Featured Chefs

Johannes Bacher, chef and owner of the eponymous Johannes, has achieved a rare distinction among hundreds of awards from international food media that would be tough to top. His iteration of Wiener Schnitzel, the national dish of his homeland Austria, is featured in Mimi Sheraton’s book, 1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die. No small feat for a restaurant in …

Chef Eric Ernest, the Executive Chef of USC Hospitality, has spent a lifetime learning to execute his culinary vision. Not only does he have a degree in Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management and a CEIP degree from the Culinary Institute of America, he grew up in the restaurant world under the watchful eyes of his father and his grandfather in …

Chef Bret Thompson was inspired to create Pez Cantina, his seafood-focused restaurant in Downtown L.A., by his travels to Loreto on the Sea of Cortez and by his marriage into a Mexican family. At Pez he has a created a menu focused on sustainable, local ingredients that draws from the traditions of the distinct Coastal Mexican cuisines of Baja, Oaxaca, …

Executive Chef Kenny Spost of Napa Valley Grille in Los Angeles has been plying his culinary craft since the age of 13! With an interest in seafood that stretches back even farther into his childhood to when he would fish for mullet at his grandparents’ house in Florida, Chef Kenny is a strong advocate for sustainability in all his menu …

Chef Matt Briggs is preparing for his second season as Executive Chef at Arnold Palmer’s in La Quinta, CA, continuing his nearly two decades of focusing on high-quality locally-sourced ingredients in the kitchen. A graduate of the Scottsdale Culinary Institute, Chef Matt plied his trade prior to Arnold Palmer’s at Ocean Prime Seafood in Beverly Hills. Before that he made …

David Abella, Executive Chef at West Steak and Seafood, was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he started his career alongside Roy Yamaguchi, the pioneer of Euro-Asian cuisine. A lover of Italian, French and Mediterranean flavors, Chef Abella incorporates Asian herbs, European flavors and Hawaiian seafood into his culinary creations. David honed his craft in the Roy’s family of …

At La Quinta Resort & Club, Executive Chef Andrew Cooper leads a culinary team of over 100 culinary professionals, overseeing the resort’s seven dining destinations as well as the resort’s in-room and catering programs. His global palette and worldly culinary flair is balanced by a passion for local and sustainable ingredients. Chef Cooper believes “the delicate flavors and textures that …

Born and raised in Oujda, Morocco, Chef Mourad Jamal grew up with a love for fresh seafood and the desire to share it with others. At 12 years old he was cooking dinner for the family, and by age 15 he was working in restaurants, eventually attending culinary school. Growing up, “Sardines were the common, affordable fish” that Jamal favored. …

Restaurateur and chef, Lisa Dahl creates restaurant experiences in which guests feel a little bit of magic, have a unique sensory experience and feel welcomed as if they are coming home. It is her “pledge as a local chef to always have [her] own standards when reaching for excellence in providing food, wine and service.” Each one of her award-winning …

Drawn to the kitchen from a young age, Chef Jesse Hansen’s early passion for cooking propelled him forward in the culinary arts. His mother recognized and nurtured his talent; she was “an excellent home cook, showing me how to prepare fresh vegetable dishes,” says Chef Hansen. “Every year she would take me out for a special birthday lunch, and when …