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.

Lee Hefter
Managing Partner

Hefter’s career began in fast-paced New Jersey and New York restaurants. Eager to travel and to broaden his culinary skills, Lee moved to San Francisco to work with Chef Barbara Troop at China Moon Café. His culinary and managerial skills quickly proved press worthy and it was not long before the young chef’s reputation was getting recognized throughout the industry.

With his growing reputation, it was no surprise that Hefter was approached by Chef Wolfgang Puck to join the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group. Under the direction of Wolfgang, Lee worked for the next two years as a sous chef at Spago, West Hollywood the hot-spot for celebrities and the Who’s Who in the entertainment world.

Puck quickly recognized Hefter’s talent and took him under his wing. Hefter credits Wolfgang with teaching him to realize his culinary vision – emphasizing the purity and simplicity of good food.

Hefter then worked his way through Europe’s two-and three-star restaurants – L’Ousteau de Baumaniere, L’Aubergarde and Troisgros preparing for his next position as the Chef at Wolfgang’s Granita restaurant in Malibu, California. It was at Granita that Hefter make a name for himself, drawing patrons from all over Los Angeles, and earning high marks with the food press.

In early 1997, Wolfgang tapped Hefter for the role of Chef at Spago, Beverly Hills. Together, they created an elegant menu emphasizing the best fresh ingredients available, seasoned with influences from other cultures. Hefter is acclaimed by reviewers for the wonderful flavors and consistent high quality of Spago’s cuisine and the excellent service that has make Spago one of the most recognized restaurants in the world.

Today as Managing Partner and Executive Corporate Chef of the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Hefter is responsible for developing new fine dining menu concepts and maintaining the legendary 25 years of quality and innovation that has made this fine dining group one of the most prestigious restaurants groups in the world.

Under Hefter’s creative culinary direction, the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group has gone on to open several international locations of the modern steak restaurant CUT (Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, London, Dubai, Singapore, Bahrain Bay and New York City), Spago (Maui, Istanbul) as well as other casual concepts across the globe.

Personal Awards and Accolades: Food & Wine “Best New Chef” (1997); Restaurants & Institutions “Best Young Chefs in America” (1997); James Beard Foundation “Rising Star” nominee (1997); Bon Appetit “Chef of Merit” (2004); James Beard Award for “Best Chef – California” (2005); James Beard Award for “Outstanding Chef” nominee (2007).

Ari Rosenson
Chef
CUT Beverly Hills

Legend has it that Ari Rosenson was wrapped in a chef’s jacket at birth. As a young school boy he would day-dream about the day he would be a Head Chef. As luck would have it, at 10 years old, he was assigned a fifth-grade project “to do a report on someone”. Rosenson spotted news of a food labeling issue between the FDA and well-known Chef Wolfgang Puck. He told his mother, ‘I want to do a report on that guy.’”

He reached out to Puck, who was receptive. Rosenson and his mother went to Spago on the Sunset Strip to conduct an interview. Ari made Wolfgang an omelet and Wolfgang showed him how to make a pizza. Impressed with this young boys passion for food Wolfgang told Rosenson that he could work for him someday. Unaware of what happened that day, Ari had taken a big step on the path to his culinary dream.

As Rosenson grew into his teens he began following Puck in the news. Ari celebrated all his birthdays at Wolfgang Puck restaurants and at 16 year old, wrote Puck a letter asking for the job that Wolfgang had promised years before. Puck, remembered this young boy’s culinary enthusiasm and offered Ari a job as a prep cook at Spago. Coming from no formal culinary training, Ari was shocked, but was more than ready to take on this challenging opportunity.

Rosenson worked hard and infused great passion into his work. In 1997 he was named Sous Chef, Spago Beverly Hills; 2004 he was tapped for Executive Sous Chef Spago Beverly Hills; 2006 Chef de Cuisine at CUT at Beverly Wilshire and 2011 Head Chef at CUT. Currently, along with his role of overseeing his team at CUT, Rosenson is Regional Culinary Director for the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Los Angeles Restaurants. He also contributes to the development of all new CUT Restaurant Concepts.

Twenty-five years later Ari Rosenson wears his chef’s jacket with great pride. As an experienced member of the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining team his passion for food, continues to fuel his desire to fulfill his childhood dream.

Gavin Kaysen
Chef/Owner

There is nothing quite like the frenetic and fleeting seasonality of the upper Midwest to inspire a soulful cook. For Chef Gavin Kaysen, an old soul at heart, this idea beckoned him back home to Minneapolis to open Spoon and Stable, a 2015 James Beard Award Finalist for “Best New Restaurant,” in the North Loop neighborhood in fall 2014. Further planting his roots in Minnesota in early 2017, he opened French-inspired bistro, Bellecour, in Wayzata, MN. His second restaurant is a nod to his friends and mentors, Chefs Daniel Boulud and the late Paul Bocuse, and their time spent together in Lyon, France. “Cooking is very emotional for me; I have to cook how I feel,” Kaysen says. “There’s something to be said for how you feel emotionally as one season gives way to the next, when it snows, rains, or is sunny. I never thought about that growing up here, but coming back, I see that now.”

The chef refined his dexterity in contemporary American fine dining by dedicating time to some of the world’s best restaurants. After graduation in 2001 from the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, VT, Kaysen worked at Domaine Chandon in Yountville, CA; L’Auberge de Lavaux in Lausanne, Switzerland; and the famed L’Escargot in London, before becoming executive chef at El Bizcocho in San Diego, where he was named one of Food & Wine magazine’s “Best New Chefs.” In late 2007, he joined Chef Daniel Boulud as chef de cuisine of Café Boulud in New York City, where he later earned the James Beard “Rising Star Chef” award and a coveted Michelin star. While there, he discovered so much more than tangible, technical skills. “It was like getting my master’s and PhD with Daniel and his organization,” he explains. “I learned so much about hospitality, about the business, cooking—but more importantly, I learned a lot about soulful food. When he cooks, it’s all about spontaneity, which I have discovered is how I really thrive, too.” In 2018, Kaysen took home the James Beard Foundation Award for “Best Chef: Midwest.”

Today, Kaysen helps the next generation of young culinarians refine their skills in the kitchen. He is one of the founding mentors of the nonprofit ment’or BKB Foundation (formerly Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation), for which he currently serves as Team USA’s head coach in preparing for the famed biennial culinary competition that showcases the world’s best up-and-coming chefs. Kaysen brings an intimate knowledge of the Bocuse d’Or competition, as he proudly represented the U.S. in 2007. In 2015, he successfully led Team USA to a record-breaking Second Place victory, the first medal and podium placement for the United States. 2015 set the stage for future success, and in 2017 Team USA claimed first place for the very first time.

Kaysen lives in Minneapolis with his wife and two sons. In his spare time, he tends to the strawberries, peppers, zucchini, cilantro, basil, thyme, rosemary, and tomatoes growing in his home garden.

Thomas Keller
Chef/Propreitor

Thomas Keller’s name is synonymous with quality and high standards. The chef and proprietor of The French Laundry, in Napa Valley, and Per Se, in New York, among other restaurants, he is the first and only American-born chef to hold mul- tiple three-star ratings from the prestigious Michelin Guide, as well as the first American male chef to be designated a Chevalier of The French Legion of Honor, the highest decoration in France.

Chef Keller has earned countless accolades, including The Culinary Institute of America’s“Chef of the Year” Award and the James Beard Foundation’s “Outstanding Chef” and “Outstanding Restaurateur” Awards. In 2001, Time Magazine named him America’s Best Chef. In 2017, Chef Keller led a team from the United States to its first-ever gold medal in the Bocuse d’Or, a prestigious biannual competition that is regarded as the Olympics of the culinary world. For embodying the state’s spirit of innovation, he was inducted into the 2018 California Hall of Fame, as selected by Governor Jerry Brown and First Lady Anne Gust Brown. In June 2019, Chef Keller became the first USA inductee into the oldest savory chef association in the world, The Master Chefs of France.

Keller began his culinary career in his teens as a dishwasher in the Palm Beach restaurant managed by his mother. In 1983, he moved to France, where he apprenticed in several Michelin-starred houses. He opened his first restaurant, Rakel, in New York City in 1986, before relocating to California to serve as Executive Chef at the Checkers Hotel in Los Angeles. In 1994, Chef Keller took ownership of The French Laundry in Yountville, and soon brought it to national and worldwide acclaim. With Snøhetta, a completed new kitchen and courtyard renovation was recently unveiled at The French Laundry. The redesign is the first major overhaul to the historic site in over two decades, doubling the size of the existing landscape, while providing a world-class working environment for Keller and his team to innovate their craft and service. In July 2019, The French Laundry celebrated its silver anniversary, an occasion honored with a Congressional Record Statement by Congressman Mike Thompson.

Chef Keller’s Frenchbistro, Bouchon, debuted in 1998, followed by Bouchon Bakery five years later. Both are within walking distance of The French Laundry. Since then, Keller has opened outposts of Bouchon and Bouchon Bakery in New York City and Las Vegas. Another of his restaurants is family-style Ad Hoc + Addendum, also in Yountville, as well as La Calenda, a Mexican restaurant with Chef Kaelin Ulrich Trilling leading the culinary program. In 2017, Chef Keller opened Bouchon Bakeries in the Middle East with partner M.H. Alshaya Co. and continues to introduce a new dining experience to guests in that region. Celebrating Continental cuisine, The Surf Club Restaurant opened the summer of 2018 located in Surfside, Florida and now TAK Room in New York City, which debuted in March 2019. He is the author of five cookbooks, with more than one million copies in circulation.

Known for his leadership, Chef Keller has assembled a team that shares his philosophy in his restaurants, enabling him also to concentrate on interests outside the kitchen, including his and Laura Cunningham’s Napa Valley wine label Modicum, as well as a magazine and retail outpost in Yountville, both titled Finesse. He has embarked on several innovative partnerships. In his newest collaboration, Chef Keller partnered with Armando Manni, an acclaimed olive oil producer, to develop a line of chocolates, K+M Extravirgin Chocolate, that is revolutionizing bean-to-bar chocolate production with its proprietary method of boosting antioxidant levels.

Chef Keller also co-founded Cup4Cup, a line of gluten-free flour blends and mixes that substitutes for all-purpose flour inhome recipes. Chef Keller has formed a culinary partnership with Seabourn to help elevate the guest experience through the opening of The Grill restaurant and advising on menu items throughout the fleet. He is a Brand Ambassador for Hestan Commercial and Hestan Indoor. His newest partnership is with Cangshan knives.

Together with restaurant designer Adam D. Tihany, he created K+T, a collection of silver hardware and cocktail ware for Christofle Silversmiths. Chef Keller’s collaboration with Raynaud and design firm Level has led to a sophisticated collection of white porcelain dinnerware called “Hommage.” Chef Keller also consulted on the films “Spanglish” and “Ratatouille,” the latter winning in the 2007 “Best Animated Feature Film” category at both the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards.

Gerry Klaskala
Chef/Owner

Chef Gerry Klaskala’s perpetual passion for food and art has brought him much success throughout his career and now serves as the underlying theme of his menu at Aria. Klaskala’s goal as executive chef and owner of the award-winning Atlanta restaurant is to leave his guests both fulfilled and intrigued at every visit.

Klaskala’s fascination with art began with painting but soon turned culinary when he found the same artistic fulfillment at his first job cooking in a local kitchen. He then went on to pursue his education at the Culinary Institute of America, where he graduated with honors. After finishing school, Klaskala spent nine years with the Hyatt Hotels Corporation. His natural talent and dedication to his craft paid off as he quickly climbed the culinary ladder with the company, starting as a commis chef at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, then holding executive chef positions in Savannah, Ga. and Cambridge, Mass.. Along the way, he assisted in opening several Hyatt properties such as Hyatt Regency New Orleans and Grand Hyatt New York. Beginning in 1985, Klaskala spent three years as co-owner and chef of 45 South in Savannah before making the bold move back to Atlanta to join Buckhead Life Restaurant Group as the executive chef and managing partner of The Buckhead Diner. It was there that his talents really came to fruition. Klaskala was able to find a beautiful balance between his well-honed cooking techniques and his restaurant management skills, creating a fan following among Atlanta diners. This success allowed him to pursue his new passion for finding and using products grown with the utmost integrity.

Even after earning national praise for his work at The Buckhead Diner, Klaskala wanted something he could truly call his own. He decided to take a chance and left his successful reign at Buckhead Life Restaurant Group in 1995 to open Canoe, one of Atlanta’s most celebrated restaurants. Klaskala remains an owner to this day.

Canoe’s favorable reception enabled him to advance his endeavors even further with the opening of Aria in 2000. Klaskala’s concept for Aria brought him back to the very thing that his whole career is based on: his love of art. His vision was similar to that of an artist opening his own gallery; somewhere he could showcase his culinary creations while also evolving as a chef.

Because of Klaskala’s bold concept at Aria, he has become a recognized and respected voice on the national dining scene. His award-winning cuisine has been featured in highly-acclaimed publications like Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Esquire, Food & Wine, The New York Times, The Local Palate, Southern Living, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Zagat. Klaskala has also made a variety of television appearances including “The Today Show,” “Live with Regis & Kathie Lee,” “FOX Good Day Atlanta” and “CBS Better Mornings.”

Over the course of his career, Klaskala has also received the DiRoNA award, Mobil Travel Guide Three Stars, AAA Four Diamond for 14 years in a row and the Culinary Award of Excellence from Robert Mondavi Winery, in addition to having both of his restaurants, Aria and Canoe, named “Best New Restaurant” by Esquire magazine.

Aria marked its 19th anniversary in 2019, and Klaskala and his staff are still celebrating year after year. Aria was awarded the highest cumulative Zagat score of all Atlanta restaurants and named one of USA Today’s 10 best romantic restaurants in Atlanta.

A true testament to Klaskala’s staying power and relevance, Aria was named a James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Service and a Top Time-Tested Restaurant by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2017. In 2018, Atlanta Magazine named Aria in the top 10 of its 2018 Best Restaurants list and Dining Out named Klaskala a Culinary Trailblazer of the South. In August 2018, the Georgia Restaurant Association awarded Klaskala with the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Georgia Restaurant Association Crystal of Excellence Awards.

Throughout his career, Klaskala has also shared his vision by consulting on several high-profile restaurant openings. Some of his Atlanta projects include Atlas, located in The St. Regis; The Globe Restaurant; Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill; Sway, located in the Hyatt Regency Atlanta; as well as Madison’s, located in the Old Edwards Inn and Spa in Highlands, N.C.

When he is not working at Aria, Klaskala donates his time to numerous food and wine events. Most notably, he is the chef chair for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society GA Chapter’s Harvest for a Cure event and chef co-chair of Open Hand Atlanta’s Party in the Kitchen. He has participated for decades in the Share Our Strength Taste of the Nation event, formerly chaired the American Liver Foundation’s Flavors of Atlanta event and has been featured as a guest chef at numerous food and wine festivals around the country. Klaskala is also a founding chef of the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival, a member of the Vidalia® Onion Committee’s Chefs Advisory Board and on the board of advisors for Atlanta Foodservice Expo, One Hundred Tables and Nosh Talks, a networking organization in the Atlanta food and beverage industry. His participation in these events benefits organizations such as the Atlanta Community Food Bank, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Boca Raton Historical Society, Georgia Organics, High Museum of Art, and Southface, among others.

Kevin Rathbun
Executive Chef
Kevin Rathbun Steak

Long known for his beaming smile and larger-than-life-presence in the kitchen–and dining room–Chef Kevin Rathbun is a veritable force to be reckoned with in the Atlanta food scene and beyond. Kevin credits growing up in a home “where hospitality and good food were the unrivaled cornerstones of the Rathbun family”, with shaping his passion, drive, and vision for his successful culinary career.

From his humble beginnings as a dishwasher, through the years spent working his way up the Atlanta food-chain, to making a splash with beloved standouts like Nava, Bluepointe, Kyma and the Buckhead Diner. Chef Kevin has consistently blazed his own trail and helped solidify Atlanta’s prominence as a food mecca in the process.

Adding another chapter to an innovative and distinguished 40+ years of paying his dues in the kitchen, celebrated Chef Kevin Rathbun once again took the vibrant Atlanta restaurant scene by storm, opening his namesake Rathbun’s in 2004. Followed by Krog Bar in 2005, Kevin Rathbun Steak in 2007, and KR Steakbar in 2012 all to critical acclaim. The success of these, now, Atlanta staples has transcended local popularity and earned Chef Rathbun a place in the national food consciousness.

Chef Rathbun’s unique takes on Modern American, Spanish Tapas, Prime Steakhouse, and Italian inspired cuisines continue to resonate with diners and food critics alike. His evident passion for excellence in all things hospitality, and for giving back to the community, through his tireless charitable work, make him and his restaurants perennial favorites in Atlanta.

“Rathbun’s Restaurants are all different concepts, I try to make them feel as if it’s a family from the staff to the customers. Cooking from the heart is always the answer.”–Chef Kevin Rathbun

Since opening his popular string of namesake establishments, the impressive flood of awards and accolades has been steady and, at times, overwhelming…in the best possible way. With the Rathbun name appearing regularly on countless “Best of” lists: Esquire Magazine (Best New Restaurant), Travel & Leisure (Best New American Restaurant), Bon Appetit (Hot 50 Restaurants), AOL CityGuide (Best Restaurant in Atlanta), Playboy Magazine (Best Steakhouse in Atlanta), Creative Loafing (Best Overall Restaurant and Best Chef) and the hits just keep on coming!.

Chef Rathbun is also an in-demand, on-camera guest with countless regular appearances on “The Today Show,” “The Early Show,” “Good Morning America,” “Good Day Atlanta,” and CNN, to name a few. Kevin has showcased his high-pressure, reality show skills by winning both “Iron Chef (by beating friend and TV-rival, Bobby Flay) and Chopped.” He’s no stranger to the world of print media either. With a growing roster of features in Food & Wine, The Wall Street Journal, Gourmet, Men’s Journal, Southern Living, Oprah Magazine, Veranda, National Geographic Traveler, and anywhere quality cuisine is covered in print.

Chef Kevin has had the good fortune to collaborate with, and learn from, numerous celebrity chefs and restaurateurs like Emeril Lagasse, Bradley Ogden, Stephen Pyles, Ella Brennan and Pano Karatassos. Kevin has cooked for, and is a favorite among, hungry celebrities like Sir Elton John, Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Lawrence, Conan O’Brien, Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood, and an ever-growing list of loyal, high-profile fans.

Kevin lives in Atlanta with his wife, Melissa. In his rare downtime, he enjoys time with family, dining out with friends, reading cookbooks, and traveling. Kevin also admits to having a secret passion for restaurant design–which is evident the moment you enter any of his gorgeous restaurants–and claims that’s what he would like to pursue “in another life”.

In addition to his busy daily life, Chef Rathbun is an active, passionate advocate and fundraiser for a growing list of favorite charities. He gets the most satisfaction from his work on annual fundraising events like Taste of the NFL / Kick Hunger Challenge, No Kid Hungry, and Taste of the Nation. He also regularly raises funds on behalf of Open Hand Atlanta, Share Our Strength, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and many more. Kevin sits on the board of the Atlanta Community Food Bank and is a Co-Chair for Open Hand Atlanta.

“My culinary passion is making people happy. My mother was a maître d’ for 40 years—she exuded hospitality. It is something that was instilled in me my whole life. I choose to give happiness and well being by way of food, service, and genuine goodness.”–Chef Kevin Rathbun

Emeril Lagasse
Owner/Executive Chef

Emeril Lagasse is the chef/proprietor of 11 restaurants, including four in New Orleans (Emeril’s, NOLA,Emeril’s Delmonico and Meril); three in Las Vegas (Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House, Delmonico Steakhouse and Lagasse’s Stadium); three at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem in Pennsylvania (Emeril’s Fish House, Emeril’s Chop House and Burgers And More by Emeril); and most recently, one in Miramar Beach, Florida (Emeril’s Coastal Italian). His 12th restaurant, and his first restaurant at sea, Emeril’s Bistro 1396 will open on Carnival Cruise Line’s Mardi Gras ship set to sail in 2020.

As a national TV personality, he has hosted more than 2,000 shows on the Food Network, and is the food correspondent for ABC’s “Good Morning America.” Most recently, Amazon launched an original series featuring Lagasse called Eat the World with Emeril Lagasse. The series received five daytime Emmy nominations and won “Outstanding Culinary Program.” The series was also a James Beard semifinalist in the category “Outstanding Personality of Host.” Lagasse has appeared as a guest judge in five seasons of Bravo’s hit food series, “Top Chef,” and two seasons of “Top Chef Jr”. He was named a co-host on the last three season of the “Rachael Ray Show,” and has appeared on the Cooking Channel with five seasons of “Emeril’s Florida.” Lagasse is the bestselling author of 19 cookbooks, the latest titled Essential Emeril: Favorite Recipes and Hard-Won Wisdom from My Life in the Kitchen.

In 2002, Lagasse established the Emeril Lagasse Foundation to support children’s educational programs that inspire and mentor young people through the culinary arts, nutrition, healthy eating, and important life skills. To date, the Foundation has distributed $10 million in grants benefitting children’s charities in New Orleans, Las Vegas and on the Gulf Coast. In 2013, Lagasse was named the Humanitarian of the Year by the James Beard Foundation for his dedicated efforts to further the culinary arts in America, as well as his philanthropic work supporting children’s educational programs through his Foundation.

Lagasse’s restaurant company, Emeril’s Homebase, is located in New Orleans and houses culinary operations and a test kitchen for recipe development.

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
FIG

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.”

Ludo Lefebvre
Chef/Partner

Chef Ludo Lefebvre is one of the most influential chefs in Los Angeles dining, pioneering and revolutionizing the culinary industry. After training in France for 12 years with the great masters, Ludo came to Los Angeles and was soon awarded the prestigious Mobil Travel Guide Five Star Award at two different restaurants: L’Orangerie in 1999 and 2000 and Bastide in 2006. From 2007 to 2012, he became known as the “pop-up king” through his multi-city restaurant tour LudoBites and has been credited with igniting the phenomenon of the pop-up restaurant and establishing its viability as a business model.

Ludo is truly the last of his generation, a classically trained French chef that learned at the hands of the great masters of French cuisine: Alain Passard, Marc Meaneau, Pierre Gagnaire, and Guy Martin. He is a true protégé of the World’s Best Chefs. This training rooted deep in Ludo a culinary consciousness that will always put him alongside the true masters of the craft.

In September 2010, Ludo brought fried chicken to the streets of Los Angeles by opening his food truck, known on the streets as “LudoTruck”. In October 2013, he took his fried chicken concept to the next level by opening his first brick and mortar location, LudoBird, within the Staples Center, with a second location to follow at Universal City Walk, Hollywood in 2016.

Turning his attention back to the “refined” dining of his pedigree, in 2013 Ludo opened Trois Mec, a 28-seat restaurant in the heart of in Los Angeles, which was twice named “L.A.’s Best Restaurant” by LA Weekly. In 2019, upon its return to Los Angeles, the California Michelin Guide awarded Ludo one Michelin star for Trois Mec. Petit Trois, Ludo’s “Bar a la carte” concept, was opened July 2014 and was honored as a 2015 James Beard finalist for Best New Restaurant. The second location of Petit Trois, with added breakfast and table service opened in Sherman Oaks, CA in April 2018. Both Trois Mec and Petit Trois were included in the LA Times 2018 “101 Restaurants We Love” list. Additionally, Petit Trois was included in the 2019 Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand.

Ludo has been named one of the “World’s 50 Greatest Chefs” by Relais & Chateaux and was a James Beard Award finalist for a “Rising Star Chef, ” “Best Chef West” and “Best Culinary Program” for his hosting of Mind of Chef. In December 2015, Ludo received the prestigious Chevalier de Arts des Lettres award from his home country of France. Ludo starred in three seasons of the ABC hit cooking competition, The Taste.

He is the author of two cookbooks: LudoBites, Recipes and Stories from the Pop-Up Restaurants of Ludo Lefebvre and Crave, The Feast of the Five Senses.

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

Tony Mantuano
Chef/Partner

Internationally regarded as an influential culinary force, multi-James Beard Award-winning Chef Tony Mantuano has been a trailblazer of defining authentic Italian cuisine in the United States for over three decades. In addition to his role as chef-partner at one of the country’s leading restaurants, Michelin-starred Spiaggia, and its more casual sister restaurant, Café Spiaggia, Mantuano is the chef-partner at River Roast, situated on the Chicago River; Terzo Piano, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in The Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago; Terralina Crafted Italian, a waterfront Italian restaurant located in Disney Springs in Orlando, Florida; and Maddon’s Post, an Italian and Polish-inspired restaurant in partnership with Joe Maddon located in Chicago’s iconic Wrigleyville neighborhood.

One of Chicago’s most decorated chefs, Mantuano has received a myriad of awards and accolades including the James Beard Foundation Award for “Best Chef, Midwest.” He has also dedicated his career at Spiaggia to mentoring and growing a class of powerhouse culinary talents, considered today to be amongst the most revered chefs in Italian cuisine, like James Beard Award winner “Best Chef, Great Lakes” Sarah Grueneberg of Monteverde, James Beard Award winner “Best Chef, New York City” and a Food & Wine “Best New Chef” (2010) Missy Robbins of Lilia/Misi, and “Top Chef” Season 15 winner, Joe Flamm.

Amidst all his awards and recognitions, one of Mantuano’s dearest honors was when long-time Spiaggia guest, President Barack Obama, celebrated his presidential election victory at Spiaggia in 2008. Mantuano was also asked to cook for First Lady Michelle Obama at the famed Art Institute of Chicago and for the final state luncheon under the Obama administration. In April 2009 he and Cathy Mantuano were honored with the keys to San Martino in the Italian region of Molise for serving authentic Italian cuisine in America. In September 2012, he was named part of the American Chef Corps and a 2012 State Chef by the U.S. Department of State and its new Culinary Diplomatic Partnership program. Mantuano has also been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, Food & Wine, Bon Appétit and Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, and has also appeared on popular television segments like “Nightline,” “The Today Show,” “The Early Show,” “CBS This Morning,” “The Dish,” “Martha” and the Hallmark Channel. He also served as a judge on Bravo’s beloved “Top Chef” series in 2009, and participated in season two of “Top Chef Masters.”
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Mantuano’s other projects include co-authoring two cookbooks with wine expert and wife, Cathy Mantuano. Their first book, The Spiaggia Cookbook, was lauded by Food & Wine magazine as one of the top 25 cookbooks of 2004. In 2008, the duo released Wine Bar Food, which has been the inspiration for WINE BAR FOOD outposts at the US Open Tennis Championships in New York.

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: 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.

Charlie Palmer
Owner/Chef – Aureole

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.

Scott Romano

An industry verteran and CIA Graduate executive Chef Scott Romano brings vast experience and an authentic approach to the culinary leadership at Dry Creek Kitchen. His philosophy of honest food served with integrity is critical to the restaurant’s wine country hospitality.

Scott became interested in cooking at a young age, hunting with his father and utilizing the entire animal to make family meals. He’s continued in this pursuit to this day, making refined charcuterie and jerkies, both of which appear on Dry Creek Kitchen’s daily menus.

Scott joined the Charlie Palmer Group in 1997 as a line cook at the group’s flagship, award-winning, New York property, Aureole, and was tapped to helm Palmer’s Alva (later Kitchen 22) and Kitchen 82 as Chef de Cuisine. After seven years with CPG in New York, the Jersey-native headed to California and worked with Palmer at Astra West and subsequently with Wolfgang Puck at his renowned Spago. During this time, Scott continued to refine his straightforward approach and in 2007 relocated to Dallas, Texas, again with Charlie Palmer Group. Upon opening Charlie Palmer at The Joule, Romano earned a four-star review from the Dallas Morning News. With continued passion for wild game, Scott explored his interest at The Frisco Gun Club and Nick & Sam’s Steakhouse, as well as a stint as Gerald Ford’s personal chef.

Scott’s skill, respect for ingredients, and passion for his craft make him a natural leader within the Charlie Palmer Group and at Dry Creek Kitchen.

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.

Gerard Thompson
Executive Chef

Much of Rough Creek Lodge’s success is attributed to Executive Chef Gerard Thompson, the first employee hired in 1997. His philosophy is to use the best available products, some of which come from his own garden. He also works closely with many local farmers who produce products, like eggs, cheese, strawberries, microgreens and lettuces. The daily changing menu Gerard serves is created from scratch in The Rough Creek Kitchen. From the handmade sourdough breads each day to house made bacon, handmade smoked sausages, assorted salume as well as house cured red wattle pig prosciutto hams. Gerard and his team also produce all the resorts desserts and churn all the ice creams and sorbets daily.

The prestigious James Beard Foundation Tapped Thompson as a rising star chef in the 21st century. In addition, Gerard has cooked at the Beard House twice, as well as being a featured Chef for The James Beard awards dinner.

Rough Creek Lodge received scores of 29 (out of 30) for food, décor and service by the Zagat Survey, America’s Top Restaurants” Rough Creek Lodge is also the proud recipient of the DiRôNA Award. Most recently Rough Creek Lodge has been named by the Readers of Trip Advisor as a Trip Advisor Traveler’s Choice. The only Texas resort to receive the honor.

Prior to hanging his hat at Rough Creek Lodge and Resort, Gerard was the Executive Chef for seven years at The San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito California, prior to his stint in California Gerard was the Executive Sous Chef for the Park Hyatt Washington DC, as well as The Remington in Houston Texas, in addition to many other Hotels and Restaurants…… When Gerard is not behind the stoves at Rough Creek, he enjoys being on Lake Granbury where he resides with his dog Malbec.

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.

Rick Tramonto
Chef and Owner

For eleven years, Rick Tramonto was executive chef and founding partner at Chicago’s world-renowned four-star fine-dining restaurant Tru, in partnership with Rich Melman, of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. Tramonto was also culinary director of Tramonto’s Steak & Seafood, and RT Sushi Bar, in the Westin Hotel in Wheeling, IL.

In 2010, Tramonto announced his partnership with Louisiana native Chef John Folse and the formation of a new restaurant company, Home on the Range. Tramonto and Folse opened their first joint restaurant project, Restaurant R’evolution, in New Orleans’ renowned French Quarter in the Royal Sonesta Hotel, in 2012. Their second project, Seafood R’evolution, opened in November 2014 in Ridgeland, MS, just outside of Jackson MS.

Tramonto is an accomplished author with eight titles to his credit: His memoir, Scars of a Chef, was published in March 2011. His cookbooks include: Steak with Friends: At Home with Rick Tramonto; Osteria; Fantastico!; Tru; Amuse-Bouche; Butter Sugar Flour Eggs (nominated for the 2000 James Beard Award for the Best Cookbook in the Baking and Desserts category); American Brasserie (finalist for the Julia Child Cookbook Awards).

Because of the respect he has earned in the culinary world, Tramonto has won numerous awards, including: James Beard Award –”Best Chef: Midwest”; James Beard Award –”Best Service” (Tru); Wine Spectator Grand Award (Tru); Top 10 Best Chef in Food & Wine Magazine(Trio); Four Star reviews in Chicago Tribune; Four Star reviews in Chicago Magazine; Best New Restaurant in New Orleans Magazine (Restaurant R’evolution).

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…..