Brad Kilgore

Chef and Owner of Alter

Chef Bradley Kilgore was born and raised in Kansas City. After moving around to work and train in Denver, Italy, and Chicago, he has now planted his feet in Miami. Early in his career, Chef Kilgore worked at world-renowned restaurants Alinea and L2o, earning both the honor of 3 Michelin Stars. After living in Chicago, Bradley made his move to Miami where he set his sights on the famed restaurant Azul in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. During his tenure Azul was awarded 5 Stars from Forbes Travel Guide in 2013. From there, Chef Kilgore moved on to the St. Regis Bal Harbour as Executive Chef at J&G Grill, where he was awarded 4 Stars from the Miami Herald.

In the summer of 2015, Chef Kilgore opened Alter in the art focused Wynwood district of Miami. There he offers Progressive American cuisine, highlighting indigenous Floridian ingredients. Alter received 4 stars from the Miami Herald in November of that year, making Chef Kilgore the only Chef to ever receive 4 stars twice. In its opening year, Alter was named semifinalist for the prestigious James Beard Awards in the category Best New Restaurant, and Chef Kilgore in the category of Rising Star Chef of the Year in 2016 and 2017. Most recently Bradley was a 2018 James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef in the South.

Michael Fojtasek

Chef and Owner of Olamaie

Michael Fojtasek is the executive chef and owner of Olamaie, Austin American-Statesman’s 2015 and 2017 ‘Best Restaurant in Austin,’ and upcoming neighborhood restaurant Mignette. Fojtasek opened Olamaie in Austin, Texas, in August 2014 as an outlet for his passion for seasonal ingredients and love of Southern cooking and hospitality. Olamaie offers a modern interpretation of the flavors of the South that first inspired Fojtasek’s love for cooking. Since opening, Olamaie and Michael have received numerous accolades, including 2018 James Beard Finalist for “Best Chef Southwest,” 2015 James Beard Awards Semifinalist for “Best New Restaurant,” 2015 Food & Wine magazine’s “Best New Chefs,” and second Best New Restaurant in Texas Monthly’s “Where to Eat Now” in 2015. Beyond these culinary accolades, Olamaie has served as a touchstone for the community by supporting numerous charities and causes and working to promote a culture of fairness and equality.

Abraham Conlon & Adrienne Lo

Chefs and Owners of Fat Rice

Growing up in Lowell, Massachusetts, Abe Conlon’s culinary beginning was heavily impacted by his Portuguese heritage and a strong Southeast Asian presence in his community. Beginning a professional cooking career at the age of 15, Abe gained knowledge of classic sensibilities early on. His understanding of French technique bloomed under the tutelage of Frédy Giradet and Grey Kunz. He continued his training at the Culinary Institute of America while also studying fusion techniques under Norman Van Aken. The next stage in Abe’s career found him running Chez Asian Bistro in the Dominican Republic, melding traditional Southeast Asian styles with local ingredients, followed by Augustine’s at Fredericksburg Square in Virginia. Adrienne Lo, a Chicago native with Chinese heritage, attended Trinity College in Connecticut. During her junior year, Adrienne studied abroad in India, and after graduation she traveled to Italy to work on a farm. Upon returning to Chicago, she met Abe (who had also re-located to the city) and founded X-marx, an underground experience exploring modern techniques as well as world home-style cuisines.

Bonnie Morales

Chef and Owner of Kachka

The first-generation American daughter of Belarusian immigrants, chef Bonnie Morales (née Frumkin) grew up in Chicago in a large family that brought with them the distinctive culture of food and drink of the former Soviet Union. As an adult, Morales first began her professional career in product design, but after briefly working for a design consultancy in NYC, she left to pursue a career in food. She trained at the Culinary Institute of America, then honed her skills in several of New York and Chicago’s Michelin starred restaurants including Tru, where she met her future husband and business partner, Israel Morales. In 2014, the Morales’ opened Kachka, their dream restaurant devoted to the food that Bonnie grew up with, inspired by Russia and former Soviet republics such as Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, and Uzbekistan.

Gavin Kaysen

Chef and Owner of Spoon and Stable

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

Nina Compton

Chef and Owner of Compère Lapin

Winner of the 2018 James Beard Awards “Best Chef: South” and one of Food & Wine magazine’s “Best New Chefs 2017”, Nina Compton is Chef/Owner of award-winning restaurant Compère Lapin in New Orleans’ Warehouse District. Her second restaurant venture, Bywater American Bistro (BABs), is located in New Orleans’ “Sliver by the River” Bywater neighborhood.

Born and raised in St. Lucia, Nina grew up with the flavors and beauty of the Caribbean.  Upon completion of secondary school in England, she returned home where she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a chef. Her wary but supportive parents arranged an internship with a friend’s hotel in Jamaica where she fell in love with the creativity and camaraderie of the kitchen. Leaving the cozy, warm winters of the Caribbean, Nina chose to move to chilly Hyde Park, NY to study at The Culinary Institute of America.

Rich Landau

Chef and Owner of Vedge

Husband/Wife team Richard Landau and Kate Jacoby are the Chefs/ Owners of Philadelphia’s renowned vegetable restaurant, Vedge. The couple’s continuous recognition has allowed them to grow their small restaurant group to include their street food bar, V Street, and their fast-casual eatery, Wiz Kid. Most recently in 2018, Richard was a nominee for a James Beard Award as the Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Chef Rich Landau, a pioneer of the modern plant-based dining experience, opened his first restaurant, Horizons, in 1994. His mission: to demonstrate the creativity and satisfaction of vegetable cuisine.

Tiffani Faison

Chef and Owner of Sweet Cheeks & Tiger Mama

Chef Tiffani Faison of Sweet Cheeks and Tiger Mama, nominated as a 2018 Best Chef: Northeast by the James Beard Foundation, has made a name for herself nationwide for her dynamic personality, fierce work ethic and distinct ability to create restaurants that are warm, creative, and instantly loveable.

Tiffani began her career working under such renowned chefs as Daniel Boulud, Alain Ducasse, Todd English and Tony Maws. In 2006, early into her career, she was cast on the very first season of Bravo’s Top Chef, and placed as runner-up. From there, she worked in prestigious kitchens in Nantucket, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and San Francisco before returning to Boston in 2010 to become Executive Chef of Southern Italian restaurant, Rocca Kitchen & Bar.