern California and began her restaurant career in San Francisco as a hostess, first at the popular Carnelian Room, and later at Alexis Restaurant on Nob Hill. Her passion for understanding all of the moving parts of owning and operating a restaurant began with those front of the house positions. Her first experience in the kitchen was on the San Francisco waterfront at The Barnacle, which served American classics and San Francisco favorites. Following The Barnacle, she commanded the kitchen at Pat O’Shea’s for the next decade, creating comforting food and garnering many loyal customers. Chef Oakes then opened the much acclaimed L’Avenue in 1988. L’Avenue proved to be the beginning of her much deserved public recognition and success for the years to come.

In 1993, Chef Oakes opened Boulevard Restaurant with Pat Kuleto. This celebrated establishment has earned Chef Oakes numerous local, national and international accolades, nominations and awards; including Zagat’s San Francisco Bay Area’s Most Popular Restaurant, 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’s 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.

Chef Nancy Oakes is a pioneer of haute American cuisine. Her unparalleled standard of excellence and accessible yet groundbreaking dishes have kept diners returning for decades.

Vitaly Paley
Chef and Owner

Portland, Oregon chef and restaurateur Vitaly Paley is both a leader and a trailblazer in the American culinary scene. With a James Beard Award for Best Chef Pacific Northwest and a win on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America” under his belt, the Russian-born, New York City-raised and French-trained chef has been instrumental in defining regional Northwest cuisine. While he was destined to become a world-class pianist, Vitaly took a different path, one that led him to work in the kitchens of fine New York City restaurants, including Union Square Café and Chanterelle. Intrigued by the possibilities and bounty of the Pacific Northwest, Vitaly and his wife and partner Kimberly Paley set their sights on Portland and left New York City in 1994. Shortly thereafter, Vitaly and Kimberly opened Paley’s Place, a Northwest bistro house in a restored Victorian in Portland’s tree-lined Alphabet District. There, the Paleys became synonymous with perfectly-executed dishes highlighting local farmers. In 2012, Vitaly opened Imperial in downtown Portland, where he also launched his popular Russian pop-up dinner series DaNet, celebrating the cuisine of his childhood. In October 2016, Vitaly and Kimberly opened Headwaters inside the historic Heathman Hotel, a contemporary restaurant focused on sustainable seafood. Based on the popularity of his DaNet series, Vitaly also revived the Heathman’s iconic tea court, where he hosts a weekly Russian Tea experience. Most recently, in 2017, Vitaly Paley Hospitality Group opened The Crown, a bar serving New York-style pizzas inspired by Vitaly’s adoration for the city.

Charlie Palmer
Executive Chef and Owner

Since the beginning of his celebrated career, master Chef, hospitality entrepreneur and hotelier Charlie Palmer has received critical acclaim for his signature Progressive American cooking, a style built on rambunctious flavors and unexpected combinations with a deep and lasting infusion of classical French cuisine. Charlie Palmer’s upbringing on a farm in upstate New York, along with his education in various kitchens in France and at The Culinary Institute of America, provided him with the wherewithal to form this unique style and ultimately strike out on his own. In 1988, he made a significant commitment to creating dishes featuring regional American ingredients at his sublime Aureole, originally situated in a historic townhouse off Manhattan’s Madison Avenue and now in a spectacular new location in the heart of New York City’s radiant theater district.

Over the years, Palmer combined his creative cooking spirit and flair for business to open dozens of notable restaurants across the country and a growing collection of award-winning boutique hotels. These include: Michelin-starred Aureole and its less formal counterpart, Liberty Room at Aureole, Charlie Palmer Steak New York, Crimson & Rye, Upper Story by Charlie Palmer, Charlie Palmer at The Knick, JAKE’s @ The Knick and St. Cloud, all at The Knickerbocker Hotel (New York, NY); Charlie Palmer Steak DC, (Washington, D.C.); Aureole at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, and Charlie Palmer Steak Las Vegas at the Four Seasons, (Las Vegas, NV); Charlie Palmer Steak (Reno, NV); Charlie Palmer Steak Napa and Sky & Vine Rooftop Bar (Napa, CA); and Dry Creek Kitchen at the boutique Hotel Healdsburg, (Sonoma County, CA).

A 20-year board member of Citymeals-on-Wheels and longtime supporter of Share our Strength, Chef Palmer and his namesake restaurant and hotel group frequently give back to the community with their trademarked, signature events. A weekend long food and beverage experience at the Hotel Healdsburg, Pigs & Pinot is an annual celebration of award-winning Pinot Noirs, heritage pork, and acclaimed national and local chefs combining their star power and talents to raise serious funds for local Sonoma charities and scholarships, and Share our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign.

Palmer is an admired and respected hospitality figurehead and business leader. The James Beard Foundation named him “Best Chef in America” in 1997 and welcomed him as a member of their illustrious “Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America” in 1998. For his culinary trailblazing in Las Vegas, he was inducted into the casino community’s Gaming Hall of Fame in 2011. Palmer’s unwavering support of his alma mater landed him a seat on The Culinary Institute of America’s Board of Trustees where he served as Chairman of the Board from 2013-2016 and the school bestowed him with an honorary doctorate in April 2018. As a tribute to his hard work and contributions to his upstate New York high school wrestling team, Palmer was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2017. A frequent guest on NBC’s Today Show, Bravo’s Top Chef, The Rachael Ray Show and more, Charlie Palmer is also the author of six cookbooks, Great American Food (Random House/1996), Charlie Palmer’s Casual Cooking (Harper Collins/2001), The Art of Aureole, (Ten Speed Press/2002), Charlie Palmer’s Practical Guide to the New American Kitchen (Melcher Media/2006), Remington Camp Cooking by Charlie Palmer (Charlie Palmer Group/2013), Charlie Palmer’s American Fare (Grand Central Life & Style/April 2015).

A caring, supportive father to four boys and doting husband to Lisa, Palmer holds the honor of family higher than any of his hospitality accolades. The family lives bi-coastally, both in New York and in Healdsburg, CA where the Palmer estate is home to abundant fruit trees and produce gardens, as well as vineyards, which are the foundation for his joint venture wine with Clay Mauritson, Charlie Clay Pinot Noir, now in its tenth vintage.

Christopher Engel
Executive Chef Aureole

Christopher Engel always dreamed of being a chef. Working as a porter—up to his elbows in suds—in a small restaurant on the outskirts of Frankfurt, this dream started to evolve into reality. This led Engel to Bad Homburg’s Maritim Hotel, which he describes as the toughest challenge of his early life, as a kid looking for an extra bit of pocket change. It was there he transformed into a young cook, providing him with a strong foundation to build a successful career.

With newfound knowledge, a passion for food, and a growing vision, Chef Engel went to work at some of Europe’s finest establishments. At the age of 19 he received an opportunity to work with the famed Michelin-starred chef Martin Göschel. Under Göschel’s guidance, Engel’s culinary knowledge grew in ways he had never imagined.

With a hunger for continuing his culinary development, Chef Engel set out to travel through Europe. He found a new home at Italy’s Hotel Castell and a great mentor in Gerhard Wieser, where he not only became Executive Sous Chef, but also helped the restaurant receive its second Michelin star. It was here where he reached new heights in his career— from creating innovative dishes to executing worldwide culinary events alongside renowned chefs. These culinary and regional influences aided Engel in finding his own unique, personal cooking style and he attests that “Gerhard Wieser, Martin Göschel and Bobby Bräuer are the three most influential chefs of my career.”

After meeting Chef Kurt Gutenbrunner in early 2014, it was quickly apparent that Chef Engel would be an excellent addition to the Austrian chef’s New York team. Shortly after their meeting, Engel made his way across the pond to New York City to be the newly appointed Executive Chef at the Michelin-starred Wallsé where he spent two years working closely with Gutenbrunner, creating upscale Austrian food influenced by the varied cuisines of Europe he had touched over the previous ten years.

Having followed the career of Charlie Palmer for over two decades, Engel was thrilled by the opportunity to be part of the celebrated chef’s New York team. Chris was hired as Executive Chef of Charlie Palmer at The Knick and The Knickerbocker Hotel in October 2016 and was eventually promoted to oversee all food and beverage for the entire luxury property as Director of Food & Beverage and Executive Chef.

The fortitude Engel displayed at Charlie Palmer at The Knick ultimately led Palmer to tap him to become Executive Chef of his flagship, Michelin-starred Aureole. Now manning the stoves at the legendary New York City establishment, Engel incorporates his diverse culinary background onto the menus at Aureole. When he’s not in the kitchen, he loves to travel with his wife, go fishing with his two brothers, and expand his horizons with destination adventures. In 2014, Chris took a walking pilgrimage throughout Europe where he journeyed 750 miles on a solo mission with only his backpack through Spain, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and France, which has now surpassed his first cooking job as the biggest challenge of his life.

Thierry Rautureau
Chef and Owner

Thierry Rautureau is, “The Chef In The Hat” ™, Owner of Luc and Loulay Kitchen and Bar restaurants in Seattle.  Rautureau was born in the Muscadet region of France.  His parents were farmers in a small agricultural community and the family cooked only what they grew, which influence his local, seasonal and sustainable food style culture within his restaurants.  He strives to bring new life to the freshest ingredients he can find, while providing his guests with a warm and inviting place to dine.  When dining at his restaurants you will find him catching up with guests that have been transformed into friends.  Chef in the Hat has won numerous local and national awards and has been featured in many national shows such as Top Chef Masters and Top Chefs.  You can hear him, for the last fifteen years, on “Seattle Kitchen Show” on KIRO 97.3 FM every Saturday afternoon from 4-6pm and on Sunday from 10-12pm and 5-7pm, alongside Chef Tom Douglas and Katie O’.  When asked about his passion Chef in the Hat answers; “I love teaching people, how accessible cooking can be and how healthy your cuisine can become by simply being aware of what is in season locally”.

Richard Reddington
Executive Chef and Owner

Richard Reddington’s passion for food and wine was sparked by his travels throughout Europe as a young adult and fueled by his experiences working in some of the world’s best kitchens. As Executive Chef at Redd, Yountville’s highly regarded new restaurant, he offers a contemporary interpretation of Wine Country cuisine, one that references his own classic French training and incorporates a variety of ethnic influences, reflecting his more than 15-year epicurean journey.

Reddington’s culinary training had an untraditional beginning. After graduating from college with a degree in business and traveling around Europe, he realized that his dream was not to enter the business world, but to do what he loved most – cooking – and decided that practical training was the way to go.

He began his career working for Roland Passot at San Francisco’s renowned La Folie in 1990, later moving to Postrio before heading east to David Burke’s Park Avenue Café in New York City. A stint at Rubicon in San Francisco was followed by a French sojourn at the Michelin three-star Arpege and Le Moulin de Mougins with Roger Vergé, a prelude to working with Daniel Boulud at Restaurant Daniel in New York.

Returning to California, he helped open Spago Beverly Hills as Sous Chef, before joining Chapeau in San Francisco, where he was named “Rising Star” by The San Francisco Chronicle’s Michael Bauer. He spent the next 18 months as Chef de Cuisine at Jardiniere. In 2000, he was drawn North to Napa Valley and began a four-year tenure as Executive Chef at the landmark Auberge du Soleil. There, he captured attention when he was voted “Best Rising Chef” by San Francisco magazine in 2003. After leaving the Auberge in 2004, he took the reins at Masa’s in San Francisco, before taking the leap to launch his eponymous restaurant.

Opened in November, 2005, Redd offers food and wine lovers a new reason to visit Yountville’s gourmet “Restaurant Row.” Reddington’s vision calls for refined yet approachable food that, in flavor and texture, perfectly complements the Valley’s bountiful array of wines. The 90-seat restaurant features a bar and indoor and outdoor dining in a relaxed contemporary setting designed by New York architects Asfour Guzy.

In January of 2012, Chef Reddington opened his second restaurant, Redd Wood in the North Block Hotel also located on Washington Street in Yountville. An upscale pizza restaurant, it has become a favorite of locals and tourists alike.

A graduate of Miami University in Ohio, Reddington is a native of Rochester, New York.

Bill Telepan
Executive Chef

Chef Bill Telepan is one of New York’s leaders in sourcing quality ingredients from small farms and local purveyors. He brings to Oceana his commitment to using the finest ingredients, combined with his classic training and contemporary influences.

Telepan’s restaurant experience includes work in some of the world’s top kitchens. Early in his career, he apprenticed with the legendary Chef Alain Chapel at his eponymous three-Michelin star restaurant outside Lyons, France. Under Chapel, Telepan honed his culinary skills and learned the importance of retaining the integrity of fresh ingredients in creating delicious food.

In New York, Telepan trained with Chef Daniel Boulud at Le Cirque, and Chef Gilbert Le Coze at Le Bernardin. He served as the Executive Sous Chef at Gotham Bar & Grill; Executive Chef at Ansonia; and Executive Chef at Judson Grill, where he earned a three-star review from The New York Times, and which helped inform his 2004 cookbook, Inspired by Ingredients.

In 2005, he opened Telepan, the beloved Upper West Side restaurant, which earned him a loyal following and many accolades including a Michelin star, a glowing two-star review from The New York Times, and the title of “Best Newcomer” in the Zagat survey the following year.

Telepan shares his environmental commitment on a national scale by serving as the Executive Chef of Wellness in the Schools (WITS), a non-profit group dedicated to improving children’s health by enriching lunch and recess programs at public schools. Since 2008, Telepan has been the leader of the WITS Cook for Kids program, which includes developing nutritious and appetizing school menus; training in-residence cooks and cafeteria staff; teaching culinary and nutrition concepts to students, parents and teachers; and engaging with professional chefs across the country.

In 2017, Telepan became the first-ever Director of Sustainability at the Institute of Culinary Education. In this brand-new role, Telepan will help develop a sustainability-focused curriculum, work in ICE’s hydroponic garden, and teach students how to grow and harvest. He will also be tasked with implementing a zero-waste plan to reduce food waste at ICE.

Telepan graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and lives in Manhattan with his wife and daughter.

John Tesar
Executive Chef and Partner

In the midst of an influential culinary career spanning nearly four-decades, Executive Chef and Partner John Tesar takes a classically trained chef’s approach to steakhouse cuisine at Knife Dallas, a sophisticated destination for in-house dry-aged steaks sourced from nearby Texas farms. “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—first debuting in Plano, TX’s Legacy Food Hall in autumn 2017—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 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.

On the heels of Knife’s success and national recognition, Tesar has taken on the fast-casual dining scene with his burger stand spinoff project in 2017, Knife Burger, located at Legacy Food Hall, and opening soon in Fort Worth, with additional locations on the horizon. Continuing with the momentum, Tesar is heading to the West Coast, bringing his new seafood concept Outer Reef to the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa in Dana Point, CA. Outer Reef will pay homage to Tesar’s critically-acclaimed seafood restaurant Spoon Bar & Kitchen (Dallas, TX 2012 -2014) 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.

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.

Dustin Valette
Chef and Owner

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 fine- tuning 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…..