Culinary
Eric Baker
Chef Eric Baker served as the Executive Chef at Max’s Harvest from 2014 to 2018. Prior to joining Max’s Harvest, he was the opening Executive Chef at the Buckhead Restaurant Group’s Lobster Bar Sea Grille in Fort Lauderdale. Before that, Baker was the Executive Sous Chef at the W Hotel in Fort Lauderdale and the hotel’s restaurant Steak 954, both Starr Restaurant Group establishments. He also held a sous chef position at Chops Lobster Bar in Boca Raton and a position at Café Boulud for four years under his mentor, Executive Chef Zach Bell. Eric is looking forward to sharing the recipes he grew up with, with you!
Eric Baker
Cindy Bearman
Cindy Bearman began her career in New York City working for many noted restaurants including Gotham bar & grill, DB Bist ro Moderne, Café Boulud and Le Cirque. It was during her tenure in Las Vegas with chef Bradley Ogden, a pioneer of the farm-to-table movement , that her passion for working with sustainable, well-sourced ingredients began.
She returned to NYC to help open Jean-Georges’ ABC Kitchen as the pastry chef. Before Oceano Kitchen, Cindy worked as a food editor for Martha Stewart Living and Weddings. She also spent t ime as a freelance food stylist and recipe developer, which included projects at NBC’s The Today Show, Food Network magazine, and New York Magazine. Her approach to creat ing desserts at Oceano Kitchen is to not overcomplicate a dish, but to highlight great ingredients that are prepared well and with a bit of whimsy.
Cindy Bearman
Jeremy Bearman
Jeremy Bearman is owner of the hugely successful Oceano Kitchen in Lantana, Florida. Prior to opening Oceano, he was consultant to Giovanni Rocchio on One Door East in Fort Lauderdale, did a stint in the Caribbean with Auberge Resorts and was the executive chef for the critically-acclaimed Rouge Tomate, a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City. As a self-taught chef who traded an Ivy League diploma for chef whites, he brings his experience running some of the most prestigious kitchens in the U.S. to the position as executive chef at Rouge Tomate.
As executive sous chef at both DB Bistro Moderne in New York City and L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas, he acquired the experience necessary to execute a world-class dining experience. Chef Bearman has also been the executive chef at Ritz Carlton’s Medici Cafe and Terrace in Lake Las Vegas and the opening chef for Lark Creek Steak in San Francisco, which was recognized as one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants of 2007. A tireless proponent of using local and sustainable ingredients whenever possible, his seasonal menu features signature dishes such as Cannelloni of Roasted Beets and Leaves with Sheep’s Milk Yogurt, Satsuma and Pistachio; Lightly Cured Arctic Char with Smoked Sea Salt and Asian Pear Sorbet; and Moroccan spiced Hudson Valley Duck with Fregola, Quince and Olives.
Jeremy Bearman
Michelle Bernstein
Chef Michelle Bernstein, a Miami native of Jewish and Latin descent, has dazzled diners and critics alike with her sublime cuisine and a personality as bright and vibrant as the Florida sun. “My food isn’t heavy handed or unnecessarily complicated,” says Bernstein, a James Beard Award winner (Best Chef South 2008) and author of Cuisine a Latina (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2008). “You don’t need heavy handed technique and over the top presentations to make a dish work. It’s about amazing ingredients, layered flavors and simplicity.
My style of cooking is inspired by my own food memories and it’s the simple, soulful cooking that I remember from my travels. I cook the food I love and I think that love translates to the diners.” These days, Bernstein is busier than ever. Bernstein and her husband/business partner David Martinez) own/operate MBC Michelle Bernstein Catering Company, a full-service catering company as well as her wildly popular café concept, Crumb on Parchment.
Bernstein dedicates time to Common Threads, an after-school program for underprivileged kids, and regularly appears on an array of national TV shows, from Top Chef to Good Morning America. Bernstein also hosts the Emmy award-winning PBS weekly television series, Check, Please! South Florida. Now in its third year, Bernstein also hosts for the weekly TV series on Channel 10, SoFlo Taste that celebrates the food of South Florida. Most recently, Bernstein partnered with American Express to create the menu for the new Centurion Lounge at Miami International Airport.
In addition, she is a Lexus Culinary Master and a member of Macy’s Culinary Council. Bernstein has also worked with Memorial Cancer Institute (MCI), a part of Memorial Healthcare System, to provide oncology patients with a variety of food alternatives to help ease their way through treatment.
Crumb on Parchment, Michelle Bernstein
Cala by Gabriela Cámara
Cala is an upscale Mexican eatery with a delightfully inventive menu that leans heavily towards seafood. Recent standout dishes at Cala include Dungeness crab tostadas and local bay shrimp tacos. The plating is always exquisite and the atmosphere is energetic.
If you are looking for a quick bite during lunch, Tacos Cala uses the restaurant’s Hickory Street back alley entrance to serve affordable Mexico City-style tacos with rice and beans every day from 11 am – 2 pm. Unwind in the evening with Cala’s sangria, mezcal margarita or other cocktails. Vegetarians will love the sopes playeros with the restaurant’s “midnight” black beans. Past desserts like coconut flan or chocolate ice cream with palanqueta have finished meals off on just the right note. Reservations are recommended, though walk-ins are quite welcome.
Gabriela Cámara is the restaurateur and chef of the renowned Mexican seafood restaurant Contramar in Mexico City and Cala in San Francisco. Throughout her career, Cámara has opened 10 restaurants that have in different ways fused new links between art, food, culture, and the environment. She opened Contramar in 1998 while studying history at Universidad Iberoamericana. In 2005, she opened Cala, which uses local, sustainable Bay Area ingredients and offers second-chance employment to community members with a conviction history.
Cala by Gabriela Cámara
Patrick Delay
Born and raised in the small Long Island city of Long Beach, New York, Chef Patrick Delay began his culinary career in his teens. He knew from his first shift as a prep cook, that the kitchen is where he truly belonged. Delay continued to develop his skills over the years, working various positions side by side with Culinary Institute of America (CIA) graduates. Through his relationships, he was awarded scholarships for CIA, where he study from 2007 to 2012; graduating with an Associate’s Degree in Occupational Studies: Culinary Arts and Bachelor’s Degree in Professional Studies: Culinary Arts Management.
After college he took a position with the Ritz Carlton where he had the opportunity to work at both their New Orleans and Palm Beach locations. Once departing Ritz Carlton, he continued to hone in on his creative skills at some of the area’s independent restaurants including Max’s Harvest, formally in Delray Beach, and Rebel House in Boca Raton.
Delay’s approach to cooking has always been to keep it simple and to not overthink it. Known for his vegetable forward way of thinking, Delay implements his plant-based knowledge to create modern alternatives at Prezzo. He has recreated some popular Italian dishes so they can be available for guests with dietary restrictions or those seeking a healthier lifestyle.
Delay often refers to the slogan from CIA: “Food is life, create and savor yours.” Food is not only his occupation but his hobby and passion as well. When not at Prezzo, you can find him checking out new restaurants, reading or experimenting at home. Either way, if he’s not in the kitchen you can bet he’s doing something food related, one way or another. Delay currently lives in Boynton Beach, Florida with his long term girlfriend.
Patrick Delay
Jimmy Everett
Jimmy Everett, a native of South Florida, began his culinary career young and humble. At 15, Everett became a busboy at the Atlantis Country Club in Lake Worth and eventually pestered his way into a job on the line. Inspired by teachers and a fellow busboy who went on to attend culinary school, Everett matured, and set out for New York, enrolling at the Culinary Institute of America.
During his studies, he interned at American Seasons on Nantucket, where he was first introduced to the world of fine dining. Upon graduation, Everett joined the team at Eleven Madison Park with Chef Daniel Humm, and after a year and half cooking in that rarefied gauntlet, he entered Wylie Dufresne’s world of whimsy and experimentation at wd~50. In 2009, he was on the opening team of Michael White’s Marea, where he worked closely with friend and mentor Jared Gadbaw and eventually rose to executive sous chef. Staying within the Altamarea global empire, Everett opened Al Molo Ristorante Italiano in Hong Kong as executive chef in 2011.
Following that experience Everett, traveled throughout the Americas, including the Caribbean, and opened a restaurant in California before returning to South Florida as chef de cuisine of Valentino Cucina Italiana, Everett is pushing boundaries in Fort Lauderdale. In March 2018 Everett alongside his business partner and wife, Ilia Gonzalez, opened the doors to his own restaurant, Driftwood in Boynton Beach.
Jimmy Everett
Jared Gadbaw
If simultaneously overseeing the kitchens in New York and Istanbul seems like a stretch, Jared Gadbaw never got the memo. A graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in hospitality business, Gadbaw spent formative months traveling across Europe, eating, drinking, and taking in its various cultures and cuisines.
After his trip, enamored of a hands-on approach to the culture of cuisine, Gadbaw enrolled in what is now The International Culinary Center in New York City. After graduation, Gadbaw worked his way through the kitchens of Django, Eleven Madison Park, and Esca. In September 2007, Gadbaw joined Michael White at Alto as the restaurant’s sous chef.
The professional relationship proved pivotal. Under White’s tutelage, Gadbaw not only learned Northern Italian cuisine, but he also gained a larger (deeper) appreciation of Italian cuisine. He traveled extensively as part of his training. When the Altamarea Group opened Marea in 2009, Gadbaw was promoted to chef de cuisine, earning the restaurant—and himself—accolades, including two Michelin stars and a 2010 James Beard Award for “Best New Restaurant.” When the Altamarea Group opened Morini in Istanbul in 2013, Gadbaw was an obvious choice to lead a team in Italian cuisine across an ocean. In 2016, Gadbaw earned the title of executive chef within Altamarea, leading the kitchens at Marea, as well as Vaucluse, the group’s new Park Avenue brasserie.
Jared Gadbaw
Tony Galzin
Tony Galzin brings years of diverse culinary experience from his hometown Chicago to current residence in Nashville. Galzin’s versatility between pastry and savory was showcased over his career as he worked as pastry assistant at Michelin-starred Naha, and sous chef at Michelin-Bib Gourmand winning Perennial. Following those experiences, he served as pastry chef for four-time James Beard Awardnominated chef Michael Kornick at mk from 2008 through 2012, where he met his wife and business partner, Caroline.
Following their move to Nashville in 2013, Tony and Caroline eventually opened Fifty First Kitchen & Bar, earning best new restaurant from the Nashville Scene, and Eater Nashville chef of the year. The two exited that venture to open Nicky’s Coal Fired in December of 2016. Nicky’s is a neighborhood restaurant focusing on seasonal Italian antipasti, pasta and pizzas fired in Tennessee’s only coal burning oven. They again garnered best new restaurant from The Nashville Scene, as well as notable mentions from Nashville Lifestyles, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Conde Nast Traveler, USA Today, and The Tasting Table, to name a few
Tony Galzin
Gelato Petrini
Gelato Petrini is a dream come true for Gelatiere, Mauro Petrini. Mauro left his home in Milan, Italy to carry on a long family tradition in the culinary arts: Mauro’s maternal grandparents Nonno Piero and Nonna Sandra started a well-known family restaurant in Spoleto called Trattoria da Piero al Palazzaccio www.alpalazzaccio.it . The Trattoria is currently run and managed by his three lovely aunts Nicla, Danila and Teresa. On his father’s side, Zio Luciano began producing gelato in 1957 in a sleepy, medieval town called Stroncone, about an hour and a half from Rome. Mauro’s Zio Giorgio owns an ancient but still functioning Frantoio or oil press. He and his son, Stefano, press the olives for a cooperative of olive farmers in the province of Terni.
Prior to moving to America, Mauro fine-tuned his culinary skills by studying under and collaborating with the gelato masters at Italy’s finest dessert school, Artigeniale. Always looking to further perfect his skills, Mauro teamed up with Gelateria Flipet, a well-known gelato shop just outside the city of Torino, considered to be one of Italy’s gelato capitals. Mauro is also personal friends with Maestro Gelatiere, Gabriella Marguglia, and Giovanni Borello, a well-known food scientist specialized in dairy products. Both from Alba, Italy. Gabriella and Giovanni, are important point of references for all things gelato.Mauro’s gelati and sorbetti have been referenced in a number of national magazines and newspapers, including Specialty Food Magazine.
Chef Mauro’s hard work paid off in September of 2010, when Monica Viani, a well-known Italian food journalist, wrote an article about Mauro’s gelati. The article appeared in Dolce Salato, one of Italy’s premier culinary magazines.
Since then, Mauro Petrini has gained local and national notoriety for his decadent gelati and sorbetti.
We are proud to introduce Mauro Petrini and his gelato to the US.
A message from Mauro…
“I am so proud of my Italian heritage and its wonderful culinary traditions. I invite you to experience my gelato, a truly authentic Italian product inspired by some of the greatest gelatiere in Italy, including my Zio Luciano.
My recipes are perfectly balanced using local and natural ingredients, resulting in a high quality and creamy product with an amazing flavor profile.
Buon Appetito!”
Gelato Petrini
Suzanne Goin
Suzanne Goin was born in Los Angeles to food-obsessed Francophile parents. A graduate of Brown University, Suzanne’s background includes positions at some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the United States, including Ma Maison, L’Orangerie in Los Angeles, Al Forno in Providence, Olives in Boston, Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and Alain Passard’s Arpège in Paris. Her work as Executive Chef at Campanile put her on the culinary map in Los Angeles and laid the groundwork for her first restaurant. In 1998, Suzanne opened Lucques in West Hollywood with her business partner Caroline Styne.
The restaurant met with instant success and Suzanne was named one of Food and Wine magazine’s “Best New Chefs” in 1999. Lucques received praise from Condé Nast Traveler, Gourmet, Bon Appétit and Saveur, including a prestigious 3 star review by the Los Angeles Times. A second restaurant, a.o.c., the groundbreaking concept of inspired wines by the glass with a small plates menu, opened in 2002 and was met with enthusiasm from the public and the press. In 2005, Suzanne and her husband Chef David Lentz opened The Hungry Cat, an eclectic market-inspired seafood restaurant, which has since expanded to locations in Santa Monica and Santa Barbara. Suzanne first received two coveted awards from the prestigious James Beard Foundation in May 2006. Her cookbook, Sunday Suppers at Lucques, published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2005 won Best Cookbook from a Professional Viewpoint.
Moments later that evening, Suzanne’s culinary achievements were recognized when she was awarded Best Chef California. Ten years later, she was recognized by her peers as the best chef in the nation, winning Outstanding Chef of Year 2016 at the James Beard Foundation Awards. In 2017, Suzanne was inducted into the Foundation’s esteemed Who’s Who of American Food & Beverage in America. Suzanne and Caroline ventured to the Westside of Los Angeles in 2009 when they opened their largest and most glamorous restaurant, Tavern, in Brentwood. Designed by Jeffrey Alan Marks, Tavern brings together a trio of concepts under one roof – a full service dining room, a marketplace and a bar with craft cocktails and artisanal wines.
Tavern is a beautiful yet casual neighborhood meeting place, open all day for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as providing pastries, coffees and prepared food to go for the hungry locals. Inspired by the success of their more casual Larder section of Tavern, Suzanne and Caroline opened The Larder at Maple Drive in the Fall of 2011 followed by The Larder at Burton Way in Spring 2013 at Rick Caruso’s luxurious 8500 Burton Way complex on the edge of Beverly Hills. The Larder at LAX opened in the sleek and newly renovated Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles’s airport in December 2013. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of a.o.c., Suzanne and Caroline moved their beloved restaurant a mile west on 3rd Street to the iconic restaurant space that formerly housed Joe Allen and Orso.
With one of the most beautiful outdoor garden settings in Los Angeles, a cozy wine room upstairs, a new cocktail program and a wine list of sustainable, organic and biodynamic wines, the new space is an absolute hit and has been embraced by the public. Suzanne’s second book, The A.O.C. Cookbook, also published by Alfred A. Knopf, debuted in October 2013 to glowing reviews in both the United States and Canada. The cookbook is a collection of seasonal recipes from the restaurant with wine notes by Caroline Styne and a complete section devoted to cheese, a major component to the a.o.c. menu.
The book received top honors in the Chefs and Restaurants category by the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) in 2014. In December 2013, Suzanne and Caroline launched The Larder Baking Company, a new wholesale operation for the breads and bakery goods developed with partner and master baker Nathan Dakdouk. The expanded production services all of their restaurants and retail operations in addition to supplying other restaurants and retail markets throughout greater Los Angeles and California. Suzanne and Caroline are among the most respected restaurateurs in California, and continue to receive recognition for their food, beverage programs and service from the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, L.A. Weekly, Daily News, Condé Nast Traveler, Gourmet, Food and Wine, Bon Appétit, Saveur, Los Angeles Magazine , Angeleno, Zagat and Gayot.com.
They are co-founders, with David Lentz, Suzanne’s husband and owner of The Hungry Cat, of L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade, a fundraiser benefiting research for childhood cancer which has raised over $5.5 million since its inception in 2010. In 2011, she became a member of the International Culinary Panel of distinguished chefs for Singapore Airlines, developing her recipes for in-flight dining. Over the past few years, Suzanne and her business partner Caroline Styne have been honored to prepare several fundraising dinners for both President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
Passionate about healthy sustainable food for children, Suzanne is also a founding member of Lunch Matters, the organization working to create a partner school lunch program to Alice Waters’ Edible Schoolyard project. Since October 2013, Lunch Matters has been proudly serving its healthy, local and delicious school lunch menus at the Larchmont Charter School in Los Angeles. As part of a partnership with the LA Phil and Sodexo Leisure, Suzanne Goin and Caroline’s parent company, The Lucques Group, oversee the new Hollywood Bowl Food + Wine operations at the famed Hollywood Bowl beginning summer of 2016. Suzanne Goin and her husband David live in Los Angeles with their three children, two cats, one dog and multiple fish.
Suzanne Goin
Adrienne Grenier
CHEF ADRIENNE GRENIER
A South Florida native, 3030 Ocean’s Executive Chef Adrienne Grenier began her culinary career in 2005 as a cook at 3030 Ocean Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale’s Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, after earning a degree from Florida State University in Food Science and Nutrition, and while studying Culinary Arts at the Art Institute in Fort Lauderdale.
After two years at 3030, she moved to California where she worked her way up the ranks at the Michelin-starred restaurant, Gordon Ramsay at the London West Hollywood, and later working briefly for renowned Chef Jason Neroni. While living in California, a state known for using organic and local produce, Grenier spent much of her time visiting local farmer’s markets, embracing the art of farm-to-table cooking.
In 2010, Grenier joined the opening culinary team at 1500° at Miami Beach’s Eden Roc as Sous Chef. During her tenure, the restaurant earned a nod as one of Esquire magazine’s “Top 20 Best New Restaurants in the U.S.”
In January of 2011, Grenier competed and won on Food Network’s Chopped.
In 2013, Grenier returned to where her culinary career began, as sous chef at 3030 Ocean. Following an extensive renovation of the oceanside dining destination in October 2015, she was named executive chef. Grenier and 3030 have since earned numerous accolades, including top-ten chef and seafood restaurant in Broward County.
Adrienne Grenier
Michael Hackman
Locally sourced and prepared. This is exactly what Florida Food & Farm is all about — and it just happens to be the tagline for Aioli, a casual restaurant in West Palm Beach that offers both a dine-in and a takeout experience. Home to Chef Michael Hackman and his wife, Melanie, Aioli provides an impressive line-up of freshly prepared soups, salads, sandwiches and sides — and it quickly became a favorite of the Florida Food & Farm team when it opened its doors.
Now, four years later, Chef Michael Hackman continues to perfect his craft and, in doing so, has gained a loyal following — enough so that he opened a second location in downtown West Palm Beach earlier this year.
1) Tell us about your first kitchen experience:
The first professional kitchen that I worked at was the Flagler Steak House at The Breakers resort in Palm Beach.
2) What’s your drink of choice?
Pumphouse Dawn Patrol Coffee or local craft beers.
3) What about secret talents? Do you have anything that you’re hiding from us?
I’m a deep thinker and a great conversationalist.
4) Do you have any advice for those looking to become a chef?
Continuously read and develop your palate. Travel and eat at as many different places as possible. Find what cuisine really interests you and start there.
5) As we move through summer and into “the season,” what are you most looking forward to ?
The rush of being busy and the events. The culinary scene has really grown in this area. There is a ton of talent. I love being a part of the “chef community.”
6) Tell us about some of the local farms that you work with.
We work with Holman’s Harvest and Swank Farm in Loxahatchee, and Pontano in Boynton Beach.
7) When did you start working with local farms, and why do you think it’s important?
I worked with local farms prior to opening Aioli. It is a little bit more work, and it’s not always cost-effective; however, I believe that supporting local businesses is crucial to the continued growth of our community — not only to reinvest back into the local economy but also from an environmental stance. We leave a much smaller carbon footprint by sourcing from local farms. By utilizing produce in season, we are also making more-conscious decisions for our health.
8) Who has helped you get to the place you are now?
My wife Melanie. She is my constant support; without her, I would be lost. Also my daughters, who take care of me and love me continuously.
9) Tell us about your new restaurant in downtown West Palm Beach.
How is it different from your first location? The downtown location for Aioli is a more streamlined version of the original South End location. We cater to the local business clientele. We also have extended our hours to include Saturdays to support the growing amount of residents in downtown.
10) Why should we love the restaurant, and what are you doing there that’s truly unique to the restaurant and to you as a chef?
We have a full-blown Sour Dough Bakery in the South End location. It definitely sets us apart from any other café locally. You should love Aioli because it’s like being at home. There is a warmth that starts with the incredible crew that we have working every day with us. We have cultivated a community and built a following. The food is simple; however, it’s executed with care and we use the best possible local ingredients. Everything is made from scratch, and you can definitely taste the difference. Most chefs don’t bake bread or start their day at 3 a.m. I do.
11) Is there anything on your agenda that we should know about?
Continuing to build what we have created. This past season, we grew into the wholesale bread business and have delved into the challenges that come with growth.
12) Shoutout — Is there a little guy that you want to tell the world about?
Lani from Avenue Pottery. We have commissioned her to create custom plates for us. Think of it like a canvas for your art. She is an awesome local business that we love to support!
Michael Hackman
Jessica Hernandez
If you haven’t heard the name Jessica Hernandez in South Florida’s food scene or seen her decadent work on the Instagram account @Jessi_Bakes, it’s just a matter of time. The Mandolin Miami pastry chef has made quite the name for herself since first falling in love with baking at a young age. Her demeanor is just as sweet as her treats, which we discovered when we met a few weeks ago to talk about all things baking.
It’s a place that lets her do what she loves — bake up a storm — and gives her a work-life balance that wasn’t always there in the early stages of her career.
Well before her career even started, Jessica knew she wanted to bake. Her friends shared that interest, and they often found themselves baking together. “There wasn’t really anything else I was crazy about. Baking was where I felt the most in my element — the most organized and the most happy,” she said. The science of baking as well as the ingredients behind it really grabbed her attention.
This passion and interest eventually led to her pursuing it further at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. Meanwhile, she started working at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, and it really opened her eyes to the industry.
One of those eye-opening experiences was the craziness of a huge production line; preparing pastries for thousands of guests at the hotel was no easy feat. The hours were long and the work was hard, “but the experience was rewarding,” noted Jessica. She recalled one of the most memorable events during her time there: Passover. Taking part in a Kosher kitchen during the holiday taught her a lot and pushed her creatively due to the different ingredients used.
Despite learning a lot at the Fontainebleau, Jessica knew that this type of mass production wasn’t something she wanted for the long term. So when the Mandolin opening came into the picture, she jumped at the chance to join the team. The opportunity first presented itself after Jessica won a Crisco contest in school and spent a day with Michelle Bernstein. She was able to shadow Crumb’s pastry chef and watch the kitchen at the now-shuttered Sra. Martinez. When the pastry chef left the position in 2012, Michelle asked her to join the team. Jessica worked at Crumb from 2012 until Mandolin’s opening.
Having a job with regular hours gives Jessica the time to pursue other endeavors like her own baking business. If you have an event, she’ll bake you cakes, cupcakes and practically any treat under the sun. Her latest interest: macarons. She had been terrified of making them for years, “but we’re friends now.”
This openness to stepping out of her comfort zone also opened many doors for her, including a pastry chef position at LOBA. Together with LOBA Owner and Chef Jessica Sanchez — who approached her on Instagram — she developed the restaurant’s initial dessert menu. “It was fun to start with nothing and develop the program from the ground up.”
Her advice to aspiring bakers: “Learn everything you can and don’t give up.” When Jessica first announced her intentions to bake for a living, her family wasn’t sure what to think. But as her career progressed, they saw that being a chef was a big deal — especially one working with Michelle Bernstein. “Now my family is always asking what I made, and they get kind of mad when I don’t bring them cookies or bake at home,” she said half-jokingly.
Down the road, Jessica would like to own an old house and turn it into a bakery and cafe. “It’d be like Lagniappe but with actual food,” she said. She also wouldn’t mind having an ice cream shop since she loves ice cream so much (a recurring theme throughout the interview). Ultimately, she just wants to make sure her clients are happy. “When I bake something for someone and see them smile, it makes my day.”
Jessica Hernandez
Bradley Kilgore
Bradley Kilgore
Michael Kornick
Michael Kornick is a native of Chicago, growing up in Highland Park. He attended the Culinary Institute of America in 1980. He has lived and worked in New York, New Orleans, Chicago and Boston before settling back in Chicago in 1993. He has been married to Lisa Koch (an Evanston Native) since 1991. Lisa and Michael have four adult children. Two of the kids are from Rwanda and became members of the family in 2008. The Kornick’s resettled a family of 7 refugees in Evanston in 2007.
Michael is a founder and co-owner of DMK Restaurants in Chicago. As a Chef, Kornick is a nationally recognized leader in the culinaryarts. Working with the freshest seasonal ingredients and staying true to classical cooking techniques he has created and opened more than 25 restaurants. It is his belief that great ingredients speak for themselves.
Kornick graduated in 1982 from the Culinary Institute of Americaand went on to work with some of the most influential chefs and restaurantoperators in the United States, including Barry Wine at New York’s legendary 4 Star Quilted Giraffe, Gordon Sinclair, Gordon Restaurant, and Richard Melman at Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. At the age of 28, ChefKornick was hired by the Four Seasons Hotel Boston, he was one of thecompanies youngest Executive Chefs. Kornick was then sought out to developtwo successful restaurants – Marche 1993 and Red Light 1997 for KDKRestaurant Group in Chicago. Both restaurants received critical nationalacclaim, Marche was recognized by Conde Naste Traveler as one of the͞Hottest Restaurants in the Country͟ and Red Light was included in John Mariani’s annual survey, ͞Best New Restaurants of the Year,͟ in EsquireMagazine.
In 1998 Kornick, together with his wife Lisa, opened mk, therestaurant. Condé Nast Traveler selected mk as one of the ͞HottestRestaurants in the World,͟ and Esquire chose mk as one of the ͞TopRestaurants to Open in 1999.͟ Kornick was nominated five consecutive yearsas Best Chef, Midwest by the James Beard Foundation. Kornick was aco-creator of the N9ne Group in 2000-2014. He oversaw operations for Nine Steakhouse in Chicago, Las Vegas, Palm Springs and Dallas where the company operated multiple food/entertainment venues.
In 2009, Michael Kornick partnered with David Morton to form DMKRestaurants. The company owns eleven independent restaurants in Chicago as well as a Franchise division for DMK Burger Bar and oversees three licensed restaurants at Chicago’s Soldier Field home of the Chicago Bears. Most recently (June 2017) DMK opened Marshall’s Landing at the historic Merchandise Mart for Vornado REIT and The Mart Properties. In addition to his professional responsibilities, Michael is very active in the community. He has raised awareness and money annually for Share OurStrength, The Chicago Food Depository, The Healthy Schools Campaign, Steppenwolf Theater, Perspectives Charter School, Namaste Charter School, Legal Prep Academy, Sweet Water Foundation,Children’s Oncology Services Inc. and many other worthy organizations.
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Sweet Water Foundation,
Michael Kornick
Kimberly Lallouz
Chef Kimberly started her professional career in the fashion industry yet she always had one foot in the restaurant business. Coupled with her love of cooking from a very young age & desire to please, she chose to hand in her high heels for a pair of kitchen clogs and switch industries as she knew what she was passionate about and yearned to be living it daily. She opened her first venture in 2010 with Miss Prêt à Manger, a local product emphasized take out counter and catering company in Montreal serving about 500 people daily.
Needing more space to better serve her patrons, she opened Monsieur Resto + Bar right next door – followed by the catering companies Petite Miss Prêt (a non-profit division serving children in daycares with lower house hold incomes), Miss Tennis (which was the biggest restaurant at the Rogers Cup for 6 years), the MAC Restaurant (situated in Montreal’s Museum of Contemporary Art ) and her newest ventures – Birdbar (Montreal’s premier fried chicken & champagne restaurant in Griffintown with HENDEN (the speakeasy hidden behind the grow wall in the basement of Birdbar).
Originality of the dishes, freshness of the organic produce, fair market prices combined with the love of her craft make all of her restaurants fan favorite dining experiences in Montreal. She has starred in her own cooking show on the Quebec food-related network called Zeste in 2016 « Les Garden-Partys de Kimberly » and is currently working on a new food show that is top secret.
Aptly nicknamed “bosslady”, this female chef and entrepreneur has plans to continue sharing her love of food with the world.
Kimberly Lallouz
Bart Messing
When you’re in charge of every aspect of foodservice for an exclusive country club property, you have to maintain the highest standards and constantly raise the bar to delight your customers. Fortunately for Bart Messing ’90, executive chef/director of operations for Woodfield Country Club in Boca Raton, FL, the CIA taught him well.
“The first and most important thing the CIA does is give you the pride of being a CIA graduate; the feeling that you went to the best culinary school in the world,” Bart says. “The CIA does the best with everything, and its vision is something I carry through to this day. It makes me maintain high standards with every decision I make, everything I do, and where I choose to work. You don’t remember everything you learned in your classes—the culture is what’s most valuable.”
Bart came to the CIA and the food world via the Navy. “I was on a nuclear submarine cooking for three years,” he says. “It was that experience that made me realize I wanted a culinary arts career.” After a friend told Bart that he planned to go to the CIA when he got off the sub, Bart read up on the college himself. “I got so excited,” he says. “I saw my whole future in front of me.”
Bart says his CIA education turned out to be everything he expected and more. He took his externship at the Stanhope Hotel in Manhattan under Consulting Chef Jean Verne and, after graduating, went to the three-star La Reserve. Bart next spent four years at the Essex House Hotel working for Chef Christian Delouvrier, rising to sous chef and then executive sous chef. “Every experience helps mold you,” he says. “But working for Christian Delouvrier probably influenced me the most.”
Relocating to Florida, Bart took the executive chef position for the Boca Country Club at the Boca Raton Resort & Club and helped triple its food business. After a few years, he was promoted to club manager and stayed another year before moving on to become executive chef for Prezzo Restaurant. In 1999, Bart landed the executive chef position at Woodfield Country Club. “It was an exciting opportunity to take a beautiful club from the bottom to where it is today,” he says. Together with his team, Bart built the culinary program—including a brand-new building, kitchens, and menus—from the ground up. From the very beginning, he’s faced the daily test of pleasing the palates of the 1,300 families who live in the Woodfield community. “The country club is a unique experience,” Bart says. “I liken it to the sub. If you serve a bad meal, you’re living with the people you served it to and you’re going to see them again. The pressure is there, but I like the challenge of having to exceed expectations all the time. It fuels my creativity.”
Bart says that at Woodfield, they do it all—casual bistro fare, upscale buffets, poolside dining, ballroom events, a restaurant menu that changes every week…the list goes on. In addition to his executive chef responsibilities, in July 2007 he took on the front of the house. “It’s important for students to know that chefs are beginning to be in charge of operations,” Bart says. “I’m part of that trend and I’m proud of it. Running a kitchen is more than just about the food, and chefs are moving up that ladder.” And Bart is convinced that the CIA’s legendary focus on standards will help students prepare for these new opportunities—just as it did for him.
Bart Messing
Morimoto
Chef Masaharu Morimoto has created a bridge between the culinary traditions of his native Japan and the American palate, bringing intense excitement, exquisite technique, and perfectly balanced flavors to thousands of diners throughout the world. He has garnered critical and popular acclaim for his seamless integration of Western and Japanese ingredients and has effectively created a signature style that positions him as one of today’s foremost chefs.
After a shoulder injury ended a promising career as a baseball catcher in Japan, Morimoto began studying sushi in his hometown of Hiroshima. He quickly grasped the technique of this exacting food art, and at age 24, opened his first restaurant. Five years later, he moved to America to expand his culinary repertoire and explore the opportunities and possibilities he saw for a cuisine that would combine the best of both cultures.
In 1994, Morimoto was recruited to join the original Nobu restaurant and soon promoted to Executive Chef. From there, he opened his first eponymous restaurant in Philadelphia in 2001. Next was the debut of Wasabi by Morimoto at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai in 2004, followed by a second Wasabi at the Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi in 2008. The much anticipated flagship restaurant, Morimoto New York, opened in 2006. Morimoto has received numerous accolades for his cuisine and aesthetic, including several appearances on San Pellegrino’s “Top 100 Restaurants in the World” list, a James Beard Foundation Award for “Outstanding Restaurant Design” for Morimoto New York, and in 2010, Morimoto Napa was named one of Food & Wine magazine’s “Best U.S. Restaurant Openings.” Today, there are additional Morimoto restaurants in, Mexico City, Bangkok, Las Vegas, Maui, Morimoto Sushi Bar in Boca Raton, Morimoto XEX in Tokyo, and Morimoto Asia in Orlando. In 2016 Chef Morimoto opened his first ramen restaurant in New York City, Momosan Ramen & Sake, which showcases his personal, modern take on traditional Japanese ramen. Other exciting openings in 2017 include Morimoto Doha, Dubai, with second outposts of his new Morimoto Asia and Momosan restaurant concepts in Honolulu.
Chef Morimoto first competed on Japanese television show Iron Chef in 1998 and then became one of the stars of Food Network’s Iron Chef America in 1999. As Iron Chef, Morimoto was able to showcase his flawless technique and creativity with unique ingredients in front of millions of Americans. Chef Morimoto returns to the Iron Chef challenge in the spring of 2017 with “Iron Chef Gauntlet”
His first cookbook, Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking, won two International Association of Culinary Professionals awards, including the Julia Child Award for Best First Book. His second cookbook, Mastering The Art of Japanese Home Cooking, was released in November 2016.
Beyond his culinary genius and the exquisite design of both his food and restaurants, Chef Morimoto’s business acumen has helped him succeed in other related industries. Morimoto Signature Series of beer was launched in 2003 in partnership with Rogue Ales of Newport, Oregon. Chef Morimoto also has a line of premium sakes produced in collaboration with the Fukumitsuya Brewery, a prominent sake brewery in Kanazawa, Japan that was founded in 1625. In 2016, Chef added Morimoto grape-seed oil, and Morimoto wine produced in collaboration with Michael Mondavi.
His legendary knife skills led him to create a series of knives crafted by Zwilling J.A. Henckels, merging authentic Japanese blade styles with western inspired ergonomics and materials.
Morimoto Sushi Bar, Boca Raton
Mr. Cheezious
Before bringing Ms. Cheezious™ to the streets of Miami in 2010, Brian Mullins had acquired over 25 years of experience in the culinary industry, working with some of the most prestigious brands and opening over 30 restaurants throughout North America, South America, Asia and Europe. He was raised in a Long Island gastronomic powerhouse where inspiration wafted from the kitchen each time his mother and grandmother were near the stove. Developing a deep appreciation for food at an early age, Mullins would spend days keeping a watchful eye on the techniques his grandmother used when preparing family meals, and would take over the kitchen afterward to experiment on his own. He credits these moments, in addition to his strong culinary genes, as the catalyst for his career.
By age 15, Mullins had successfully developed into a self-taught chef, and front of house operations quickly became his next great passion. Soon he was traveling and opening restaurants across the map, while also absorbing the culture and experiencing the food in destinations including Hong Kong, London, Hawaii, Moscow, Indonesia and Mexico.
In 2010, Mullins was presented with an offer he couldn’t refuse: an opportunity to team up with his wife, Fatima, and culinary industry leader M. Christian Dickens to create a restaurant concept of their own. Staying true to the Mullins’ culinary philosophy that the most prized moments are created around good food and good people, the trio decided to create a menu based on the widely enjoyed grilled cheese sandwich. Using fresh ingredients and inspiration from his diverse palate, Mullins adds new layers of flavor to the classic American favorite.
Since Ms. Cheezious™’ launch, Mullins has made it one of Miami’s most popular food truck destinations. He, Fatima and Dickens have earned a great number of rave reviews, including South Beach Wine and Food Festival People’s choice award for Best Food Truck 2 years in a row and Daily Meal’s #1 Truck in America. Eager clientele seek out Ms. Cheezious™ to experience its accessible menu, brilliant characterization and its overall concept and design.
With his creative cooking spirit and flair for business, Mullins has expanded the Ms. Cheezious™ brand to include 2 food trucks and two brick and mortar locations in the historic MIMO district of Miami and in Coral Gables.
Ms. Cheezious
Klayton Mutchler
As Executive Chef of Phoenix Hospitality’s three Milwaukee area restaurants – ABV Social, Café Grace and Taqueria El Jefe, Klayton Mutchler stays close to his Midwest roots while bringing a unique global flair to each concept. Mutchler’s love for food began in his hometown of Chicago and was greatly inspired after a visit with Chef Rick Bayless at his highly acclaimed Topolobampo restaurant. One taste of the mole and Mutchler knew his path of culinary discovery was just beginning. Mutchler went on to attend Le Cordon Bleu in Minneapolis, then was an apprentice under Wolfgang Puck at Trattoria del Lupo and Salaro in Las Vegas.
When Mutchler returned to the Midwest, he connected with The Bartolotta Restaurants where he honed his skills working under James Beard Award Winner Paul Bartolotta for eight years. This included stints at some of Bartolotta’s most well-known restaurants, including Lake Park Bistro, Bacchus and Harbor House.
When he’s not in the kitchen, Chef Mutchler enjoys spending time with his family, biking, and taking care of his toddler twins.
Klayton Mutchler
Nate Norris
Zuni Café was founded in 1979, by Billy West – “with a huge heart and exactly ten thousand dollars.” In its early days, the restaurant occupied only one narrow storefront of the triangular 1913 building it fills today. The dramatic corner storefront was home to the eyecatching Red Desert cactus store, with giant saguaros in the twelvefoot windows and sand on the floor. Billy appropriated the southwestern theme: He plastered his interior to look like adobe and named the new café after the Zuni, one of the indigenous Pueblo peoples of Arizona and New Mexico. Zuni Café’s earliest menus were inspired by the cookbooks of Billy’s culinary idols, Diana Kennedy and Elizabeth David; but they were limited by a kitchen that consisted of little more than a toaster oven, an espresso machine that doubled as an egg-cooker, and a kettle grill in the back alley.
Nevertheless, the restaurant was an instant, improbable success; Elizabeth David herself became a repeat customer. By 1987, it was expanding into the rest of the building and displacing the cactus shop on the corner, and Billy, in need of a new chef, invited Judy Rodgers to become a partner. At the time the menu was still mostly Mexican. The two most popular dishes were both made to order: guacamole served in the volcanic stone molcajete it was pounded in, with fried-to-order chips; and a classic Caesar salad.
Judy added her own unique aesthetics to the mixture. As a high school exchange student, Judy had been lucky enough to live with the Troisgros family, whose restaurant in Roanne was widely considered to be the best in France. later she had served an apprenticeship at l’Estanquet, a deeply traditional restaurant in southwestern France; she had been the lunch chef at Chez Panisse in Berkeley and the executive chef of the Union Hotel in Benicia; and she had traveled and eaten widely throughout Italy.
With Judy in charge, the Zuni kitchen became both more Eurocentric and more adventurous, “an evolving hybrid of the cuisines that I love,” in her words. She had accepted the job on the understanding that a wood-fired brick oven would be built—and it was, making possible the subsequent succulent parade of roast chickens, vegetable gratins, whole fish, braised rabbit legs, quails, squabs, savory tarts, roasted porcini mushrooms—all deliciously perfumed with wood smoke. Many of the restaurant’s other classic signature dishes made their first appearances: ricotta gnocchi, home-cured anchovies served with celery and Parmesan, the espresso granita… The restaurant began to receive serious national acclaim:
In 2002, Judy published The Zuni Café Cookbook. In 2003, the book won the James Beard Award for Cookbook of the Year and Zuni Café won the award for Outstanding Restaurant in the country; and in 2004, Judy won the James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Chef. In 2006, Gilbert Pilgram joined Judy as the Café’s second chef-owner. Gilbert was a longtime friend of Judy’s and a devoted customer for twenty years, during which he worked as a cook at Chez Panisse, where he ultimately became chef, partner, and general manager. With Gilbert as its executive chef, Zuni has upheld Judy’s perfectionism and her vision of honest, local, seasonal food.
Nate Norris
Perrier Mixology
Mixology. A word that sounds like a scientific subject, but this creative craft is so much more than that. But what is it exactly? Color, movement and lifestyle beautifully blended with artistry and gastronomy, all in just one drink. Mixology is the art and craft of mixing drinks—and it takes a lot more than just a cocktail shaker to excel at it. Want to become a professional mixologist in no time? Take a look at our top five tricks and let’s get started!
1. Get Down With The Lingo
Straight up or shaken? Frost, flame or float? Dry, dirty or dash? Rolling or building? Lost? We don’t blame you! The secret language flipped back and forth between mixologists is out of this world. Step one: learn the key phrases and get down with the basics. Easily done, read up online, ask your local cocktail guru or watch some great videos online like this one– the options are endless, so you will be fluent in no time at all!
2. Ingredients? Bubbly and Fresh
At the end of the day, if it doesn’t taste right then it certainly hasn’t been made right. Our top tip to give your sparkling concoction the maximum flavor is to make sure your ingredients are as fresh as a sweet Sunday morning. Stay in season, find your local market and liquor store, and get juicing, grinding, peeling and mixing. Last but certainly not least: always make sure your fridge is stocked with ice-cold fizzy water to use as a mixer, as high carbonate levels bring out the flavors and aromas to their fullest potential!
3. Shake It Till You Make It
The majority of cocktails have to be mixed by using a cocktail shaker. This simple technique can go a long way in making the end result that little bit better. Our top tip: don’t overfill the shaker! Give your ingredients room to dance alongside each other. Shake it like you mean it too, so don’t be afraid to give it all you got with a little sass and power.
4. Garnish From Your Grocery Bag
The cherry on top of the cocktail is of the utmost importance. Make sure that your finishing touch is first class by knowing what to put and where to put it. Inside, on top, or around the rim—grab that grocery bag and don’t be afraid to get creative. Swizzles with pickles, punchy peppers, fancy flowers, grated lemons, chocolate or stuffed olives—let your creativity on the loose and go mad with garnishes!
5. Hostess With The Mostess
When all is said and done, no drink is served better than with a smile. Make the most of your crafty cocktail skills by gathering some friends together and sharing your newly found mixology knowledge. Anywhere in the world, the shared common value of sitting down to enjoy a drink with friends is magical and cannot be beaten. So, give your pals a new and exciting experience that will leave them with tasty memories to last a lifetime!
Perrier Mixology
Victor Planas
Víctor Planas is a Spanish chef who has 20 years of experience. For the last 10 years he has been working with Kabuki restaurants which, as a group, have 4 Michelin stars. He began his career in Kabuki as a chef de partie and currently is an Executive Chef for the Kabuki Group. During his career he has worked in the kitchen of restaurants that in total have 10 Michelin stars. He frequently visits Japan to develop new ideas and also worked there during an extended stay.
When more than a decade ago Kabuki opened their first restaurant, without any premeditation and sharing space with dishes of the purest Japanese orthodoxy, arose what eventually would be known as Kabuki cuisine, a meeting point between Japanese and Mediterranean cultures that, Throughout those years, it has been defined by the quality of its raw material and by the simplicity and elegance of its elaborations, since our objective has been, at all times, that the dishes manifest the flavors in all their purity.
True to our philosophy of living together the Japanese and Mediterranean traditions, in the wine list we include a wide representation of the main producing countries and the champagnes, white wines and sakes, which harmonize perfectly with our cuisine, take on special relevance.
The Kabuki room service is characterized by being adapted to the society in which we live. You could say that it is a mixture of Japanese respect and Spanish hospitality. For this reason, since we began our journey, we set ourselves the goal of making our clients feel like our home.
Victor Planas
Prezzo
Award-winning restaurateur Burt Rapoport has resurrected the once-celebrated, Prezzo. A fixture in the 90s in Boca Raton, Aventura and South Miami, Prezzo brings back fond memories for area residents who remember the restaurant and its signature roasted garlic and focaccia bread sticks.
The garlic, breadsticks and other memorable favorites such as the wood-oven apple tart, fusilli & chicken pasta and the wood-fired pizzas all made a comeback on the new menu along a selection of Italian-inspired and health-conscious entrees.
The centerpiece of the 4,300-square-foot restaurant are the sights and smells wafting from the wood-burning oven known for producing crispy, thin-crust pizzas, among other signature dishes. Did you know that Prezzo introduced the first wood-fired pizza oven to South Florida when it opened it’s first location in Boca Raton in 1989!
Seating consists of 120 inside and 50 seats on the patio. Prezzo also features a spacious indoor/outdoor bar area, complete with a creative cocktail menu and expansive wine list. The cozy 20-seat bar is a local hotspot for happy hour.
Prezzo is operated by Burt Rapoport and Rapoport’s Restaurant Group, operators of Deck 84, Burt & Max’s and Max’s Grille.
Prezzo by Burt Rapoport
Primo by Melissa Kelly
Melissa Kelly is the executive chef and proprietor of the original Primo in mid-coast Maine. She is the 2013 and 1999 James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: Northeast. She was also nominated in 1998.
Melissa grew up on Long Island, and her earliest cooking lessons took place in her Italian grandmother’s kitchen. In fact, she still favors Mediterranean-accented foods. She attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York and graduated first in her class. Her post-graduate education took place in some of the top kitchens in the country.
With a resume that includes the posh Greenbrier Hotel, West Virginia; Bluebeards Castle, St. Thomas U.S. Virgin Islands and An American Place in New York, Melissa has a wealth of experience. To broaden her culinary skills, she moved west to work with Reed Heron of Lulu and the legendary Alice Waters of Chez Panisse. “I didn’t have a style when I got there,” Melissa says. “By the time I left, I did: simplicity, seasonality, freshness.”
Melissa was named one of the upcoming chefs of the 1990s by Food & Wine magazine, Nation’s Restaurant News, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Chocolatier and The New York Times. In 2003, she partnered with JW Marriott to open a second Primo at Grande Lakes, serving the Orlando area fine Italian cuisine in a casual, comfortable setting. A third located opened in 2005 at Starr Pass Resort in Tucson, Arizona.
Inspired by the original Primo, our Italian restaurant in Orlando serves Mediterranean cuisine from local, organic ingredients, which contribute to an ever-changing menu to ensure the highest quality entrees. Chef Melissa Kelly’s farm-fresh cuisine can be summed up best in the words of one reviewer: “Worth a drive from just about anywhere.”
Discover one of Orlando’s finest Italian restaurants — with an organic flair. Chef Melissa Kelly uses organic ingredients grown in the gardens at JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes to create contemporary Italian cuisine, complemented by amazing salads, delectable desserts and exquisite wines.
Primo by Melissa Kelly
Pump House Coffee Roasters
TWO BROTHERS RUNNING WITH SCISSORS
Everyone knows Florida is always late to the party. We’re changing that.
Our roasting process begins with extraordinary green coffee beans from exceptional locations. The beans are expensive simply because their quality is directly proportional to the insanely challenging efforts of certain farmers around the globe to produce the best of the best. We typically refer to these producers as the “one percent,” and we reward them financially for their masterful work.
We first discovered coffee at a young age from our grandfather who made the connection that bean quality is the key to exceptional coffee. Like him, we choose only high quality beans and employ our own special techniques to develop the flavor, sweetness, and body of the coffee during our hands-on roasting process.
Those who are passionate about single origin coffee often compare it to fine wine because of its complexity. However, we believe that specialty coffee is more like craft beer. Why? Quality craft brewers, like specialty coffee roasters, are breaking the rules and using innovative techniques to enhance the taste and sensory experience of their products. Like craft brewers, we share the desire and passion to continually improve our product by using the finest ingredients, old and new techniques, and leading industry equipment. The result is a new kind of coffee—one far different and far better than in our grandfather’s time.
The team at Pumphouse Coffee Roasters firmly believes that everyone should have access to exceptional coffee. We roast to order in small batches. No cutting corners, so you can thoroughly enjoy each cup.
Pump House Coffee Roasters
Patrick Rebholz
Chef Patrick Rebholz, Corporate Executive Chef at 50 Eggs, brings a deep appreciation for simple ingredients, southern haute cuisine, combined with classic French techniques.
At a young age, Rebholz obtained the fundamentals of cooking through observing his grandmother cooking meals. At age 13, Rebholz took his first job at a local deli and pizzeria, and an experience that instilled a passion for the restaurant industry.
With a genuine interest in Southern cuisine, Rebholz moved to Charleston, South Carolina in 2002. In his pursuit for culinary education, Rebholz enrolled at Johnson & Wales University, earning an Associate’s Degree in Occupational Science in 2005. He then honed his skills working under acclaimed Chef Frank Lee, as sous chef at High Cotton Maverick Bar & Grill. As a guiding force in the Low Country’s culinary renaissance, Chef Lee’s guidance proved to be Rebholz’s most profound culinary relationship. Submersing himself in whole animal fabrication, charcuterie and farm-to-table cooking, Rebholz embraced the city’s food scene with creating relationships with local farmers, fishermen and local butchers.
After years in High Cotton, Rebholz went on to accept the position as Chef de Cuisine at Charleston’s legendary restaurant, Peninsula Grill. Within this role, Rebholz helped lead of the Relais & Chateaux the culinary team, elevating the restaurant’s cuisine to one of the city’s thriving culinary institutions. Rebholz helped execute Peninsula Grill’s first cookbook by creating dishes and recipes that reflect the spirit of the legendary restaurant.
Inspired by the Quality Branded style of hospitality, Rebholz lead the opening team of Quality Meats Miami Beach as the restaurant’s Executive Chef. Rebholz created a menu that combines elements of a classic butchery with a market-driven philosophy. Through his knowledge and passion, Chef Rebholz bring culinary expertise to the ever growing 50 Eggs team and concepts.
Patrick Rebholz
Matthew Schrage
Matthew Schrage is a hospitality consultant and once and future mixologist at some of the Boston area’s most lauded bars and restaurants.
A Mystic, Connecticut native, he started his bartending career at the influential East Village restaurant WD-50, before moving to Boston and managing bar and front-of-house teams at No. 9 Park, Menton, Brick & Mortar, The Hawthorne and the Kimpton Hotel property, Highball Lounge. Matthew, along with fellow Menton alumni Chef Marc Sheehan, was a founding partner of the Brasstacks supper club, the catalyst for the New England revival restaurant, Loyal 9.
In December of 2012, Matthew joined 3 Princes Consulting, a hospitality driven management & consulting firm working in the service, technology and healthcare fields, founded by his former colleague, Eli Feldman.
Matthew Schrage, Master Mixologist
Serendipity3
Serendipity 3, Boca Raton outpost of the legendary New York City restaurant and general store, founded in 1954, as one of the city’s truly unique dining experiences.
The home of amazing food and decadent desserts, such as the Frrrozen Hot Chocolate, Serendipity has been enchanting millions of patrons since its inception. It’s an enchanting place where artists got their inspiration and actors fulfilled their cravings. Beginning with Marilyn Monroe, Andy Warhol, Grace Kelly and Cary Grant in the 1950’s, continuing with a celebrity following that includes Cher, Candice Bergen, Melanie Griffith and Ron Howard, the restaurant continues to attract the newest crop of hot young celebrities such as Beyoncé, Ryan Reynolds, Selena Gomez and Kim Kardashian. In addition, the restaurant has been the setting of three major Hollywood productions, One Fine Day (1996) with George Clooney and Michelle Pfeiffer, Serendipity (2001) with John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale, and Trust The Man (2005) with Julianne Moore and David Duchovny.
Original founder, Stephen Bruce, arrived in New York City as a teenager in search of fame and fortune. He met his future business partners, Calvin Holt and Patch Caradine, in dance class and the rest is Serendipitous history. The three princes of Serendip opened the first theme restaurant where comfort food was the fare and everything was for sale, including the Tiffany Lamps and marble tables they found by chance and sagacity. The restaurant and general store became a factory for Stephen’s fashion designs, especially his Woodstock inspired denim line, pieces of which are part of five major museum collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute. The restaurant and general store continues to reinvent a whimsical world full of outrageous food, decadent desserts, and outlandish merchandise, located within a Tiffany-jeweled fantasy setting.
Serendipity 3 has a history that is as rich as its desserts, a slice of which is documented in three cookbooks, Sweet Serendipity, Serendipity Sundaes and Serendipity Parties, available from Rizzoli/Universe Publishing.
Serendipity 3, Boca Raton
Shake Shack
Shake Shack sprouted from a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park in Manhattan to support the Madison Square Park Conservancy’s first art installation. The cart was quite the success, with Shack fans lined up daily for three summers.
In 2004, a permanent kiosk opened in the park: Shake Shack was born. This modern day “roadside” burger stand serves up the most delicious burgers, hot dogs, frozen custard, shakes, beer, wine and more. An instant neighborhood fixture, Shake Shack welcomed people from all over the city, country and world who gathered together to enjoy fresh, simple, high-quality versions of the classics in a majestic setting. The rest, as they say, is burger history.
Shake Shack
Art Smith
Art Smith loves the idea of bringing people together through food. It’s partly what made him the success he is today. He is the executive chef and co-owner of Table fifty-two, Art and Soul, Southern Art and Bourbon Bar, and LYFE Kitchen restaurants.
Art Smith has received the culinary profession’s highest awards and has cooked for some of the world’s most famous celebrities. In 1997, Smith became the personal, day-to-day chef to Oprah Winfrey, a position that lasted ten years. Smith now coordinates and cooks for special events all around the world.
Most recently Smith has made several television appearances including ABC’s Lady Gaga Thanksgiving Special, Top Chef and returned to Top Chef Masters (for the second time), where he quickly became an audience favorite.
Chef Art Smith was also featured in an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition where he lend a hand to a deserving family that has devoted their lives to providing meals for the less fortunate members of their community.
Smith has made regular television appearances on programs such as Iron Chef America, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Nightline, Fox News, Extra, Entertainment Tonight, BBQ Pitmasters, The Dr. Oz Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show. He has appeared on the cover of Parade magazine, and has been featured in Cooking Light magazine. He is a regular contributor to Standup magazine, whose proceeds benefit The Ben Cohen Standup Foundation, which raises awareness of the long-term, damaging effects of bullying.
Smith is the author of three award-winning cookbooks: Back to the Table; Kitchen Life: Real Food for Real Families; and Back to the Family. He contributed recipes and cooking advice to The Spectrum, the newest book by ground-breaking cardiologist and New York Times bestselling author Dr. Dean Ornish. In May of 2013 his latest cookbook will be released, Art Smith’s Healthy Comfort, with a focus on healthy cooking and healthy living, (published by Harper One 2013).
Smith is the founder of Common Threads, a non-profit organization teaching low-income children to cook wholesome and affordable meals since 2003. He believes that through hands-on cooking and introducing children to fresh foods we can help prevent childhood obesity, reverse the trend of poor eating habits, and learn about diversity and tolerance through the celebration of our cultural differences and our commonalities.
Smith was honored by Chicago magazine as a Chicagoan of the Year in 2007. That same year, the prestigious James Beard Foundation named him Humanitarian of the Year. In 2008 Chef Art Smith received an Honorary MBA Degree, awarded by the Dedman School of Hospitality at Florida State University. Smith was inducted into the Chicago Culinary Museums Hall of Fame in 2010. September 30th 2010 was proclaimed by Richard M. Daley, Mayor of The City of Chicago as Chef Art Smith Day in Chicago. May 19, 2012 Chef Art Smith received an Honorary Doctorate of Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales University, North Miami Campus.
Art Smith
Christie Tenaud
Like many chefs, Christie Tenaud showed signs very early in life that she was headed for a career in hospitality. Her mother, Susana, recounts that at the age of six, before allowing family members to eat, Christie would “take their order” for the meal. By the age of eight, to help her mom after a long day at work and despite her mom’s protestations that she was too young, she started preparing dinners for the family.
At 18, when she was attending Valencia Community College and toying with the idea of majoring in hospitality management, Christie was hired by Giordano’s Famous Stuffed Pizza as a hostess. She enjoyed getting dressed up and greeting the guests, but more and more she found herself drawn to the activities in the back of the house. Whenever the kitchen would get behind in putting out the pizzas, she would offer herself up to help. She soon realized that she really loved being back there in the kitchen, in the fray, creating delicious order out of chaos. When she had electives to sign up for at college, she began taking classes in culinary arts.
n 2002, Christie joined the Marriott Vacation Club selling timeshares. She was good at it, so it wasn’t until 2004, when she moved to JW Marriott Grande Lakes, that she decided to follow her heart and take a job in the kitchen. She was such a natural that, despite working alone in the “cold box”, serving up hundreds of meals a day to guests, she caught the eye of James Beard award-winning chef Melissa Kelly, who hired her to work for Primo and introduced her to the world of fine dining. Christie rapidly moved from pantry cook to Kitchen Supervisor under the tutelage of Melissa and Kathleen Blake (now owner/chef of highly regarded The Rusty Spoon in Orlando, Florida), ultimately being asked by Melissa to take over their Arizona location as Chef de Cuisine. After almost three years in Arizona, Christie felt it was time to expand her repertoire and she applied for the job of Sous Chef at the Essex House in NYC, a newly acquired JW Marriott property.
When Michela Larson was looking for a chef for her newly created “the blue” at The Boca Raton Resort & Club, Kathleen Blake introduced Christie to Michela knowing that Christie was ready for her next challenge. Christie arrived in November, 2013, ready to go. What she created is a menu that surprises, dazzles and ensures a lasting memory.
Christie Tenaud
Marc Verti
Marc Vetri is the chef/founder of Philadelphia’s critically acclaimed Vetri Family of Restaurants. In addition to his storied career in the kitchen, Marc is also the driving force behind the Vetri Community Partnership, a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower children and families through fresh food, hands-on experiences and education.
A Philadelphia native, Marc initially pursued a career in music as a guitarist before realizing his true passion came from cooking. Spending his formative professional kitchen life in Bergamo, Italy, working alongside some of the region’s most noted chefs, Marc has become known the world over for bringing a bold, contemporary sensibility to classic Italian cooking. In 1998, he and business partner, Jeff Benjamin, opened the eponymous, fine-dining restaurant, Vetri,to universal acclaim. Vetri’s outstanding pastas, innovative flavor combinations and artful presentations captured imaginations and propelled Marc to the culinary forefront. Within two years of the restaurant’s debut, he was named one of Food & Wine’s “Best New Chefs” and received the Philadelphia Inquirer’s highest restaurant rating. In 2005, he was given the James Beard Award for “Best Chef Mid-Atlantic.”
Following years of continued success at Vetri, Marc launched Osteria in 2007. Larger and more casual than Vetri, Osteria’s menu of traditional Italian thin-crust pizzas, homemade pastas and wood-grilled meats and fish quickly won over the dining public. The restaurant was nominated for “Best New Restaurant” in 2008 by the James Beard Foundation. In 2010, it helped earn Vetri Family chef/partner Jeff Michaud, the James Beard Award for “Best Chef Mid-Atlantic.” The Vetri Family’s third restaurant, Amis, opened its doors in 2010.
Inspired by Rome’s neighborhood trattorias, this intimate and energetic restaurant specializes in small plates such as handcrafted pastas and house-cured meats. In November 2010, Bon Appetit named Amis one of the top “10 Places for Pasta” in the country. The opening of Amis also brought Chef Brad Spence in as a Vetri Family partner, and subsequently, he has been a two-time finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef Mid-Atlantic” award. Alla Spina, the group’s Italian gastropub opened in 2012.
The restaurant has been recognized by publications such as GQ and Zagat as one of the top craft beer havens in the U.S., making it a must-visit destination for beer connoisseurs of all levels. The following year saw the debut of another Vetri Family restaurant concept: Pizzeria Vetri, the group’s most casual eatery to date with two locations in Philadelphia, as well as outposts in Austin, Texas (2015) and Washington D.C. (June 2016). In 2014, Lo Spiedo opened in Philadelphia’s up-and-coming Navy Yard district and serves a casual Italian-inspired menu with a focus on spit-roasted meats. This year will also saw the expansion of the flagship Vetri restaurant which now encompasses two floors, making it available for private events and accommodating larger parties. The new Vetri space includes a test kitchen, allowing Marc and his fellow culinary partners a place to develop and explore new dishes and menus.
Marc is the author of Il Viaggio di Vetri (Ten Speed Press, Oct. 1, 2008) a collection of more than 125 of Vetri’s mostrequested dishes. His second cookbook, Rustic Italian Food (Ten Speed Press, Nov. 1, 2011), brought artisan cooking into home kitchens and was named one of the top cookbooks of 2011 by such outlets as Bon Appetit, St. Petersburg Times and The Huffington Post. He most recently released Mastering Pasta (Ten Speed Press, 2015). In addition to his cookbooks, Marc’s writing can be found on The Huffington Post where he is a regular blogger.
Outside of his restaurants, Marc is deeply passionate about giving back to the community, in particular his hometown of Philadelphia. In 2009, he and Jeff Benjamin created the Vetri Community Partnership. The organization’s signature initiative, “Eatiquette,” is a school lunch improvement program currently serving the Philadelphia and Austin areas. Culinary classroom and after-school cooking programs overseen by Vetri Community Partnership further help reinforce lessons learned in the lunchroom. Marc and his business partner Jeff 2 Benjamin are the founders of the “Great Chefs Event,” which brings together scores of the country’s greatest chefs to raise money and awareness for the pediatric cancer charity, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.
In November 2015, Urban Outfitters Inc., a leading lifestyle specialty retail company acquired several of The Vetri Family restaurants including Amis, Osteria, Pizzeria Vetri, Alla Spina and Lo Spiedo. Following the acquisition, Marc and his partner Jeff Benjamin have begun managing URBN’s food and beverage operations as well as working with URBN to expand the Pizzeria Vetri concept nationwide. Marc lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Megan, and their three children. He enjoys spending weekends cooking with his family, training in Brazilian jiu jitsu and playing his beloved guitars.
Marc Vetri
Olivier Vigneault
Originally from Quebec City, Olivier has an impressive culinary background. From having completed a stage in a Michelin starred restaurant, being the co-owner and chef of Yuzu in Quebec, having been executive chef at Miso and head chefs at both Kaizen and Park, and now chef and co-owner at Jatoba Olivier’s vast experience shines through in his craft. His meticulously put together menus will provide an unforgettable culinary experience, fusing authentic Japanese and Chinese flavors and techniques with his original flare.