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James Trees began his career at the Mirage hotel in Las Vegas in 1995 at the age of 15. Fresh from the CIA, James cooked under Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin, then joined Michael Mina's team at Aqua, where he became the youngest ever Sous Chef at the Bellagio. After stints with Bradley Ogden at Caesars Palace, Jacques van Statten at Alize, Alex Stratta, and a stage at The Fat Duck, James rejoined Chef Mina, where he spent five years opening five restaurants as Corporate Sous Chef, and later as Chef de Cuisine at Mina's Restaurant XIV. After working with Gordon Ramsay on both Kitchen Nightmares and Hell’s Kitchen, James most recently held the position of Chef de Cuisine at Ray Garcia's FIG at the Fairmont Miramar. James's new restaurant concept, TREEHOUSE, demonstrates the connection between chef, food, and diner by having the cook that has made each dish deliver it directly to those who will be eating it.

Adam Gertler is a cook, entertainer, and full time food enthusiast who first gained national attention as a finalist on Food Network’s hit series, The Next Food Network Star. Adam developed a true passion for barbecue while in college and began experimenting with unique ideas and recipes while catering for friends and family. He soon helped bring barbecue to Philadelphia as the executive chef of The Smoked Joint. Adam has recently turned his passion for sausage-making into “Gertler’s Wurst," a collection of uniquely flavored hand-crafted sausages. Adam has hosted two primetime series for the Food Network, Will Work For Food and Kid in a Candy Store, is a regular contributor to The Best Thing I Ever Ate, and is currently the host of Food Bites, a show appearing on The Cooking Channel’s YouTube station.

Born and raised in northern New Jersey, Bruce Kalman's culinary career began at a local pizzeria, where he fell in love with fresh ingredients. He attended a hands-on culinary program at Hudson County Community College in Jersey City before working in New York with David Burke at Park Ave Cafe, and in Chicago with Paul Bartalotta at Spiaggia. His executive chef positions span the nation from Chicago (Okno, Green Dolphin Street and Coco Pazzo) to Santa Fe (Il Piatto) and Phoenix (Chelsea’s Kitchen). Bruce moved to Los Angeles to open The Misfit in Santa Monica. Bruce is currently Executive Chef at The Churchill, a market-driven restaurant, where he highlights house-made charcuterie and pickles, along with fresh pasta and desserts. Accolades include a James Beard nomination for “Rising Star Chef”, and appearances on many local and national TV programs, including the Food Network.

Evan Funke is Chef/Owner of the upcoming Culver City restaurant, Bucato, as well as the mastermind behind the popular Porchetta Truck. For four years, he was Executive Chef of Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and helped set up Milo and Olive. Evan attended Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena before being recruited by Wolfgang Puck Catering to work high-profile events including the award ceremonies and Hollywood premieres. At Spago Beverly Hills, Evan ascended through the ranks to become Sous Chef in just three years. Evan left Spago to teach at his alma mater, Le Cordon Bleu, then spent a year as Chef de Cuisine of Blue on Blue at the Avalon Hotel followed by three months in Bologna, Italy to master the techniques of handmade pasta under Allessandra Spisni at La Vecchia Scuola Bolognese. At Rustic Canyon, Evan was nominated “Rising Star Chef” by The James Beard Foundation in 2009, and awarded two stars from the Los Angeles Times and a “Bib Gourmande” from the Michelin Guide for his seasonal and sustainable menu.

Tyler Wells, one third of Handsome Coffee Roasters, hails from the hills of West Virginia. He's plied a trade or two-fixing Audis, running a bike messenger business, and slinging hot dogs and cold beer. But it was coffee that tamed his wild spirit in 2005, bringing out the hospitable gentleman you would happen across today. Coffee led him eventually to Frank in Austin, Texas, where he served Intelligentsia Coffee so well the company brought him in to open its new shop in Pasadena, Calif.

CJ Jacobson, a contestant on two seasons of Bravo’s hit show Top Chef, is currently the Consulting Chef at The Mercantile. In March, CJ will open Girasol in Studio City. Prior to appearing on Season 10 of Top Chef, CJ spent three months working at Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark, which snagged the top spot on the San Pellegrino list of The World's 50 Best Restaurants for the third year in a row, and was Executive Chef at The Yard, where he drew heavily on relationships with local farmers to build his menu around seasonal produce. He has also cooked at Campanile, Wolfgang Puck Catering, and Axe, appeared around the country with the James Beard Celebrity Chef Tour and cooked dinner at the James Beard House in NY. A former professional volleyball player standing at 6' 8", CJ developed his love of food during his three years living and competing in Europe. He claims to have great taste in music.

A native Californian, Mark Peel was the Executive chef and owner of the esteemed Los Angeles restaurant Campanile for 23 years and is currently working on opening Campanile at LAX. He is also co-founder of La Brea Bakery. Mark began as a sous chef under Wolfgang Puck at Ma Maison, did stints at La Tour D'Argent and Le Moulin du Mougins in France, and returned to California to work at Michaels and Chez Panisse before becoming Chef de Cuisine at the original Spago, and eventually opening Campanile in 1989. Mark has been nominated for multiple James Beard Foundation Awards, and has made numerous television appearances: on Kitchen Nightmares and Hell’s Kitchen with Gordon Ramsay, as well as on Top Chef, Top Chef Masters, and Top Chef Just Deserts. He is a frequent guest on KCRW and KPCC, in Southern California. Mark is also the co-author of three cookbooks: New Classic Family Dinners, Mark Peel & Nancy Silverton At Home, and The Food of Campanile.

Phillip Frankland Lee is Executive Chef of D'Cache, a Basque restaurant in Toluca Lake, as well as the screenwriter and director of COOK: The Movie. He is also a founder of Wolf Cuisine, where he and partner Sylvian Allard are 'bringing the Chef's Testing Menu home' by delivering high-end 10-course meals to your door. Phillip is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, and served as Sous Chef under both Quinn Hatfield at Hatfield's, and Top Chef alum Stefan Richter at LA Farm. He also spent time in Chicago at L20, studied under Grant Achatz at Alinea, and was Executive Sous Chef at Park Grill at Millennium Park. COOK: The Movie, combines his writing skills and his years in the restaurant industry to tell the story of young chef on the big screen.

Barbara Brass has been with Wolfgang Puck Catering since 1999, where she is currently the Vice President of Sales and oversees all celebrity and awards season events. Prior to that, she held positions at Restaurant Associates, Marriott and Hyatt. Barbara is famous amongst a certain Los Angeles crowd for her dinner parties, home cooking, and world-class wine collection.

CJ Jacobson, a contestant on two seasons of Bravo’s hit show Top Chef, is currently the Consulting Chef at The Mercantile. In April, CJ will open Girasol in Studio City. Prior to appearing on Season 10 of Top Chef, CJ spent three months working at Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark, which snagged the top spot on the San Pellegrino list of The World's 50 Best Restaurants for the third year in a row, and was Executive Chef at The Yard, where he drew heavily on relationships with local farmers to build his menu around seasonal produce. He has also cooked at Campanile, Wolfgang Puck Catering, and Axe, appeared around the country with the James Beard Celebrity Chef Tour and cooked dinner at the James Beard House in NY. A former professional volleyball player standing at 6' 8", CJ developed his love of food during his three years living and competing in Europe. He claims to have great taste in music.

Mia Wasilevich created TransitionalGastronomy.com with her partner, Pascal Baudar, as a response to curiosity about their passion for exploring and researching local wild foods and creating cuisine for a modern palate using traditional and often forgotten preservation methods and wild edibles. Utilizing California's native resources, they are helping to pave the way for new California cuisine that embraces the native terroir and all of its micro-climates and seasons which may include local plants that have been forgotten as a food source. They offer a true "bite of L.A." She shares a special collaboration with Pascal, forager and master food preserver, as he provides his amazingly creative bespoke preserves and artisanal beers, vinegars and wines, and mutual love of food. Together, they contribute to the Wild Food Lab, an R&D lab for native and local wild foods and preservation, in their own unique ways. They also provide foraged goods, preserves and consulting for some of LA's top restaurants.

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At just fourteen, Flynn McGarry's culinary talent and knowledge of cuisine are beyond his years. Flynn began cooking at home at ten using cookbooks and the internet as his guide. By eleven he was creating his own dishes. He apprenticed for a year at Ray's at LACMA and staged at Eleven Madison Park as well at Alinea and Next in Chicago and the Modernist Cuisine Food Lab in Seattle. As well as learning his trade from the very best, Flynn has a monthly supper club EUREKA, which started two years ago in his home in Studio City serving twenty guests twelve courses of Flynn's American Progressive cuisine. EUREKA now pops up monthly at Chef Bernhard Mairinger's BierBeisl in Beverly Hills for a ten course menu. Flynn and EUREKA have been written about in the New Yorker’s Talk of Town piece “Prodigy,” the Los Angeles Times, Eater, Grub Street and the Huffington Post as well as international publications and blogs. Flynn was featured on NBC Nightly News, the Today show doing a cooking demo with Chef Daniel Boulud and recently was one of the featured chefs at the White House Easter Egg Roll cooking demos. His website and you tube channel Dining with Flynn have followed his culinary progress thus far and his twitter and instagram photos keep fans up to date on his EUREKA events and of course Flynn's new dishes.

Manouschka Guerrier is a Chef, Lifestyle Expert and CEO of Single Serving, a multi-dimensional culinary and entertainment brand. Under the Single Serving umbrella, Manouschka runs a Private Chef and Catering company, a popular blog, and a television docu-series in development with RelativityREAL. Manouschka is most recognized as a co-star of the popular Food Network series "Private Chefs of Beverly Hills" which has currently airing in over 22 Countries.

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