ilani BBQ Fest

Chef Alton Brown

Alton Brown was directing TV commercials when he got the crazy idea to go to culinary school and reinvent the cooking show. The result: Good Eats, an irreverent, science-forward program which kept Brown gainfully employed for more than twenty years. Along the way he also hosted Iron Chef America, and Cutthroat Kitchen. Currently, Brown’s live culinary variety show Beyond the Eats continues to play to sold-out theaters across the country and his ninth book, Good Eats: The Final Years will be released in the spring. Brown has been awarded the James Beard award twice as well as the coveted Peabody for his work on Good Eats.

Brown lives with his wife, the designer Elizabeth Ingram-Brown, and their two dogs in Atlanta.

Chef Todd English

As one of the most decorated, respected, and charismatic chefs in the world, five-time James Beard Award Winner Todd English has established one of the best-known restaurant brands in the nation, published critically acclaimed cookbooks, produced his own TV show, and enjoyed a staggering number of accolades including Bon Appetit’s Restaurateur of the Year and Nation’s Restaurant News’ Top 50 Tastemakers. Todd English began developing his culinary skills at age 15, graduated from the Culinary Institute of America with honors and apprenticed with renowned Chef Jean Jacques Rachou at New York’s La Côte Basque. He served as Executive Chef of the Northern Italian restaurant Michela’s in Cambridge, MA before opening his first restaurant, the award-winning Olives, in Charlestown, MA in 1989. Current Olives locations include Atlantis in the Bahamas, Venetian Village at The Ritz Carlton Abu Dhabi and Las Vegas’ Virgin Hotel. Following the success of Olives, he created Figs, a more casual sister restaurant concept with two locations in Boston, one in Laguardia Airport, and two locations in the Middle East. In 2010, Todd opened the European-inspired Todd English Food Hall located at the iconic Plaza Hotel, followed by additional locations in Manila and The Dubai Mall. Todd has since expanded his food hall concept to Las Vegas with The Beast at AREA 15 in 2021.

Todd has recently expanded his work in the hospitality industry by partnering with global entrepreneur, Keith Burkard, for the formation of English Hospitality Group (EHG). Featuring dozens of restaurants, hotels, nightlife venues and ghost kitchens, EHG is reimagining the traditional hospitality model. In February 2022, EHG launched The English Hotel, the highly anticipated upscale boutique hotel in Las Vegas’ vibrant Arts District, featuring art exhibitions and an exceptionally innovative dining experience with The Pepper Club. Upcoming projects include expansion into Los Angeles with multiple concepts, new projects in Manhattan, additional outposts of Olives, an 80,000 square foot immersive, discovery destination Todd English food hall in Stamford, CT, and much more.

International travel and cooking series Food Trip with Todd English on PBS won two James Beard Awards and was nominated for an Emmy. Todd has also authored several cookbooks, including The Olives Table, The Figs Table, The Olives Dessert Table, and Cooking in Everyday English, the A,B,Cs of Great Flavor at Home. The debut of his line of cookware, small electrics, and lifestyle products, The Todd English Collection, also produced two companion books, The Air Fryer Cookbook and Rustic Pizza.

Chef Robert Irvine

Robert Irvine is a world-class chef, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. The host of Food Network’s hit show Restaurant: Impossible, he has given struggling restaurateurs a second chance to turn their lives and businesses around in over 200 episodes and counting. He would know a thing or two about running a successful business. In addition to his restaurants—Robert Irvine’s Public House at the Tropicana in Las Vegas and Fresh Kitchen by Robert Irvine within the Pentagon—he is the owner of FitCrunch, whose protein bars, powders, and snacks are available nationwide; Robert Irvine Foods, which makes prepared, restaurant-quality dishes available in grocery stores and provides food service to military bases worldwide; and the Lansdale, PA-based Boardroom Spirits, creators of handcrafted vodka, rum, whiskey, and more.

A portion of the proceeds from all of Robert’s endeavors benefit the Robert Irvine Foundation. Created in 2014, the foundation gives back to our servicemen and women and first responders. Funds raised help at-need veterans and first responders in a variety of ways: training service dogs, making mental health and wellness services available, providing mobility devices for the disabled, and much more. Learn more at RobertIrvineFoundation.org.

Chef Kevin Bludso

Kevin Bludso is a chef, television personality and two-time Steve Harvey Hoodie Award Winner.

In 2008, he opened Bludso’s BBQ, his small takeout BBQ stand in Compton, California. It has since grown into an international empire, with a flagship restaurant, Bludso’s Bar & Que, in Hollywood, a concession stand at the LAFC Soccer Stadium, a location in Proud Bird by LAX, and a sprawling restaurant and bar called San Antone by Bludso’s BBQ in the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia.

He is the judge on the hit Netflix BBQ competition show The American BBQ Showdown, and has multiple television appearances on shows like Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and Bong Appetit, and as a recurring guest judge on Bar Rescue. His first cookbook, The Bludso Family Cookbook: BBQ Soul Food and Family, From Compton to Corsicana, is coming out in Spring 2022 for Ten Speed Press.

Chef Aaron May

Chef Aaron May has a passion for food and irrepressible creativity. Currently Aaron is executive chef and culinary director at Bullseye Event Group where he cooks around the world at the largest sports and music events. Additionally, Aaron still oversees the food and kitchens at Over Easy. You can find Aaron as a Food Network regular, judging on Guys Grocery Games and cooking on Guy’s Ranch Kitchen. He and his restaurants have also appeared in Condé Nast traveler, The New York Times and USA Today as well as numerous other shows and magazines. Meanwhile, he never sits still or stops thinking about new dishes and concepts.

Chef Lynnae Oxley

Owner and operator of Sugars Barbecue, headquartered in Battle Ground, WA. Chef, BBQ instructor, caterer, entrepreneur, television personality and a bad ass woman in BBQ! Former top barbecue competitor, brand affiliate with: Thermoworks and RecTeq Grills. Appeared on: BBQ Pitmasters, BBQ Brawl Flay vs Symon, Chopped (champion). Chef Lynnae Oxley is passionate about all things culinary, especially live fire cooking, teaching and inspiring other women to get into the amazing world of barbecue!

Chef Misty Banchero

Misty is a Seattle, Washington native with a love affair with meat. She shares her “Stories of a Seattle meat man’s wife” on social platforms and may be better known as @SeattleButchersWife Her marriage into a 3rd generation meat family was a kickstart for Misty’s BBQ journey. Shifting from her long-time career in corporate retail through the pandemic, her passion for grilling became an obsession. Misty combines her creative and engaging talents with her love of smoke and meat. Her mission is to share her journey and to inspire more women to step up to the grill. From live fire to simple pellet grill cooks she’s learned tips and tricks to share and has created mouthwatering pictures and videos on social media. When she’s not at the grill you can find this backyard BBQ expert traveling or spending quality time with her butcher husband and their 3 children. Stay tuned to see what’s next for Misty @seattlebutcherswife

Her partnerships include @Dalstrong @Meater @Lifesmart @AvidArmour @TheBullsWood @MeatheadCharcoal @yeti @Thermoworks @PSseasoning @BearMountainBBQ @Arteflame

Chef Rick Browne

A renowned TV cooking show host, photojournalist, and author of 16 barbecue/ grilling cookbooks, Rick Browne was the creator, host, and executive producer of public television’s popular Barbecue America TV series, that was aired on more than 230 stations nationwide for seven seasons. He also conceived of and hosted Ready, Aim... Grill, a cooking class featuring wild game, on the Outdoor Channel for two seasons. Currently he is the Master Class instructor for cavetools.com and their Grill Master University website. Browne has appeared on Good Morning America, the TODAY show, Live with Regis & Kelly, and has been featured in People Magazine, Travel & Leisure, Consumer’s Digest, Saveur, and USA Today. His newest cookbook, 1,001 Best Grilling Recipes, was re-released in 2016, and his book A Century of Restaurants, where he profiled 100 of America’s oldest restaurants, is under consideration by a major cable network as an upcoming series.

Chef Erica Blaire Roby

ERICA BLAIRE ROBY IS FOOD NETWORK'S MASTER OF 'CUE CHAMPION, CERTIFIED WINE EXPERT, ATTORNEY, AWARD-WINNING COOKBOOK AUTHOR AND SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER, WHO IS KNOWN FOR HER CULTURE-DRIVEN APPROACH TO BARBECUE.

ERICA IS ALSO THE CREATOR AND HOST OF HER DIGITAL SERIES, "THE PIT STOP WITH BLUE SMOKE BLAIRE," WHICH HIGHLIGHTS THE PASSION, STRUGGLES, AND DREAMS OF PITMASTERS AROUND AMERICA.

FROM BARBECUE RESTAURANTS TO BARBECUE FOOD TRUCKS, ERICA SHARES THE UNIVERSAL MESSAGE OF "BARBECUE LOVE" FOUND THROUGHOUT THIS GREAT COUNTRY.

Chef Stan Hays

Stan Hays is the CEO and co-founder of Operation BBQ Relief. A seasoned and accomplished competitor on the barbecue circuit, Hays and fellow cofounder Will Cleaver launched Operation BBQ Relief when a tornado swept through Joplin, Missouri, in 2011. Hays’s passion for barbecue and assisting those in distress culminated in creating Operation BBQ Relief, which has served over 9 million meals in 30 states. In 2017, Hays was recognized as a “CNN Hero” for his work with Operation BBQ Relief. Hays has participated in more than 35 sanctioned barbecue contests, with two grand champion awards, four reserve champions, and several top 10 finishes. He was runner-up in the 2015 season of Chopped: Grill Masters on Food Network and in 2019 won Food Network Canada’s Firemasters. Hays is also a cookbook author. He co-authored a cookbook called Operation BBQ in 2019 and has a new cookbook he co-authored with Mike Golic, Sr called "Grilling with Golic and Hays" that will be released in mid May 2022.

Chef Damaris Phillips

Damaris Phillips is a celebrity chef and TV Personality known for her modern twists on Southern and Classic Comfort Foods. After formal culinary training, Damaris continued her education in restaurant kitchen from New York to Seattle, Kentucky to Louisiana working under acclaimed chefs and restauranteurs to hone her skills.

In 2010 Damaris began teaching in the Culinary Arts department of Jefferson Community and Technical College where she fell in love with teaching people to cook.

After winning Season 9 Food Network Star in 2013, Damaris continued to teach, but on a much larger scale, hosting cooking shows on Food Network. Southern at Heart introduced viewers to! her Kentucky roots. On The Bobby and Damaris Show with Bobby Flay, she brought southern! recipes to Bobby’s Hampton’s home. The show was nominated for a James Beard award. Damaris and Co-host Rutledge Wood introduced the country to some of the best dining! locations in the South, on Southern and Hungry. Her newest show, Southern Girl Meets Vegetarian Boy airs late spring 2022.

Damaris can also be seen on several other shows on the network, including Guy's Grocery Games, Beat Bobby Flay, and Super Market Saver. She is a regular guest on the Today Show, Good Morning America, The Kelley Clarkson Show, Rachel Ray Show, and The Wendy Williams Show.

In 2019 she co-founded Bluegrass Supper Club in Louisville, Kentucky. A designer picnic company celebrating Kentucky Farmers and Culture. Her first cookbook, Southern Girl Meets Vegetarian Boy was released in October 2017. Her Second Cookbook, Gussied Up, is set to release in 2023.

Chef Rasheed Philips

Making his international culinary debut on what The New York Times ranked as one of the top shows of 2020, Rasheed Philips was a breakout star on Netflix’s American Barbeque Showdown. Although a newcomer to the competition side of BBQ, his culinary mantra “The basics perfected: Time, Temperature, and Technique” thrust Rasheed into the spotlight where he quickly became a fan favorite. Unsurprisingly, he soon cultivated a loyal social media base where his candid approach, humility, and personal charisma reached a wider audience.

Chef Georgia Chasen

Georgia was discovered on Instagram in May of 2019 by a casting agent after posting a picture of a pig roast she threw for her family. Following a rigorous casting process, by September of 2020, Georgia was on an international streaming platform as a contestant in one of the top rated food shows of the year, “American Barbecue Showdown”. Georgia has a passion for adventure cooking, during which she brings spectacle, sport, comfort, and beauty to all whom she feeds.

Chef David Rose

You may have seen him in action on one of his many daytime TV cooking segments, competing on Food Network Star, or at a prestigious national food and wine event across the country. But one thing is for certain, whenever Chef David Rose is around . . . you’ll find plenty of great food and laughter! Born in New Jersey to two chef parents, David always had an adventurous, curious and diverse palate. If it smelled good and looked good, chances are it would get eaten.

Chef D’Andra Simmons

D’Andra Simmons is a pioneering businesswoman and skin care expert who’s spent more than 25 years in the nutritional and beauty industry. She’s the founder/CEO of the skin care line Hard Night Good Morning and CEO/owner of Ultimate Living International Inc. She’s also the star of the hit Bravo series, The Real Housewives of Dallas and the Co-Host of the “I Don’t Give a Rip” podcast on YEA Networks.

D’Andra’s passion has led to years of national exposure and recognition. She’s an official cast member of The Real Housewives of Dallas on BRAVO. In 2012, she was named the 43-year-old winner of People magazine’s “Real Beauty at Every Age” search and featured again in its “Most Beautiful” issue in 2018. She’s appeared on numerous television programs, including Samantha Brown’s Great Weekends on the Travel Channel and several appearances on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on BRAVO. National press attention includes features in Forbes, W Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, EXTRA, People, DuJour, Us Weekly, In Touch, Vanity Fair, Bella Magazine, Beverly Hills Lifestyle Magazine, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Life & Style, and More Magazine in Great Britain. D’Andra is a member of SAG/AFTRA and AEA.

Chef Chanda Clark

Chef Clark, a southern California native began cooking at the age of 12. Clark’s parents and grandparents are natives from New Olean’s and the South. It was her grandmother’s Creole food cooking that initiated her enthusiasm. “When I was in kindergarten, I remember going to my granny’s business after school; where I sat and watched her prepare lunch and dinner for her customer’s.” Later in life Chef Clark, meshed her Grandmother’s southern “old” school style with my own and developed her own signature brand.

Chef Antonia Lofaso

Chef Antonia Lofaso is the Executive Chef and Owner of three acclaimed Los Angeles restaurants - Black Market Liquor Bar (Studio City, California), Scopa Italian Roots (Venice, California), and DAMA (Downtown Los Angeles, California). Though diverse in cuisine and style, each of her restaurants combine deep-rooted, personal culinary traditions with the influence of her globetrotting adventures and formal French training. Antonia is widely recognized for her role as host of Food Network's The Julia Child Challenge as well as recurring roles on Guys Grocery Games, Tournament of Champions, and Supermarket Stakeout, to name just a few, as well as Bravo’s Top Chef and CNBC’s Restaurant Startup. In addition to her thriving restaurant businesses and television career, Antonia is also an entrepreneur whose line, Chefletics, has redefined the traditional fit and function of kitchen apparel.

Chef Fred Hopson

Coming Soon