Caviére is a Texas-based luxury caviar company founded in 2025 by Christina Lam and Thi Phung, two women on a mission to redefine how America experiences one of the world’s most coveted delicacies. Built on the belief that indulgence and integrity are not mutually exclusive, Caviére sources Siberian, Kaluga, and Ossetra caviar from ethical, sustainable aquaculture farms spanning Europe, Asia, and the United States. Christina and Thi did not enter this industry by accident. They entered it with a vision: to bring world-class caviar to the culinary community with full transparency, uncompromising quality, and a deep respect for the ecosystems that make it all possible. From farm to chef to table, every tin of Caviére represents a commitment to doing things the right way. We are proud to partner with chefs, creatives, and tastemakers who understand that what goes into a dish matters just as much as what comes out of it. Caviére is not just a product. It is a new standard.

Born in Indonesia and specializing in authentic Asian cuisine, this talented chef fought her way into the competitive Dallas culinary market. Today, she is proud to operate the only Indonesian restaurant in the DFW area.

Born and raised in Southern California, Juan Carlos is the Chef de Cuisine at Loro Asian Smokehouse in Dallas, Texas. His culinary journey began in Austin in 2021, where he started as a line cook at the flagship Loro location. Passionate about bold flavors and open-fire cooking, he quickly rose through the ranks, eventually helping open Loro’s Dallas outpost. Along the way, he’s served as a Culinary Director, built strong ties with local DFW pitmasters, and even sharpened his barbecue skills smoking meats in Alaska. Blending Asian influences with Texas tradition, Juan Carlos brings creativity, precision, and heart to every plate.

Growing up in Ennis and South Dallas, Texas, Rhonda McCullar fondly recalls time spent with her family. Cooking Soul Food and Tex-Mex with her mother for regular family get-togethers sparked McCullar’s early passion for feeding people. While she loved being in the kitchen with her mom, Rhonda followed in the footsteps of her mentor, a high school teacher and basketball coach she remains close with today, and became a sixth-grade science teacher. She maintained her passion for cooking, but her family needed more financial support after her mother’s death, so McCullar came up with a short-term solution (secure her teacher certification) and a long-term plan (attend culinary school). She soon enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts in Dallas, where her science background proved priceless. After graduating in 2012, McCullar worked for Marriott for three years. When an opportunity to stage at Uchi arose, she jumped at the chance. Her impressive performance secured her a position at Uchi Dallas and she has been there ever since, working her way up to sous of both Uchi and Uchibā and eventually, chef de cuisine in 2021. As a vegetarian, McCullar brings a unique perspective to the Uchi kitchen team. Inspired by the kitchen’s food waste, she looks for ways to incorporate unused ingredients for new dishes. While she does not eat meat and doesn’t love the taste and texture of fish, she regularly presents meat- and fish-forward specials selected for the menu. She relies on her keen understanding of flavor profiles, an approach rooted in cooking science, and savvy ability to read faces, to tweak the recipes she develops. In her spare time, McCullar volunteers to feed the homeless and maintains her love of basketball by regularly challenging her nephew to a game of one-on-one as he builds his skills. She has also branched into gardening, pottery, and woodworking as additional creative outlets.

Chef Joshua Harmon is widely recognized as one of the most innovative and fearless forces in the contemporary Texas dining landscape. Hailed by media outlets and critics as a culinary "mad scientist" and named Eater 2017 Chef of the Year, Harmon has carved out a unique space in gastronomy by clashing the soulful, deeply rooted heritage of Southern American cuisine with complex East Asian profiles and advanced, meticulous fermentation techniques. With a pedigree built in elite, multi-Michelin-starred spheres in New York City and sharpened under the mentorship of regional legends, Harmon’s work transcends traditional "fusion". Instead, he creates highly conceptual, texturally brilliant, and nostalgic dishes that challenge conventions while remaining accessible. From helming breakout brick-and-mortars to designing expansive, multi-million-dollar hospitality ecosystems like Victory Social, Harmon is an elite chef, an operator, and a Food Network Restaurant Rivals champion who has redefined modern Texas dining.

Justin Fourton is the co-founder of Pecan Lodge, the iconic Texas barbecue destination that helped ignite the modern craft barbecue movement. What began as a small farmers market stand evolved into one of the most celebrated barbecue restaurants in America, earning national recognition from Texas Monthly, Bon Appétit, Food Network, and countless other outlets. Deeply rooted in the traditions of Texas barbecue, Fourton is known for his commitment to preserving authenticity, honoring regional cooking traditions, and championing the craftsmanship behind live-fire cooking. His work explores the balance between tradition and evolution, helping shape conversations around the future of American barbecue while staying connected to its cultural roots. Fourton is also the founder and host of the Smoke(less) podcast, a series that goes beyond barbecue to explore the people, ideas, and cultural forces shaping modern food and hospitality. Through conversations with chefs, pitmasters, entrepreneurs, artists, and innovators, Smoke(less) examines creativity, obsession, craftsmanship, and the pursuit of excellence both inside and outside the kitchen.

Chef Lamar Moore was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. Growing up in a large family, Moore learned the importance of cooking with love, taking care of people, and giving back to those less fortunate. His grandmother was extremely influential to his culinary journey. Hailing from Mississippi, she passed on a deep appreciation of Southern food and culture to her grandson. He graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in 2003 and headed west to San Jose, California, where he secured a position at McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants. After seven years, he returned to Chicago and became the sous chef for the Chicago Bears, before moving on to a series of restaurants as a successful chef and restaurateur. Moore has had the privilege of cooking for Super Bowls, NBA Finals, and even Barack and Michelle Obama on multiple occasions—but he admits his grandmother will always be his first and biggest fan. Chef Moore has appeared on Bravo TV’s Welcome to Waverly and Food Network’s Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay, and Vegas Chef Prizefight, where he earned the title of head chef in 2020 at the then brand new $10 million Bugsy & Meyer’s Steakhouse at Flamingo Las Vegas. In 2025, Moore was honored as a James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Great Lakes semifinalist, recognizing his impact on Chicago’s culinary scene and his continued commitment to excellence. His career includes roles as Executive Chef at Bronzeville Winery, ETC Chicago, and multiple successful concepts, with additional projects launching in fall of 2026. While Moore has achieved many milestones, he continues striving to prove, to his family and himself, that every sacrifice was worth it, proudly representing both the South and the South Side wherever his journey takes him. Chef Lamar Moore’s advice to aspiring chefs: don’t stop cooking, feel food from your soul, take care of your team, never stop learning, and always keep your ego humble.

Born in Piemonte, Chef Marco Fortina’s passion for cooking was shaped by a family of true epicureans and a culinary legacy dating back to a family restaurant founded in 1904. Honing his craft in some of Italy’s most celebrated kitchens — including La Torre del Saracino, MUDEC Milano, and Da Guido — Chef Marco developed a deep respect for authentic Italian cuisine and refined technique. He later joined Eataly, first serving as Head Chef at Eataly Boston before taking the helm at Eataly Dallas. Today, he continues to bring authentic Italian flavors to the table through dishes that are both beautifully plated and deeply rooted in tradition.

Vestals Catering is a Texas-based, family-owned catering company specializing in culinary expertise, seasonal ingredients, and unmatched hospitality across Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, and beyond.

Owner & founder of Pablo Pete's. We source the best ingredients, so our food is delicious. Blackhawk Farms Wagyu. Amish and Jidori chicken. Sakura pork. Wild-caught rock shrimp. Texan and Oaxacan produce. It’s honest, it’s memorable, and it’s f$&%ing delicious. Guaranteed.

Leo Morales is a Texas pitmaster, chef, culinary operator, and hospitality leader with more than three decades of experience in the restaurant and barbecue industry. Known for blending authentic Texas barbecue with Mexican and Colombian influences, Leo has built a reputation across North Texas for chef-driven barbecue, large-scale food operations, and live entertainment hospitality experiences. Throughout his career, Leo has held leadership positions with notable hospitality groups and restaurant concepts including Parry Avenue Barbecue Co, Smoky Rose, Barrel & Bones Craft Bar & Smokehouse, Primo’s MX Kitchen & Lounge, and operations tied to The Statler Hotel in Dallas. He currently owns, operates and leads Rodeo City Provisions, the Official Barbecue of the Mesquite Championship Rodeo, located inside the historic Mesquite Arena. Leo is recognized for creating elevated barbecue concepts that combine Texas heritage, live music, and Western culture into immersive guest experiences. His culinary style emphasizes scratch cooking, smoked meats, creative Latin-inspired flavors, and strong operational execution for high-volume venues, catering, and entertainment spaces. In 2025, Rodeo City Provisions received the Visit Mesquite Partner of the Year Award for its contributions to tourism, festivals, and community engagement throughout the rodeo season. Leo and his team have also been featured by regional food media and barbecue publications for their innovative approach to Texas barbecue and hospitality.

Chef Irwin Torres brings over eight years of culinary leadership to the heart of Café Olivia's kitchen and his cooking philosophy fits the concept like it was made for him. Rooted in technique and driven by a genuine respect for ingredients, Chef Torres approaches every dish the way Café Olivia approaches every day: with intention, care, and nothing to hide. His experience leading high-volume kitchens across DFW has sharpened a skill set that goes far beyond the plate, from sourcing relationships with trusted Texas purveyors to building the kind of kitchen culture that shows up in every bowl, sandwich, and morning ritual served to guests. At Café Olivia, that means scratch-made, seed oil–free cooking that's as nourishing as it is satisfying. Chef Torres has a gift for making clean food feel indulgent crafting globally inspired menus that don't ask you to choose between eating well and eating beautifully. Whether it's a perfectly layered breakfast sandwich or a grain bowl built with produce from local farms, his food reflects a simple belief: that what goes into a dish matters just as much as what comes out of it. At Café Olivia, he's not just running a kitchen. He's helping define what a chef-driven café can be.

Deborah Williamson is the chef and founder of James Provisions. A Texas native, Deborah spent more than 20 years in New York City, the last 15 of which were dedicated to owning and operating her Brooklyn restaurant, James. In 2023, after returning to her hometown in 2022, Deborah opened a restaurant serving approachable, farm-driven dishes made without seed oils. Since opening, James Provisions has been recognized with the 2025 Rising Star Award from the Texas Restaurant Association and received nominations for Best New Restaurant and Chef of the Year from the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.

Lance McWhorter is a seventh-generation East Texan who has had the honor of serving in the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, as a Firefighter/EMT, and as a high-threat security contractor in the Middle East after spending his younger years cooking in restaurants. After his service and return to the professional kitchen, he led several restaurants in the Texas Hill Country and in the Deep East Texas port town of Jefferson. Lance then joined the bustling culinary scene of Dallas, where he had the opportunity to learn from some of the best chefs in the industry. He worked at legendary establishments such as FT33, Macellaio (now Lucia), and SĒR Steak + Spirits. He also participated in incredible pop-ups and restaurant takeovers at local favorites like Petra and the Beast and Taco y Vino. In 2019, Chef Lance moved to Tyler, the neighboring “big city” to his familial home of Athens, to open his first restaurant as a chef/owner: Culture ETX. In 2022, he expanded the venture by adding The Plaid Rabbit Social Club & Speakeasy, accessible through the restaurant. After five incredibly successful years, he transitioned the interior design and concept of the restaurant to Heritage East—a more elegant and upscale version of Culture ETX. This new concept focuses on honoring the food of his ancestors and introducing the world to elevated East Texas cuisine. You may recognize Lance as the winner of the Emmy Award-winning TV show The Texas Bucket List’s “Bite of the Season” for his Heritage Pork Chop, a version of which is always on the menu. He is also the reigning Dallas “Prince of Pork” from the prestigious fine dining, heritage-breed pork cooking extravaganza Cochon 555. Additionally, he showcased his talents on Food Network’s hit series Chopped, where his now-famous chocolate mousse was first revealed to the world (don’t worry—it’s always on the menu too!). Lance lives in Tyler with his wife, professional barbecue pitmaster Bailey, and their three dogs: Rio, Dookie, and Ivy.

Anna Ng is the founder of La Maison Bleue Café, a North Texas tea and beverage brand inspired by wellness, creativity, and Japanese tea culture. Her journey into tea began after becoming more conscious about health and the ingredients used in everyday drinks. In 2019, she traveled throughout Asia to study tea leaves, traditional preparation methods, and beverage craftsmanship. She started experimenting in her own kitchen, creating syrups, sauces, and drinks completely from scratch using natural ingredients. After exploring different creative paths including music, photography, and cooking, Anna discovered her passion for handcrafted beverages and hospitality. In 2020, she officially launched La Maison Bleue Café by catering small gatherings and participating in local pop-up events. Her drinks quickly gained attention for their unique flavors, artistic presentation, and healthier approach to tea and coffee beverages. As the business grew, La Maison Bleue Café expanded to two locations — one on the campus of Southern Methodist University (SMU) and another in Fairview, Texas. Anna also began hosting tea and matcha workshops to share her love for Japanese tea traditions and create meaningful community experiences. Today, she continues to grow La Maison Bleue Café throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth area while staying committed to quality, creativity, and intentional living.