Chef Robert Irvine
Robert Irvine is a world-class chef and entrepreneur, and a tireless philanthropic supporter of our nation’s military. 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 the Lansdale, PA-based Boardroom Spirits, creators of handcrafted vodka, rum, whiskey, and more. Two new signature products—Irvine’s Vodka and Irvine’s American Dry Gin—are in the beginning stages of a nationwide rollout.
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 to veterans in need, providing mobility devices for the disabled, and much more.
For his charitable work and service on numerous USO tours, Robert is the recipient of several civilian honors, including Honorary Chief Petty Officer of the United States Navy, and the Medal of Honor Society’s "Bob Hope Award".
When not filming for television or working overseas with the USO, he can be found on tour with Robert Irvine LIVE, an unpredictable interactive cooking challenge done before a live audience in packed theaters.
He is the distinguished author of four books, Mission: Cook, Impossible to Easy, Fit Fuel, and Family Table By Robert Irvine. He is also the publisher of Robert Irvine Magazine, a free digital publication delivering workouts, recipes, and motivational content.
Chef Alex Guarnaschelli
Alex Guarnaschelli is a world-renowned chef who, after attending La Varenne Culinary School in Burgundy,
France, began her international culinary journey training in Paris and New York with some of the world’s most
acclaimed chefs including Guy Savoy and Daniel Boulud. In 2003, Guarnaschelli was given the opportunity to
expand her repertoire and become the executive chef at Butter, where she has since created her own eclectic
American and green-market inspired menu. Guarnaschelli first appeared on Food Network in 2006 and has
since been part of hundreds of episodes of programming on the network, including as a judge on Chopped, cohost
of The Kitchen, host of Supermarket Stakeout, and star of Alex vs America. She also hosts the award-winning
digital series, Fix Me a Plate, and is the author of the cookbooks “Old-School Comfort Food: The Way I Learned to
Cook” (2013), “The Home Cook: Recipes to Know by Heart” (2017), and most recently “Cook With Me: 150
Recipes for the Home Cook” (2020).
Chef Justin Sutherland
Bio Coming Soon.
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 Doug Adams
Born in Colorado and raised in East Texas, Chef Doug Adams’ culinary inspiration began in his hometown of Bullard where traditional Texas cooking intermingles with Hispanic influences. After getting his culinary start in the kitchens of Missoula, Montana he moved to Portland, Oregon in 2008 to attend the Western Culinary Institute (now Le Cordon Bleu). Over the next three years he held positions at number of notable Portland restaurants including Lucier and Metrovino with James Beard Award-winning Chef Gregory Denton.
In 2011, he took a position with James Beard Award Winning chef Vitaly Paley at his eponymous Paley’s Palace and a year later Paley tapped Adams to be the Sous Chef for his new restaurant opening in downtown Portland, Imperial. Adams quickly earned the role of Chef de Cuisine and shortly after being promoted he was recruited to appear on BRAVO’s Top Chef: Boston. The series ran from October 2014 to February 2015 and established Adams name on a national stage where, as a top three finalist, he gained recognition for his creativity, balance of flavors and hustle in the kitchen. Adams’ thoughtful dishes and strong leadership at Imperial earned him numerous accolades including Best Restaurant 2015 from Willamette Week, the 2015 Chef of the Year from Eater PDX, and a semifinalist nomination from the James Beard Foundation Awards for "Rising Star Chef of the year" 2016.
In 2019 Doug opened Bullard Restaurant in downtown Portland, and quickly garnished awards including Chef of the Year from Willamette Week and a spot on the coveted Esquire Magazine’s Best New Restaurant List. After co-founding Holler Hospitality, and opening Holler Restaurant in the Sellwood neighborhood of Portland, Doug made the difficult decision to leave his restaurants and work on the project he was born for—Grand Fir.
Chef Brian Duffy
Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, Chef Brian Duffy had his first experiences in the kitchen as a young child with his big Irish-Italian Family. Those experiences introduced him to culinary life, and led him to study at Philadelphia’s “The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College”. Culinary school may have taught him technique, but it was those Sunday nights cooking with his family where he developed his passion.
Duffy is perhaps most recognized from his abundant television appearances on the wildly popular Spike TV series Bar Rescue, where he tours the country (sometimes on his Harley) reforming failing bars and restaurants with his “tell it like it is” style. His most recent show “Opening Night” follows Chef Duffy through HIS 7-day process of opening a restaurant & the roadblocks that come along the way. Duffy made his national on- camera debut over 17 years ago on the Food Network and has appeared on countless networks & streaming platforms.
Currently Duffy has collaborated with Four Birds Distilling & created SideBird Kitchen, a down & dirty eatery located inside the distilling space, Sidebird is a menu that encompasses the last two years of Duffy’s travel around the country. During that time Duffy has also Partnered with Ugly Brother Studios (Duffy Brothers) to launch the highly anticipated “World Chef” platform, an interactive “Ultimate Foodie” platform which includes food boxes that pairs the world’s best chefs with an interactive LIVE platform. Chef, having his hands in multiple levels of business is also the Creator & Host of ""Duffified Live"" a talking & travel show with an over-the-top approach to eating, drinking, and experiences.
When he isn’t with clients, taping or traveling, he is working on his classic entrepreneurial spirit, or hanging out with his family and friends in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Chef Duffy has his own line of signature spices, “Duffified Spice” kitchen aprons, hats, and chef-driven Grills & Smokers which are all available on his website at www.duffified.com.
Chef Betty Fraser
Co-owner of Hollywood restaurant Grub, this native of San Francisco has appeared on Bravo's Top Chef and Top Chef Masters as well as Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels. Grub's signature cuisine, "California Comfort Food," has won a broad range of awards from “Best Breakfast in LA” to “Best Brunch Spot,” is famous for its tuna melt and was featured on The Travel Channel's Bacon Paradise with her "Crack Bacon." She made her famous "Ba-Da-Bing Betty's Grilled Cheese Sandwich" for Al Roker on Today. Betty also operates the highly successful As You Like It Catering with her partner Denise DeCarlo.
Chef Nyesha Arrington
Nyesha Arrington has been in love with the kitchen since she was a young girl learning to cook alongside her grandmother. Born in Southern California to a multi-cultural family, she was introduced early on to diverse foods such as bulgogi, octopus, and homemade kimchi. These first stages of culinary experiences definitively shaped her palate and her ideas. By integrating flavors and techniques from around the world, Nyesha has created a style that is both personal and unparalleled.
After graduating from the prestigious Culinary School at the Art Institute of California in Los Angeles in 2001, Nyesha built an impressive resume working with chef Josiah Citrin at the acclaimed two Michelin Star Mélisse in Santa Monica, and legendary French chef Joël Robuchon at his Michelin Star restaurants L'Atelier and The Mansion in Las Vegas. She then went on to helm Leona and Native in Los Angeles where she was celebrated for using farm fresh, locally, and responsibly sourced ingredients. In 2012 she was named to "Zagat’s Best Chef 30 Under 30" and in 2015 was recognized as LA’s Chef of the Year by Eater.
Nyesha hit the national stage as a fan favorite on Top Chef season 9 and is currently a co-star of the hit culinary competition show Next Level Chef (U.K. season 1 premiering on ITV in Jan. 2023 and U.S. season 2 premiering on FOX in Feb. 2023). She is also the host and producer of Plateworthy, a digital series on Eater.
Nyesha draws inspiration from cooking through the seasons, traveling the globe and contemporary art. When she’s not in a kitchen, she can be found connecting with others over functional fitness and wellness practices. She lives in Los Angeles with her French bulldog, Bleu-Ginger and tuxedo cat, Mr. Robert Marley.
Chef Deanna Colón
Deanna Colón was born & raised in Boston in an Italian restaurant owned by her Parents. Her earliest memories are in the kitchen learning traditional Italian recipes & techniques. She auditioned for Master Chef Season 10 with a homemade Lobster & Crab Ravioli in a Cream sauce and won a spot in the Top 20.
Deanna has appeared as a Judge & Chef on Hot Mess Express on SLING and creates content for video network Tastemade. She teaches cooking classes privately and virtually through TakeLessons and Eatwith, was cast as a Chef in an online ad for Facebook/Oculus, as well as appearing in an ad for Imperfect Foods.
Her partnerships include Sphericator by Cedar Lane, Imperfect Foods, OneHope Wine, Girls Life Magazine, Keto Krate, Boos Blocks and ChefUniforms. Deanna lives in Las Vegas with her Husband and 6 dogs.
Chef Treygaye Fraser
Chef Tregaye Fraser is a chef, cookbook author and TV personality, based in Atlanta, Georgia. She is the owner of Chef Tregaye-N-Company, a catering company that has served some of Atlanta's biggest events. Growing up eating her grandmother's farm-fresh cooking, Tregaye developed her love for the culinary arts. Being skilled in creating dishes from 24 different countries, she created a love for taking food from all over the world and fusing them with her southern flair.
Tregaye was the first African-American woman to win Food Network Star. This launched her into becoming the host of several food shows, including Food Network's Cakealikes, as well as the honor of helping Oprah Winfrey's Network launch their first food shows with her own series, Tregaye's Way and Tregaye's Way in the Kitchen (now streaming on Discovery+). She also launched her first cookbook "Kitchen Conversations with Chef Tregaye" in December 2021, and has an extensive product line with her signature chef knife, premium seasonings, hot honey, and more.
Chef Ashley Holt
Coming Soon.
Chef Joe Sasto
Joe Sasto dove head-first into the restaurant industry by mentoring under some of the Bay Area’s most acclaimed chefs and restaurateurs. After graduating from University of California Davis, he took some time to travel through Europe. Sasto brought his newfound international inspiration to Quince in San Francisco, where he spent over three years at the three-Michelin starred restaurant. Under Chef Michael Tusk, Sasto was trusted to manage the handmade pasta program, learning the traditions and roots from one of America’s most celebrated Italian-influenced chefs.
You may recognize Chef Joe from his win on The Food Network’s Chopped and have seen him on NBC’s Top Chef and Top Chef All-Stars. In 2017, Sasto began focusing on pursing his personal goal of opening his own restaurant, traveling the country hosting private events, fine-dining dinner parties, pasta classes, and pop-up feasts. When the global pandemic began in March 2020, Joe ceased travel and pivoted, recently launched his limited production and highly coveted focaccia popup Luna Focacceria, a high-end customizable pasta and pizza tool line with well-known knife maker and blacksmith Doghouse Forge, and is currently working on his first cookbook.
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!
