chefs council

Chef José Andrés

Chef José Andrés is an internationally recognized culinary innovator, advocate for food and hunger issues, author, educator, television personality and the chef/owner of ThinkFoodGroup. He and his ThinkFoodGroup partner, Rob Wilder, are the team responsible for some of the most distinguished restaurants around the United States.

Named “Outstanding Chef” by the James Beard Foundation in 2011, he is well known and recognized for championing the role of chefs in the national debate on food policy and is a sought after speaker on issues including hunger, food security, nutrition education and childhood obesity.

Andrés can be seen on PBS as host and executive producer of Made in Spain. His native Spain awarded him the prestigious Order of Arts and Letters medallion in 2010.

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Cory Bahr

Chef Cory Bahr graduated from a challenging institute he refers to as, "the School of Grandmother’s Kitchen" in North Mississippi. Bahr was born in Monroe, La., and raised by his grandparents. "My grandmother is, to this day, the best cook I know. She taught me to cook within the confines of the seasons with what is fresh and good."

In May 2011, Bahr successfully competed against 12 other Louisiana chefs for the title of King of Louisiana Seafood. He has spent the past year traveling the country as a representative of the Louisiana seafood industry.

In December 2011 Cory opened Restaurant Cotton, his highly personal tribute to Louisiana's North Delta culture and heritage foods. He refers to his culinary style as "North Delta Cuisine."

Cory was named a Chef to Watch by Louisiana Cookin’ magazine in 2011, has been featured in Garden and Gun magazine, Sante, Louisiana Life, and Fine Cooking.

John Besh

Chef John Besh grew up in southern Louisiana and has set the benchmark for fine dining in New Orleans. Each of his nine acclaimed restaurants (August, Besh Steak, Lüke, Lüke San Antonio, La Provence, American Sector, Soda Shop, Domenica and Borgne) celebrates the bounty and traditions of the region.

From the outset of his career, Besh’s talent and drive have earned him continuous kudos including being named “Top 10 Best New Chefs in America,” by Food & Wine and winning the James Beard Award for Best Chef of the Southeast in 2006.

Besh’s devotion to local ingredients and local cuisine also extends to his entrepreneurial projects, including the creation of Besh Restaurant Group Catering.

Ann Cashion

Chef Ann Cashion is a native of Jackson, Mississippi and has spent the past twenty-five years working intensively in restaurant kitchens in both the United States and Europe. Cashion’s Eat Place, her first restaurant, was voted “best new restaurant” by Gourmet Magazine, and Bon Appetit listed it as one of the “10 best neighborhood restaurants in the U.S.”

Chef Cashion is a member of The James Beard Foundation, and a board member of The Southern Foodways Alliance. In 2004 she was honored by the James Beard Foundation as Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic region.

These days, you will find Chef Cashion at her new establishment, Johnny’s Half Shell, in the Hall of the States on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Robert Del Grande

For the better part of three decades, Robert Del Grande served as executive chef and partner of Houston’s nationally acclaimed fine dining establishment, Cafe Annie. In July 2009, Chef Del Grande opened his signature restaurant, RDG + Bar Annie in Houston, Texas. His experimentation in the kitchen has made him a prominent figure in the historical revision of American cooking. After nearly thirty years, Del Grande has remained devoted to regional cooking in Texas and to the importance of the resonant pairing of food and wine. With the launch of RDG + Bar Annie, Del Grande is once again defining the standards for dining and socializing in Houston.

Chef Del Grande has been featured in numerous media outlets, including Bon Appetit, Conde Nast Traveler, Entertainment Weekly, Food & Wine, Gourmet, The New York Times, and more. He received the James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Southwest award in 1992.

Tenney Flynn

During the past ten years of co-owning legendary New Orleans fine dining seafood restaurant GW Fins, Executive Chef Tenney Flynn has become known as one of the country’s foremost seafood experts. He is a vocal enthusiast for the bounty of seafood that is available in the Gulf and was referred to by The Wall Street Journal as being "widely acknowledged as the fishmonger czar of the Gulf region."

Chef Flynn hosts weekly cooking segments on the syndicated fishing show, "The Big Fish," and was named "New Orleans Magazine's Chef of the Year," in 2004 and 2011.

Holly Goetting

Chef Holly Goetting is a native daughter of Lafayette, Louisiana, with parents of German and Cajun heritage. When she was only ten years old, she fell in love with cooking and dining, and (although she doesn't remember saying so) she declared her wishes to be a chef.

After working in the kitchens of Lafayette restaurants, Holly began her studies at the John Folse Culinary Institute. Since 2001, Holly has worked at Charley G's Seafood Grill in Lafayette. Starting as a cook in the kitchen, she worked her way up to the position of sous chef in 2002 and to executive chef in 2003.

In 2005 Holly received the “Chefs to Watch” award from Louisiana Cookin’ Magazine, was given the opportunity to cook at the James Beard House in New York City and in 2008, Holly was named Best Chef by the Times of Acadiana. In her position as executive chef at Charley G's, Holly most enjoys the freedom of creativity and self-expression that comes from working with fresh ingredients.

Although her travels have taught her different culinary customs, she particularly appreciates the special flavors and tastes of Louisiana—especially Lafayette and Acadiana.

Paul Kahan

Passionately seasonal, unconventionally creative and dedicated to the inspiration of classical cuisine, Chef Paul Kahan has earned praise as one of America's most influential working chefs.

In 1999, Food & Wine placed Kahan on its Best New Chefs list. He earned the title of James Beard Best Chef of the Midwest in 2004 and was honored in 2007, 2009 and 2011 with nominations for James Beard Outstanding Chef for those respective years.

Chef Kahan can be found in one of his four Chicago restaurants: Blackbird, The Publican, avec and Big Star.

Donald Link

Inspired by the Cajun and southern cooking of his grandparents, Louisiana native, Chef Donald Link began his professional cooking career at 15 years old. Recognized as one of New Orleans’ preeminent chefs, Chef Link has peppered the streets of the Warehouse District with several restaurants including Herbsaint, Cochon, Cochon Butcher, Calcasieu, and Cochon Lafayette.

Link’s flagship restaurant Herbsaint earned him a James Beard award in 2007 for Best Chef South and Gourmet Magazine listed it as one of the top 50 restaurants in America; it was later inducted into the Nations Restaurant News Hall of Fame. His restaurant, Cochon was nominated in 2007 for Best New Restaurant in America by the James Beard Foundation and listed in The New York Times as "one of the top 3 restaurants that count."

Chef Link lives in New Orleans and hosts Taste of Place, a new original video program featured on Delish.com that explores the connection between local ingredients and famed local dishes from around the country.

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Nancy Oakes

A self-taught chef, Nancy Oakes has reached a level of awareness and culinary excellence held by few chefs in America today. She has traveled extensively through Italy learning the simplicity and intelligence of Italian cooking which she brings each day to her San Francisco restaurants.

Readers’ polls of San Francisco Bay Area publications have named Nancy Oakes the most popular chef, and her restaurant, Boulevard, the favorite restaurant in San Francisco. Boulevard is one of a few restaurants to receive a coveted Star in the Michelin Guide in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Chef Oakes was chosen as one of Food & Wine Magazine’s 10 Best Chefs in 1989 and was nominated by the James Beard Foundation for the “Outstanding Service Award” in 2002 and 2004, and the “Outstanding Restaurant Award” in 2005 through 2011.

David Pasternack

When Chef David Pasternack is not in the kitchen at Esca — his seafood mecca in New York City — he can almost always be found fishing. The man whom The New York Times called the “fish whisperer” scours the globe in search of the best seafood. He truly respects the nuances and subtleties of fish and has even been known to bring his own morning catch into the restaurant for service.

Chef Pasternack was a 2004 James Beard Foundation Best Chef Award Winner and has been featured in Vogue, Gourmet, Esquire, The New York Times, GQ and many other publications.

Charles Phan

Chef Charles Phan is the executive chef and owner of the Slanted Door family of restaurants. He has been featured on the Food Network’s Iron Chef America, in Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything, the San Francisco Chronicle, Food & Wine magazine, The New York Times and more.

Chef Phan is a leader in the San Francisco food community, annually participating in charitable galas including Share Our Strength and the Meals on Wheels gala in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

In 2004, Phan won the James Beard Foundation award for Best Chef: California and was nominated for an Outstanding Chef award by the foundation. His restaurant, The Slanted Door, was also nominated in the Outstanding Restaurant category in 2008 and 2010.

Ben Pollinger

Executive Chef Ben Pollinger leads New York City’s Oceana with a distinctive style of cooking that artfully blends the finest seafood with the best ingredients from a global pantry.

“My goal is to intrigue our guests’ palates with the incredible nuances in seafood,” he says. “I cook every dish with that idea in mind, catering to those bright and fresh flavors.”

Throughout his early career, he developed his particular passion for seafood, intrigued by the broad variety of possibilities and the challenge of preparing delicate ingredients with subtlety and aplomb. He gained a profound respect for the complexities that go into creating a stellar dish: the devotion of farmers to the soil and the fishermen to their day’s catch; the thoughtful application of precise techniques to pure ingredients; and the exchange between chefs and the diners they host.

Richard Reddington

New York native Richard Reddington has made an indelible mark on the West Coast culinary scene. His first restaurant, Redd in Yountville, Califorina, opened to critical acclaim in 2005, and has garnered a coveted Michelin star for six consecutive years.

Reddington’s restaurants reflect the dedication of a chef who, after spending 15 years in some of the best kitchens in the U.S. and Europe, has found the perfect balance of serious food and unpretentious environment.

Chef Reddington has been honored with multiple nominations for the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Pacific Region. The San Francisco Chronicle named him ‘Rising Star’ in 1998 and in 2003, he was voted ‘Best Rising Chef’ by San Francisco Magazine.

Greg Reggio

Chef Greg Reggio is a native of New Orleans who began his career in the industry as an apprentice under Warren LeRuth. Chef Reggio started as a chef until his management and training skills led to the position of Director of Training for all Copeland's restaurants.

For his formal education, Reggio attended the University of New Orleans School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism as well as an affiliate school of the American Culinary Federation. On the practical side, he trained under such experts as Gary Darling and Beany McGregor to hone his culinary skills.

Chef Reggio serves as a director on the Board of the Louisiana Restaurant Association. He is also the Louisiana Restaurant Association - New Orleans Chapter President 2007. Greg and his family live in suburban New Orleans.

Susan Spicer

Susan Spicer began her cooking career in New Orleans as an apprentice chef in 1979. In 1985, she traveled extensively in California and Europe, honing her skills before returning to Louisiana.

In the summer of 2008, Chef Spicer was inducted into Food & Wine Magazine’s Best New Chef Hall of Fame. In March 2009, the John Folse Culinary Institute honored her with the Lafcadio Hearn Award given to “…culinary professionals who have had a long term positive influence on the cuisine and culture of Louisiana and the nation…”

In May of 2010 Chef Spicer was inducted into the James Beard Foundation Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America. In 1993, she won the Best Chef in the South James Beard award as well. Her latest project is the opening of MONDO, a casual, family style restaurant in New Orleans.

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Frank Stitt

Chef Frank Stitt’s fondness for humble southern ingredients comes directly from his roots in rural Alabama. His flagship restaurant, Highlands Bar and Grill combines simple southern ingredients with French sauces and braises and was nominated three times by the James Beard Foundation for Most Outstanding Restaurant.

Most recently, Chef Stitt was inducted into Esquire magazine’s 2011 Restaurant Hall of Fame and into the James Beard Foundation’s “Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America.” He received the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast in 2001, and was nominated in 2008 for Outstanding Chef.

Chef Stitt lives in Birmingham and regularly visits his farm an hour outside the city where he raises chickens and grows produce for use in all of his restaurants.

Craig Stoll

James Beard Award Winner and critically acclaimed chef, Craig Stoll, is a New York native and a San Franciscan at heart, but his love of soulful Italian cooking has come to define him. He opened and owns Delfina, a 50-seat restaurant located in San Francisco’s Mission District, serving rustic Italian food infused with the city’s local and sustainable values.

In 2010, Craig won the award for Best Chef: Pacific from the James Beard Foundation. He is an advocate for fresh and sustainable seafood and is a large supporter and buyer of Louisiana seafood, which he uses regularly in his restaurants.

Chef Stoll and his wife Annie live in San Francisco.

Steve Uliss

Steve Uliss’ passion for food started at an early age when he spent his free time slicing smoked salmon and preparing whitefish salad alongside his grandparents at their local Brookline, MA market. Steve’s love of Southern food grew out of a trip to Memphis where he trained with the legendary John Willingham. After honing his skills crafting Southern recipes, he bridged the gap with Northerners and their love of seafood and opened Firefly's Bodacious Bar-B-Que & Beyond, a concept unlike any other in the Massachusetts area, serving specialties including St. Louis ribs and fried catish as well as New Orleans BBQ shrimp, shrimp po’boys, gumbo and more.

Steve’s accolades range from local to national with awards for his prize winning BBQ and sauces. He has participated and taken home prizes in the Jack Daniels World Championship and the Best of the Best in Douglas, GA.

Chef Steve has done hundreds of media appearances including CBS television and the Boston Globe. He also hosts his own cooking show on cable that is seen throughout the Massachusetts area.