Our Chefs Page

Our Kitchen Rules

From Michelin Star recipients to celebrity chefs, we are proud to share the kitchen with the cream of the crop. These chefs have created so many delicious recipes using our Forever Oceans™ Kanpachi.
Chef Mark Allison

Chef Mark William Allison

Meet Chef Mark
Chef Mark William Allison is a native of England who has worked around the world in culinary arts for over 40 years. From authoring multiple books like “150 Projects to Get You into Culinary Arts” to appearing on TV Cooking Channels’ “Cooking School Confidential”, and PBS’s “Overdraft”, Mark is an influential leader in the cooking industry.

Read Mark’s Latest Blog

Chef Jet Tila

Meet Chef Jet
From battling the legendary Masaharu Morimoto on Iron Chef America, opening Encore Hotel in Las Vegas and guiding Anthony Bourdain through many markets and restaurants, Chef Jet Tila is internationally celebrated for his culinary expertise. This Emmy, James Beard nominee and best-selling author grew up in the first family of Thai food and then later attending both French and Japanese culinary schools, Jet is a born educator and storyteller.   Jet was appointed as the inaugural Culinary Ambassador of Thai Cuisine by the Royal Thai Consulate, the first-ever chef to represent his country’s culture and cuisine.

Chef Jet’s culinary operations includes VP Culinary of Pei Wei Group 148 restaurants & Managing Partner Dragon Tiger Noodle Co in Las Vegas.  He has partnerships with Compass Group, Schwan’s & NBC Universal/DreamWorks.  His food reaches millions of people a year.

He appears as co-host of Iron Chef America and recurring judge on Food Network’s Cutthroat Kitchen, Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay and Guy’s Grocery Games. As well as an array of shows ranging from the Today, MasterChef, Rachel Ray and holds six culinary Guinness World Records.

Chef Elizabeth Falkner

Meet Chef Elizabeth
Elizabeth Falkner

Chef/Creative/Maker

Celebrated chef, Elizabeth Falkner was born in San Francisco, grew up in Los Angeles and worked her way up in San Francisco’s top kitchens before opening her first restaurant, Citizen Cake in 1997. A decade later, she opened four more restaurants in San Francisco and New York. Today, she does recipe development and consults on numerous products and brands. She loves to teach about the importance of creativity in cooking, is an inspiring public speaker and has cooked and spoken all over the United States and in Asia and Europe. Falkner’s style of cuisine is globally inspired and she cooks both savory and sweet, traditional and modern.

She is an advocate for people and chefs to think more like athletes and “stay fit to cook.” She played league soccer for 28 years, and has studied Jungshin and Iadō—both are forms of sword fighting fitness and martial arts. She also practices yoga on a regular basis, does cross fit, pilates, half marathons and the NY Marathon in 2016, cycling including ChefsCycle, a 300 mile cycling fundraiser for No Kid Hungry, and is obsessed now with tennis.

Cooking competitions are a favorite “sport” for Chef Falkner. She has competed and judged for the last 15 years on many of the television cooking competition programs for Food Network, Cooking Channel, Bravo and NBC, as well as made appearances on many other shows. She is often featured in food and lifestyle magazines, has received multiple awards and was nominated for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef (2005).

Falkner was a long-time member of Women Chefs & Restaurateurs and served as president from 2014 to 2015 and again from 2019 to 2020. She sat on the board of directors of Frameline, San Francisco’s premier LGBTQ film festival from 2004-2008.

A graduate from San Francisco Art Institute with a BFA in film, Falkner produced two short films with food themes in 2018, “Food Games-Sustainability” which she also hosted, and a documented performance piece called “Croquembouche Samurai” she performed at SoHo House in NYC.

She is one of the chefs featured in “Her Name Is Chef”, a documentary about the “Sheroes” in the restaurant business released March 2021, directed by Peter Ferriero, produced by Oaks Media Group (Amazon, Hulu, iTunes).

Deeply concerned for the hard-hit restaurant industry by the covid pandemic, Falkner is hosting and co-producing a feature documentary currently in post-production,

“Sorry We’re Closed” – an insider’s perspective of how the chefs and restaurant industry deals and evolves in crisis.

She does recipe development for brands and continues to cook at events worldwide, live and virtually. She is the head of R&D for a better for you candy company called, “Behave”-launched in 2020.

She is also working on a series of food inspired interactive installations and a memoir.

Chef Rick Moonen

Chef Rick Moonen

Meet Chef Rick
Nicknamed “The Godfather of Sustainability,” celebrity chef and restaurateur Rick Moonen has been one of the country’s leading advocates for the sustainable seafood movement. Chef Moonen has appeared on multiple national television shows, including “Beat Bobby Flay” and “The TODAY Show,” and has been featured in a variety of magazines like Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, and USA Today. Currently, Chef Moonen is a brand ambassador for Forever Oceans™.

Listen to Rick on the Ocean Raised Podcast

Chef Norman Van Aken

Meet Chef Norman
Chef Van Aken is known as “the founding father of New World Cuisine” – a celebration of Latin, Caribbean, Asian, American and African flavors. Van Aken is the only Floridian Chef inducted into the prestigious James Beard Foundation’s list of “Who’s Who in American Food and Beverage”. Over the years, Van Aken has appeared on a variety of television shows and is proud to have authored six cookbooks.

Chef Van Aken will be launching his “Cooking with Norman” virtual cooking classes in July. He has received great endorsements from nationally renowned Chefs on IG that included Emeril Lagasse, Nina Compton and Scott Conant.   Be sure to check out his website, as well as his classes at the link below!

https://normanvanaken.com/cooking-with-norman/

Chef Kimberly Brock Brown

Meet Chef Kimberly

Chef Kimberly Brock Brown, CEPC, CCA, AAC 

President, American Culinary Federation 

 

Chef Kimberly Brock Brown, CEPC, CCA, AAC, has more than 30 years of the culinary industry experience as a Certified Executive Pastry Chef, culinary instructor, culinary competitor, entrepreneur, author, and TV personality. A native of the Chicago area and longtime resident of the Charleston, South Carolina area. 

 

For more than the past three decades, Chef Kimberly has remained an active member of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), of which she was elected president in 2021 for a two-year term. Prior to that, she served two two-year terms on the ACF Board as Vice President, Southeastern Region, which is the second largest ACF region representing nine Southeastern states as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Santa Domingo and Jamaica. Chef Kimberly became the first woman chef of color elected to the ACF Board in 2017, and she is the first woman Chef of color and first Pastry Chef to have been elected ACF President in its 93-year history. 

 

Chef Kimberly’s journey as a professional Chef began in 1981 while completing an ACF-accredited apprenticeship program at Dallas’ El Centro College, where she was later inducted into the college’s Hall of Fame in 2015. During her career, Chef Kimberly has worked as an Executive Chef and Pastry Chef in the hospitality, healthcare, and corporate settings, and she has served as an adjunct professor at Trident Technical College and Johnson & Wales University, both in Charleston. The award-winning chef has also participated in a variety of ACF-sanctioned competitions, has served on the ACF’s Southeast Region ethics committee for several years and was instrumental in the development of ACF’s Certified Culinary Administrator certification. 

 

The self-published author of “Here I Am!: Chef Kimberly’s Answer to the Question ‘Where Are the Female and Minority Chefs?,’” Chef Kimberly remains dedicated to supporting women, minorities and other members of the culinary community and beyond. She spent 10 years as a guest chef for two local television shows, WCIV (ABC 4) TV’s “Lowcountry Live” and WCSC (CBS 5) TV’s “Coffee With” cooking segment, and she remains a regular speaker at a variety of industry events and conferences. 

Chef Chris A.

Chef Chris Aquilino

Meet Chef Chris

Chef Chris Aquilino is an award winning, chef, culinary leader, sustainability expert, culinary architect,brand ambassadoradvisor, author,and artistwith 30 plus years of industry experience.Theculinarydriving force behindnumerousmultimilliondollar national foodservice concepts, andbrandsspecializing in recipe development, branded content creation, smart menu design,culinarysustainability, food waste management and recovery food styling, and photography.Chris istheChiefCulinary Officer for Further Culinary Group, a boutiquefood serviceconsulting andcreativefirm out of Charlotte NC,the Photographer and Food Stylist andCulinaryAmbassador forForever Oceans, and the VP of the Charlotte Chapter of the American Culinary Federation.

PHONE: 828.390.1926

WEBSITE:

www.chefchrisaquilino.com

www.furtherculinarygroup.com

EMAIL:chris@chefchrisaquilino.com

Twitter: @AquilinoChef

Instagram: @chef_chris_aquilino

@further_culinaryFacebook

@ ChefAquilino

Chef Bryan Hudson

Meet Chef Bryan

Chef Bryan is a Raleigh native with 21 years in the foodservice industry.  Bryan’s culinary background is diverse, including being a Grant Writer and Cheese Maker for a non-profit dairy farm in Hudson Valley, NY, Head Baker at Rendezvous Bay Hotel, Anguilla, BWI, Chef at Bank of America headquarters in Charlotte, NC, and Food and Beverage Director for Hilton properties. 

Chef Chris Ivens-Brown

Meet Chef Chris

Chief Culinary Officer and Compass Group Eurest Executive Chef Chris Ivens-Brown was born and raised in the south of England. Chris moved to London after his acceptance into the prestigious Academy of Culinary Arts program at London’s Academie de Culinaire de France when he was just sixteen years old. 

 

In 1995, Chris moved to the States and started his career working for Compass Group, one of the largest food service companies in the world, where he ran Bank of America’s Executive Dining Room in Charlotte, NC. After seven years at Bank of America, Chris accepted his promotion to Vice President of Culinary Development for Compass Group.

 

Chris is not only a critical part of Compass Group’s culinary scene, but a driving force behind the City of Charlotte, where he is recognized as a local Celebrity Chef. Chef Chris’s passion for advocating culinary sustainability has been discernable over the past decade. His dedication to raising awareness and promoting sustainable solutions for both sea and land based food supplies has led Compass Group to adopt sustainable food practices. Chris has made it his mission to educate the food industry, as well as the home cook, about simple and effective methods for cooking and eating fresh, seasonable, and sustainable foods. 

 

In recognition of Chris’s exemplary performance, achievements, and leadership, he was promoted to Chief Culinary Officer in 2018. 

In his spare time, Chris has hosted two successful seasons of Cooking at Home with Chef Chris, with a guest line-up that included sports, government, and media celebrities. Chris has also had the honor of cooking for a myriad of celebrities and public figures – Phil Collins, Martha Stewart and Queen Elizabeth to name a few. In the community, Chris donates his time and culinary talent to numerous fundraising events and charitable organizations including, Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch, St. Judes, The Make-A-Wish Foundation, The American Heart Association, Loaves and Fishes, and Classroom Central. 

 

Chef Chris has been named as the 149th Distinguished Visiting Chef for Johnson & Wales, Providence and recognized as the 9th DVC at Johnson & Wales University, Charlotte. 

 

When Chris is not wearing his chef coat, he enjoys spending his days with his wife Mikah, their two children Luke and Evelyn, and his daughter, Sophie.

For more information on Chef Chris, visit www.chefcib.com

Chef Laurent Quenoiux

Chef Jay Ziobrowski “Jay Z”

Meet Chef Jay Z
Dubbed “Jay Z” by his peers during his professional training at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., Chef Jay Z taps the power of InHarvest’s portfolio of premium grains, legumes and whole-grain blends to stimulate all of the senses. Based in the metro Charlotte area, Chef Jay Z is certified by the American Culinary Federation as an executive chef (CEC). Over the years, Chef Jay Z has received recognition for his talents including being honored nationally by the ACF with the 2016 Cutting Edge Award and also receiving the 2018 ACF Spirit of Aloha Award bestowed upon an elite handful of culinarians.
Chef Andres Prussing

Chef Andres Prussing

Meet Chef Andres
A native of Santiago, Chile, Chef Andres brings fresh perspective and flavor to his dishes. Andres began his career with an internship at El Cingle, a 2 Michelin Star Restaurant in Barcelona, Spain.  He then moved to the United States where he began working at many restaurants in the Miami area. Today, Andres resides in Charlotte, North Carolina working as Executive Chef of the Charlotte Marriot Center City.

Chef Drew Ward

Meet Chef Drew
After four years of service in the U.S. Army, Drew moved to New York City to attend the French Culinary Institute. While living in NYC Drew began working in some of New York’s finest kitchens. With stints at the NY Times 3-star Tabla, an Executive Sous Chef position with Michelin starred Oceana, and as Chef de Cuisine of Quality Meats (which made the top 100 independent restaurants in the country), Drew gained immeasurable experience.

After relocating to North Carolina, Drew has served as Executive Chef of Noble’s Grille, Cantina 1511, and Mama Ricotta’s. He then worked with Morrison Living gaining experience in leading and empowering teams. After leaving Morrison, Drew became the opening Executive Chef for Brewer’s At 4001 Yancey. Drew then moved to his current role within the company.

Currently, Drew serves as Corporate Executive Chef for Artisanal Brewing Ventures – one of the largest craft brewing alliances in the country. He oversees the menus of 12 taproom locations in multiple states for Bold Rock Hard Cider, Sixpoint, Southern Tier, and Victory Brewing.

Drew’s southern roots inspire a creative, fun style of cooking that elevate comfortable classics to sought after favorites while incorporating beer into most dishes. He believes in serving craft food with craft beer and cider.

Chef Jeremy Bevins

Meet Chef Jeremy

Jeremy Bevins started his culinary career almost 2 decades ago and has never looked back.  A love for not only food and fresh ingredients, but also fire and knives, paved his future at an early age.  With a philosophy of the highest quality ingredients paired with a strong knowledge of fundamental classical techniques, Chef Bevins creates exceptional food while pushing the limits.

Chef Bevins has built his culinary expertise at such restaurants as The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia under the late Master Chef Peter Timmins, and The Fearrington House Restaurant in Pittsboro, North Carolina, a Relais & Chateaux property and the only AAA Five Diamond/ Forbes Five Star property in North Carolina.  Locally in Charlotte, Chef Bevins has had the opportunity to continue his craft as Sous Chef at Dean and Deluca, Metropolitan Catering, The Customshop Restaurant, and Executive Chef at The Ivey.

Chef Jeremy Bevins currently has his Associate in Culinary Arts, Bachelors in Business Administration, and Masters in Business Administration, and is an American Culinary Federation Certified Executive Chef and proud member.

Chef Robert Reineken

Chef Robert Reinken

Meet Chef Robert
Chef Reinken is a 22-year veteran of the hospitality industry. 

Originally from southern California, Robert graduated from Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte North Carolina with a degree in Foodservice Management. Since college, Robert has spent his culinary career in 4 and 5 diamond hotels on both coasts, as well as at some of the top private country clubs in the country. For Reinken, seafood has always been a large part of his culinary inspiration.

Chef Jamie Bostian

Chef Nancy Waldeck

Meet Chef Nancy
Chef Nancy Waldeck’s exuberant approach to healthy cuisine and remarkable wine leads her to deliver over 100 classes a year in various locations from embassies in Africa to large corporations like Google. Nancy is a media veteran, hosting  “Food Travels with Nancy Waldeck”, a cooking and wine show hosted by Atlanta’s AIB network. She is also an author of two cookbooks and an Emory University Certified Health Coach.

Chef Peter Reinhart

Meet Chef Peter

Peter Reinhart is the Chef on Assignment at Johnson & Wales University. He is based in Charlotte, NC, where he also serves as the Executive Director of the Johnson & Wales International Symposium on Bread.

Peter is the author of 14 books on bread, pizza, and food and culture (for which he won four James Beard Awards), and serves as a consulting chef and product developer for a number of international companies and restaurants, including Amy’s Kitchen, The Center for Culinary Development, Pizzeria Uno, Pure Pizza, The Noble Restaurant Group, and many others.

His TED Talk on “The Art, Craft, and Meaning of Bread” has been seen by over a million viewers. Peter has also served as a Board member for the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals), The Seventh Street Public Market, and the Community Culinary School of Charlotte. His many appearances on television and radio, as well as his ongoing video podcast series, Pizza Quest (www.pizzaquest.com), and conference presentations and classes, has made Peter a highly recognized figure in the culinary world.

Chef Laurent Quenoiux

Chef Alex Ricciuti

Meet Chef Alex
ALEXANDRA JERSYK RICCIUTI

A New England native, Alexandra began her career working under Chef Todd English at the Olives Group in Boston.  She went on to found Green Delicious Cooking Company, an award-winning Boston-area catering company providing chef services to on-location film productions and professional athletes.  She was the 2015 Grand Champion of the Food Games, New York City, a competition put on by WCR (Women Chefs and Restaurateurs.)

For the past thirteen years, she has focused her culinary energy on working with best-in-class foodservice equipment companies, first as Culinary Director for Eurostoves, then spending five years as the Executive Chef for New England for combi oven manufacturer RATIONAL AG.

Currently she is the Corporate Chef for the Eastern US for Wood Stone Corporation, a Bellingham, Washington based manufacturer of stone hearth ovens and wood-fired rotisseries as well as tandoors, planchas and vertical churrasco style rotisseries.

Chef Richard Gruica

Meet Chef Richard
Chef Richard Gruica is a Croatian-American chef born in Jamaica. His passion for cooking, and his love and enthusiasm of bringing people together over excellent food, wine and fun is the driving force that led him to find innovative ways k share his passion through his successful food-centric ventures.

  • Good Eats and Neets — the largest food meetup in the world, with over 22,000 members in 7 cities GEAN unites people who love to eat, drink, and socialize!
  • Captivating Croatia Tours — a gourmet travel company where guests SEE & SAVOR Croatia in the most special of
  • Gypsy Table pop-up events — a one-of-a-kind experience filled with amazing food, drink and ambiance, surrounded in mystery and
  • Sight and Bites (Croatia Food Tour), a unique food/history walking tour of old t‹›wn Dubrovnik,

taking you from starved to stuffed and totally satisfied!

Chef Richard is a true epicure and fan vivant, and never tums down an opportunity to share his knowledge of food and his culinary skills. When he is not leading one of his many tours or dining events, you’ll find him teaching cooking classes, speaking at seminars and round-table discussions, leading Croatian Food and wine events in collaboration with Croatian vendors and product, he is also an active participant in food – and wine -related fairs and festivals in the USA, Europe and around the world.

After launching GEAM in 2007, he was a featured speaker at the 2014Teria Madre Balkan Conference, an event that ultimately led him to launch Captivating CroatiaTours, a gourmet travel company that shmcases the best of Croatia’s food, wines and beauty. He was then inspired to launch Gypsy Table, Eumpes premiere pop-up events and a one-of-a-kind experience, filled with mystery, flayor ard ambiance In 2017 “the Gypsy” came across the pond to delight the USA. Richani also showcases the beauty and charm of Dubrovnik with his Sights and Bites / Croatia Food Tour, where guesk get to experience a unique f‹od/history walking tour of old in Dubmvnik … taking them from starved to stuffed and totally satisfied!

He is a pmud member of the Slow Food movement and is passionate about authentic food experiences that respect local ingredients and tmditions, a supportor of the Farm-to-Table concept.

Richard believes in “giving back” and that is why he includesacharityatevery5ypsyTable event and in addition to that, he donates or sponsors many “causes” from aII4 of his ventures.

Croatia is a real passion for Chef Richard and he has spent many years cultivating relationships with the arésans, pmJucers, and craftsmen of Doatia and recerisy was asked to speak, as an expert on Croatia, at the New York Times Travel Expo (2019). He has been featured in digital and print publications, and has contibuted with articles, interviews and food photography. He is very active on Social Media.

Chef Richard is always on the go to discover and share new and amazing things with Food & Drink. However, he will always stop and take the time to get to km you and what he can offer or share with you.

Chef Laurent Quenoiux

Chef Mason Martinez

Meet Chef Mason
Chef Mason Martinez is a culinary leader, mentor, and seasoned chef. He has worked in commercial foodservice for well over a decade, working his way from dishwasher to executive chef in some of the best kitchens in the Carolinas restaurants, including private event, test kitchens, and fine dining.
He is proud to have understanding and experience in a wide variety of cuisine & cultures, from classic American, Asian, Mediterranean, and Italia.  Chef Mason is now the Director of Culinary, for Swanson Girard Associates, and has won multiple awards for his food, and is helping the greater culinary community by providing education and support for numerous food service establishments.
Chef Jamie Bostian

Chef Jamie Bostian

Meet Chef Jamie
Jamie is currently the Executive Chef for The Pines at Davidson, an upscale continuing care retirement community in Davidson, NC. He was brought on in January 2020 to help brand and launch several new dining concepts for the community. Since arriving at The Pines, he has introduced several local partnerships with local vendors to the residences and shifted the focus of the food to being sustainable while focusing on flavor and creativity. Previous to The Pines, he was the Executive Chef for The Peninsula Yacht Club on Lake Norman just north of Charlotte, NC.
Chef Laurent Quenoiux

Chef Masa Endo

Meet Chef Endo
Chef Masa was born and raised in Chigasaki, Japan. He worked for a restaurant for the first time as a part-time job while he was studying at university. In 1996, Masa decided to come to the US and landed a job at a small sushi bar in Santa Monica, California. He fell in love with making sushi and has worked with seafood ever since.

Chef Nico Abello

Meet Chef Nico

Frenchmen Nico Abello was 15 years old when he entered the hospitality industry. He apprenticed for two years in the front-of-house before he began work at Gérard Vié’s two- Michelin-star Les Trois Marches in Versailles. There, Abello remained in FOH but spent much of his time (too much) at the pass. One day, the chef grabbed him and said, if you want to spend more time in the kitchen, put on a jacket. Abello slipped into chef whites and never looked back. He worked for there for three years, earning his chops and collecting the building blocks on which the rest of his career would be built.    

Abello then moved to London to work at the restaurant of iconic French chef Pierre Gagnaire at Sketch. He eventually returned to Paris, continuing to cook traditional French cuisine at various restaurants, learning from the disciples of other iconic French chefs like Joël Robuchon. Next, he visited New York, becoming gainfully employed cooking at Daniel. Abello would return to France once more—learning the catering business—before returning to New York permanently.    

In 2016, L’Appart opened in Manhattan’s massive French food hall Le District, with Abello cooking as if he’s hosting every guest personally at his own flat, conjuring an intimate fine dining experience that evokes the spirit of a dinner party. Just nine months after its first service, L’Appart was awarded a Michelin star and kept it this recognition since then.

Chef Laurent Quenoiux

Chef Aaron Deal

Meet Chef Aaron
Chef. Teacher. TV Personality. Restaurateur. With over 20 years of experience from restaurant operations throughout the country, Aaron Deal, CEC earned his formal culinary training at Johnson & Wales University and has garnered a 2009 James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef Nomination. He has been highlighted in multiple national publications for his work (Southern Living, Food and Wine, USA Today, Garden & Gun) and has appeared in national broadcasts on The Food Network and The CBS Early Show. His restaurant, The River and Rail, located in Roanoke, VA has garnered mentions twice in Southern Living’s Top 100 Restaurants in the South and ranked #2 of 10 in USA Today’s Best Southern Fine Dining Restaurants in America. In 2016, he formed Deal & Associates, a restaurant consulting firm, to help others launch their hospitality visions. Deal was recently recognized as a 2020 “40 under 40” business leader (Roanoker Magazine) for not only his work as a restaurateur/consultant, but his continued volunteering, teaching and mentoring.

In my opinion one’s philosophy changes with experience and an understanding of their own beliefs regarding an idea or circumstance. My philosophies of cooking techniques, hospitality, business management and communication have evolved throughout my almost 20 years of experience. My goal is to remain focused on never compromising the growth of these ideas by neglecting to listen to my environment, clients, fellow employees or colleagues.

Chef Michael Battocletti

Chef Peter Spear

Meet Chef Peter
From working in classic Italian restaurants, Greek diners, beachfront diners, seafood shacks, and even waffle houses, Chef Spears has done it all. His versatility and discipline have rewarded him with many certifications and awards including over 25 medals in ACF culinary competitions across the United States. In 2018, Spears was one of only 23 chefs to receive the American Culinary Federations Presidential Medallion. Along with running a culinary program, Spears works with the local police department and hosts kids cooking camps 4 to 6 times a year. 
Chef Michael Battocletti

Chef Michael Battocletti

Meet Chef Michael
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Michael Battocletti was classically trained under C.M.C. Aiden Murphy and C.E.C. Dan Holtgrave at Old Warson Country Club. 

In 2012, Battocletti moved to Chicago to further his skillset at the Alinea Group restaurant, Next. Rising through the ranks quickly, Battocletti became a sous chef after only a couple of months and continued to work under chef Grant Achatz and Dave Beran for the next four years. After his time at Next, Battocletti began working for Lettuce Entertain You, one of the country’s largest privately

owned restaurant groups. He spent time as executive chef of Mon Ami Gabi, RPM Italian, and RPM Steak, while also helping to develop the RPM Seafood menu.

Chef Matthew Vasquez

Chef Matthew Vasquez

Meet Chef Matthew
Chef Matthew is a Corporate Executive Chef working with some of the largest food companies in the United States. His passion for advocating culinary sustainability has been very apparent over the past decade. His dedication to raising awareness and promoting sustainable solutions for both sea and land-based food supplies has led his ongoing passion in supporting some of the largest food services companies in the country to adopt sustainable food practices.
Chef Kevin Mitchell

Chef Kevin Mitchell

Meet Chef Kevin
Chef Kevin Mitchell’s culinary work embraces traditional American flavors, sumptuous soul food flair and delicate French cuisine. Over his long career, Chef Mitchell has accomplished a lot. He has worked in major hotel restaurants in Atlanta, Detroit, and Charleston. He is a founding father of the BCA, Bridging Culinary Awareness, formally the Black Culinarian Alliance. In 2019, he was chosen by the University of South Carolina Press to write a book that addresses South Carolina products and dishes. Plus, he was appointed by the governor of South Carolina as a South Carolina Chef Ambassador.
Chef Robert Mancuso

Chef Robert Mancuso

Meet Chef Robert
Robert J. Mancuso is one of only seventy-two Certified Master Chefs in the United States. Over his highly decorated career, Mancuso has worked at the finest restaurants, including the Normandy restaurant in Denver and Sardine Factory in Monterey, California.  In 2020 Chef Mancus became a diploma graduate of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust and is the only person in the world to hold the diploma certificate in wine education and certified master chef designation. Currently, Mancuso serves as the director of culinary operations for a prominent club in the San Francisco Bay area.
Chef Laurent Quenoiux

Chef George Georgiades

Meet Chef Georgiades
Chef George is the CEO & owner of EONS Greek Food For Life, with 4 locations in NY & NJ, and growing! EONS serves delicious and healthy Greek cuisine, in a fast-casual setting.  EONS has been voted Best Fast-Casual in Bergen 201 Magazine 2 years in a row. Sustainability and eco-friendly sourcing is a prime goal for Chef George and EONS. In addition to his cooking experience, Chef George has formal teaching experience as a chef instructor with the Culinary Institute of Mexico. He has hosted and appeared on TV Food Network, WLIW21 and CNN for the Greek Olympics. He has also appeared in numerous publications including New York Times, Time Out New York, La Cucina Italiana, and more.
Chef Laurent Quenoiux

Chef Laurent Quenioux

Meet Chef Laurent
Growing up in Sologne, France, Bistro LQ Owner & Executive Chef Laurent Quenioux developed his love of game and wild strawberries with his parents.  After working and honing his skills in some of the finest kitchens in France, Laurent moved to the United States to open many successful restaurants in Los Angeles. Today, Laurent is working on a biographic book project while cooking at his popular experimental “Fooding” Supper Club @MaMaison and around Los Angeles, London, Paris and Amsterdam.
Chef Laurent Quenoiux

Chef William Mouchet

Meet Chef Mouchet

Chef William is a native of North Carolina and a professionally trained chef in multiple Michelin starred restaurants. William has a rich background in working with the highest quality seafood on the global market.  His first professional culinary job was working with Mike Lata at his highly acclaimed seafood restaurant. In 2015 William took a position at world-renowned The French Laundry restaurant where he was eventually promoted to the position of sous chef. Today, William brings his expertise of ultra fine dining to Knife Pleat, an elegant and approachable French restaurant located in Costa Mesa, CA. Knife Pleat earned their first Michelin Star in September of 2021 and are going for number two.

Chef Kaitlin Payne

Meet Chef Kaitlin
Chef Kaitlin is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University. She attended four years, graduating with a Bachelor’s in Food Service Management with a concentration in Beverage Management. She completed her internship in New York City at the Michelin starred restaurant wd~50 under one of the World’s Top 50 Chefs- Wylie Dufresne. Upon graduation, Kaitlin has moved coast to coast learning everything she can about regional cooking methods under several James Beard nominated Chefs. She has lived in rural Alaska, Seattle, along the east coast, the Deep South, and across the Midwest. Healthy cooking with a focus on sustainability is her passion and hopes to make healthy recipes more approachable to everyone!
Chef Laurent Quenoiux

Chef Ron Duprat

Meet Chef Duprat
Chef Ron Duprat is the Executive Chef at Amarillo Golf and Country Club in Amarillo Texas. In 2019, he was Industry Chef of the Year and is best known as one of the top competitors on BravoTV’s “Top Chef”, Iron Chef America, BarRescue, and Beat Bobby Flay on Food network. Duprat has been featured on the View, The Today Show, BET, Elle Magazine, Bon Appetite and more.  Huffington Post has recognized him as one 10 Black Chefs That Are Changing the Food World. Over his career, he has prepared meals for President and First Lady Obama, Jay Z, Beyoncé’, Usher and many more.
Chef Michael Battocletti

Chef Farid Zadi

Meet Chef Farid
Chef Farid was born in Lyon, France to Algerian Berber parents. He completed culinary school in Paris. He has been working in restaurants since he was 14 years old. He worked at classic French restaurants such as Bouchon Aux Vins in Lyons, Chez Jacques Cagna in Paris, Frederick’s in London, and Silver Darling in Aberdeen Scotland. He has also worked in Seoul, South Korea, before settling in Los Angeles for the past 23 years where he was also a culinary instructor at Le Cordon Bleu and operated his own cooking school for many years, Ecole de Cuisine. He is currently the chef at Revolutionario North African Tacos in South Central LA.

 

Chef Andres Prussing

Chef Charles Carroll

Meet Chef Charles
Chef Charles Carroll is an award-winning chef who travels the world speaking on championship thinking and personal greatness. The past-president of the World Association of Chefs Societies, he’s been lauded by five U.S. presidents for his work with U.S. troops abroad. A luminary of the Culinary Olympics held every four years in Germany, he is currently the executive chef of Houston’s prestigious River Oaks Country Club. 

Podcast: The Recipe Podcast: Celebrity Secrets to a Successful Life 

www.chefcharlescarroll.com @chefcarro

Chef Susan Park

Meet Chef Susan
Chef Susan was born in Seoul, South Korea. She moved to Los Angeles when she was 5 years old. She is a self-taught chef through books, traveling, and friends. She is also a food writer, food historian, and cooking instructor. She has been published in the LA Weekly, KCET Food, and Greenwood Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia. She loves international cuisines and has a spice pantry with ingredients from all over the world. She enjoys teaching people how to prepare meals that are doable for them and what they like.

 

Chef Laurent Quenoiux

Chef Shea Zappia

Meet Chef Shea

I started my cooking career in my father’s restaurant when I was 13 years old.  The restaurant started as a humble neighborhood bar & grill in the suburbs of Buffalo, NY.  The restaurant grew into popular casual fine dining destination and I became serious about cooking professionally.   I attended culinary school at a local culinary college in Buffalo, NY.  Through culinary school I was urged by one of my Chef instructors to try out for the American Culinary Federations Regional Hot Food Competition Team to which I served as team captain for 3 years and won 1 bronze and 2 silver medals.  I was nominated as the ACF’s Student Chef of the Year in 2005 and placed second in the Northeast.  Competitions are where I feel I gained the “classical training” and set the trajectory for the rest of my career.  I was presented opportunities to go elsewhere but chose to stay in Buffalo as it was on the cusp of a large revitalization in the Culinary Scene in which I seen an opportunity to make a name for myself and my food.  I left my father’s restaurant at the age of 21 and worked in various private clubs in the city while still competing and coaching young ACF culinarians in hot food competitions.  After moving around from private clubs to other restaurants in the city, I got my first sous chef job at 24 years old in a casual fine dining restaurant in South Buffalo.  The owners were CIA grads and esteemed local chefs that worked in Switzerland, Austria, Jamaica and Lake Tahoe.  They were pioneers of farm to table in Buffalo and also regarded as the first real “fusion” style restaurant, elevating blue collar food with international influences.  After 2 years as Sous Chef, I was promoted to Executive Chef and was nominated as Best Chef of Buffalo 2013 by the Buffalo News. I served as executive chef there for 7 years until moving on to Executive Chef of Savor Restaurant in the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute running their fine dining restaurant and retail outlets.  I have also worked part time as a private Chef for the Jacobs Family for the past 2 years, who’s patriarch serves as chairman of Delaware North and are the owners of the Boston Bruins.  

Chef Robert Mancuso

Chef James Kremer

Meet Chef James
Chef James was raised on Hilton Head Island, SC where he developed a love for the oceans and seafood. Chef James has taken his talents around the US leading the culinary teams at premier private country clubs in Savannah, GA- Montgomery IL, Bluffton SC, Peoria IL and now in the Chicagoland area where he is the Executive Chef of the Hinsdale Golf Club. When Chef James is not at work, he volunteers his time at local charitable organizations having raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to help feed those that need help.
Chef Rick Moonen

Chef George Mandakas

Meet Chef George
Following a transition from his previous career as a Corporate Research Scientist, George’s culinary talents blossomed under the mentorship of James-Beard-Award-Winning Chef Kirk Avondoglio. With a passion for fresh, healthy Mediterranean cuisine, George leveraged his unique combination of award-winning culinary talents and scientific experience to bring new dimensions to food concepts.

Chef Michael A. Beers

Meet Chef Michael

Michael A. Beers, C.E.C. grew up on a small farm in upstate New York and received his culinary
education through a formal apprenticeship and a series of stages that have taken him from New York
to London, Arizona, France, and Boston before making North Carolina his home.

Michael had an appreciation of fresh foods from an early age and was exposed to heirloom gardening
and seed-saving at his father’s side, (before they were buzz-words). He started cooking at age four but
did not start cooking professionally until the age of twenty. After leaving his position as Sous Chef at
the Thousand Island Yacht Club, he spent time catering in London, England before returning to New
York for his apprenticeship in the kitchen of LaFayette Country Club under the tutelage of Michael
Redmond, CEC, CCM, he then moved to Arizona where he spent four years working in hotels and
resorts for Doubletree Hotels. Returning to the east coast, Michael spent time opening restaurants,
working in private clubs, and catering in and around Boston.

Immediately before accepting the position that brought him to North Carolina as personal chef for
NASCAR Champion Brad Keselowski, Michael spent the previous decade as the Executive Chef for
several White Mountain resorts in northern New Hampshire. While working for Mr. Keselowski, Chef
Beers simultaneously owned and operated the Tavern at Sunset Hill in Sugar Hill, NH, a 100-seat
restaurant serving “contemporary American tavern fare.” Seeking new opportunities, Michael left the
tavern at the beginning of 2019, and is currently the Executive Chef and Food & Beverage Director of
River Run Country Club in Davidson, NC.

Chef Beers is an active member of the American Culinary Federation and World Association of Cook’s
Societies, Club and Resort Chefs Association, Chef’s Collaborative, and Slow Foods USA, and is
professionally certified as an Executive Chef through the American Culinary Federation’s Educational
Institute. Michael currently resides in Hickory, NC with his family.

Chef Laurent Quenoiux

Chef Iraj Fernando

Meet Chef Iraj

CHEF IRAJ FERNANDO has transformed the foodservice at Bosch LLC and Onsite Business and Institutions by:

BRINGING creativity to menu selections, which often rival fine-dining restaurants, through fresh cooking and a No Repeats philosophy

Go above and Beyond introducing American Regional and Global Adventuresome Cooking over 25 years. to B&I Cafes Kitchens and their associates, Home Cooks.

INCREASING daily participation to as high as 80% through impeccable customer service

MENTORING his staff to encourage them to produce the best food possible

BECOMING a Southern ambassador to bring in new accounts

Iraj Fernando has not allowed his 13 years of restaurant experience to be forgotten since his switch to non-commercial. As Senior executive chef for Southern Foodservice Management, at Bosch LLC in Broadview, Ill., Fernando has used his restaurant mentality to dramatically improve the culinary offerings for Bosch’s employees. But it isn’t just the food that has increased his café’s participation to as high as 80%. Fernando’s skills with customers has also made him successful.

Restaurant-minded: Iraj Fernando ‘s culinary career began early on, A native of Sri Lanka, Fernando came to Chicago when he was 18. His original aspiration was to become Sound recording engineer, or an artist but while attending City Colleges of Chicago a friend hooked him up with a dishwashing job. Iraj’s culinary career began early on, Lettuce Entertain you and Levy Organizations, two giant restaurateur their love and respect for quality and tradition. After a stint at his sister’s Po Boy restaurant in Houston, Fernando returned to Chicago, Fernando sought opportunities to further develop his own creativity help by his friend where he took a job as a chef at Bigsby’s restaurant. Partially owned by Michael Jordan,

“I had no formal education as a chef, but I knew I could do it,” Fernando says. “So, I came back to Chicago and within a few days I was working at Bigsby’s. I worked there from 1989 until 1996. Then I heard that this company called Southern Foodservice was looking for a chef. At that point I didn’t know about this side of the business. The rest is history.” Fernando says Southern Leadership gave him the freedom to translate what he did in restaurants to Bosch LLC Kitchens.

Fernando’s dedication to restaurant customer service has also translated to Bosch. This was especially evident when Fernando realized he was losing catering events to some five-star restaurants.

Fernando began a campaign to keep at least some of these events in house, He started by convincing a couple of meeting planners to give him the opportunity to develop a menu like what the event planner was looking at from a restaurant. Iraj and his staff not only succeeded in pulling off the event, but the guests said his selections and the quality of the food rivaled any five-star restaurants they had been to.

Iraj is also the proud father of Daughter Jari and wife Maria. Reside in Schaumburg, IL.

Chef Laurent Quenoiux

Chef Cynthia Graubart

Meet Chef Cynthia
Cynthia Graubart is a James Beard Award winning cookbook author of 12 cookbooks, popular cooking teacher, and culinary television producer based in Atlanta, Georgia. A frequent guest chef, private event chef, and personal chef, she brings a taste of the south to every dish she creates and serves.

Twitter @cynthiagraubart
Instagram @cynthiagraubart
Facebook @cynthiagraubartauthor

Chef Kenneth Scott

Meet Chef Kenneth
Kenneth Scott is the chef owner of Larder delicatessen and bakery, a two-time James Beard nominated restaurant located in Cleveland, Ohio. Growing up in the Chesapeake Bay as a child has given Kenneth a great respect for aquatic sustainability and working with an emphasis on zero waste practices.  The 100 percent utilization has garnered national acclaim at Larder through its preservation techniques using fermentation, enzymes and mold. Through its umami amino sauces, pastes and curing techniques Chef Kenneth hopes to bring a new wave of zero waste ethos and sustainable practices in fishing, farming and foraging to a new generation of culinary professionals.

Chef Ashten Garrett

Meet Chef Garrett
Passionate about learning, Chef Ashten has undergone much training in his short career.  Ashten was one of seven students chosen from a competitive field of 800 applicants, to visit Italy to participate in a program called the Tuttotoscana Study Away Program. Ashten also participated in the Culinary Arts Manager in Training Program at the Marriott International Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio. Most recently, Ashten was awarded a grant from the prestigious Ment’or BKB Foundation in conjunction with Sysco Foods to train for two months at any Michelin restaurant in the world. Ashten has been recognized and awarded for his multiple culinary and hospitality achievements in various organizations, including the James Beard Foundation, National Black Chef’s Association, and the American Culinary Federation. He has also been featured on Food Network’s show, Guy’s Grocery Games, and in multiple publications including the NEWH magazine, ACF’s Sizzle magazine and the JWU Alumni Associated Press.