Emeril Lagasse
Chef, Restaurateur, Television Personality and Author

Chef Emeril Lagasse received his first culinary experience from his mother, Hilda, when he was a boy growing up in the small town of Fall River, Massachusetts. As a teenager, he worked at a Portuguese bakery where he mastered the art of bread and pastry baking. Upon high school graduation, Lagasse was offered a full scholarship to the New England Conservatory of Music, but decided to pursue a career as a professional chef. He earned a degree from the respected culinary fortress, Johnson and Wales University, and later received an honorary Doctorate degree from the university. Lagasse then traveled to Paris and Lyon where he polished his skills and learned the art of classic French cuisine. Returning to the United States, Lagasse practiced his art in fine restaurants in New York, Boston and Philadelphia before heading south to the Big Easy. Lured to New Orleans by Dick and Ella Brennan, Lagasse established his star at their legendary restaurant, Commander's Palace, where he was executive chef for seven and a half years.

Lagasse is now the chef-proprietor of twelve restaurants in New Orleans, Las Vegas, Orlando, Miami, Gulfport and Bethlehem. In 1990, Chef Emeril opened Emeril's Restaurant in the Warehouse District in downtown New Orleans. Two years later, he opened NOLA Restaurant in the French Quarter. In 1995, Emeril brought his "New New Orleans" cooking to Las Vegas and opened Emeril's New Orleans Fish House, located in the MGM Grand Hotel. In 1998, Lagasse opened Emeril's Delmonico in New Orleans' historic Garden District. He opened two restaurants in 1999 including Emeril's Orlando at Universal Studios City Walk and Delmonico Steakhouse in the Venetian Resort/Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas. In 2003, he opened Tchoup Chop (pronounced chop-chop) at Universal Orlando's Royal Pacific Resort and Emeril's Miami Beach at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel. In June 2007, Lagasse opened, Emeril's Gulf Coast Fish House at the Island View Casino Resort in Gulfport, MS. In February 2008, he opened Table 10 at The Palazzo in Las Vegas. He opened his eleventh restaurant, Emeril's Chop House on May 22 at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem in Pennsylvania. His latest project, Lagasse's Stadium, opened in September at The Palazzo.

The recognition and awards he has garnered have made him known to food-loving Americans everywhere. His restaurants consistently win critical praise and top ratings. Emeril's Restaurant was dubbed "Restaurant of the Year" by John Mariani in Esquire magazine in 1990 and received the coveted Wine Spectator "Grand Award" in 1991. Also in 1991, Lagasse was named "Best Southeast Regional Chef" by the James Beard Foundation. Most recently, Emeril's Restaurant earned the prestigious Ivy Award. Nola has achieved the status of "Best New Restaurant" by Esquire magazine in 1993 and has been recognized nationally by Travel & Leisure and Southern Living magazines. His third restaurant, Emeril's New Orleans Fish House was named

"Best Restaurant in Las Vegas" by Zagat. In 2002, Delmonico Steakhouse was named "Best Steakhouse" by Las Vegas Life magazine. In 2004, Delmonico Steakhouse received the Grand Award from Wine Spectator magazine. Lagasse himself has also received accolades and awards for his culinary expertise. In 1991, Lagasse was named "Best Southeast Regional Chef" by the James Beard Foundation. In 1998 he was chosen as "Chef of the Year" by GQ magazine. In 1999, he was named one of People magazine's "25 Most Intriguing People of the Year." In 2004, he was chosen as "Executive of the Year" by Restaurants & Institutions magazine. In 2005, he received the "Distinguished Service Award" from Wine Spectator for his significant and long-lasting contributions to the wine industry. In 2006, he was inducted into the MenuMasters Hall of Fame by

Nation's Restaurant News. In 2007, he was named "Restaurateur of the Year" by New Orleans CityBusiness. In 2009, he received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" from Food Network's South Beach Wine & Food Festival.

As a national TV personality, he has hosted over 1500 shows on the Food Network, and is the food correspondent for ABC's "Good Morning America." He is the host of Emeril Green, an original series exploring fresh and seasonal ingredients, which is in its second season on Discovery's Planet Green. His show Essence of Emeril can be seen on Food Network, and Emeril Live appears on both Fine Living and Food Network.

Lagasse is the best-selling author of thirteen cookbooks, including his latest, Emeril at the Grill. In September 2008, Lagasse announced a multi-year, 10-book project with HarperStudio, a new imprint of HarperCollins. His new book, Emeril 20-40-60: Fresh Food Fast debuts on November 3.

In September 2002, Emeril established the Emeril Lagasse Foundation to support and encourage culinary arts and education programs for children. As of May 2009, the foundation has contributed $3 million to organizations in New Orleans and on the Gulf Coast. The Foundation also extended its partnership with the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA) to establish the city's first comprehensive 4-year professional training program in culinary arts for high school students, and has donated capital funds to develop the Emeril Lagasse Foundation Culinary Learning Center at Café Reconcile in New Orleans. Each fall, the Foundation hosts its annual Carnivale du Vin, a premiere wine and food event to benefit the children of the New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region. The special fifth anniversary Carnivale du Vin will bring together over 40 prestigious names in the culinary and wine worlds on Saturday, November 14, 2009 at The Venetian in Las Vegas.

Lagasse's restaurant company, Emeril's Homebase, is located in New Orleans and houses restaurant operations, a culinary test kitchen for cookbook and recipe development, and a boutique store for his signature products.

Emeril Lagasse joined the Martha Stewart family of brands in 2008; Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (NYSE: MSO) acquired the assets related to Emeril's media and merchandising business, including television programming, cookbooks, and emerils.com website and his licensed kitchen and food products.

Tory McPhail
Executive Chef

The sprawling farmlands of his hometown, Ferndale, Washington was the natural setting for a chef-in-the making, but a distant haul in time and place to Tory McPhail's current status as executive chef at the celebrated Commander's Palace in New Orleans.

Though McPhail now calls New Orleans home, he refuses to settle just because he holds a prestigious title and a New Orleans address. The 33-year-old maverick, who has followed a hard-working and unspoiled path to arrive at the historic restaurant's storied chef dais (which has housed the celebrated likes of Emeril Lagasse, Paul Prudhomme and Jamie Shannon), is on a relentless mission to make Commander's Palace the best restaurant in the country. "I'll stop at nothing until that is accomplished," McPhail states with consummate resolution.

The McPhail family's raspberry farms are perched on the edge of the Canadian border, and McPhail's early culinary diet was rounded out with an appreciation for local goods and the comfortable gathering place of his parent's kitchen. Corn planted in the spring would become dinner in the summer; fish caught in the afternoon from his family's stocked pond would make it to the plate by dusk. "I knew food didn't just come from the grocery store and magically appear there. Being able to watch it all grow gave me a passion for natural foods," says McPhail.

By the time he was 16, McPhail found the means to graduate from his high school and enroll in culinary school. He attended Seattle Community College and received an ACF accredited two-year degree in culinary science. Counselors suggest he pursue work in either the Big Apple or the Big Easy, citing their respective fertile culinary learning grounds as cause. New Orleans, with its history, soul and ultimate "coolness" won him over.

At just 19 years of age, he was hired by Commander's Palace executive chef Jamie Shannon. Starting in garde manger preparing salads and cold appetizers, McPhail worked through all 12 stations of the kitchen, honing his craft and making a positive impression on Shannon. In search of "as much experience possible, as quickly as possible", McPhail later completed a series of stints at culinary hot spots including The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, Fla., the Michelin two-star Picasso Room , the Michelin one-star sister restaurant L'Escargot in London and the Caribbean/Creole intensive Mongoose Restaurant in The Virgin Islands.

In spring of 2000, Commander's Palace again came calling, this time whisking the by-now proven talent away to Nevada as executive sous chef at the dynasty's latest restaurant, Commander's Palace Las Vegas. Though McPhail "loved" his job there, the soulful siren call of New Orleans and the supportive beckoning of Jamie Shannon lured him back to his earlier haunt. He was named executive chef of the original Commander's Palace in January of 2002.

He remains there today, but beyond a constant dedication to doing his best work, creating and sustaining strong relationships with local purveyors and buying local whenever it makes the most sense, nothing remains constant for too long for Chef McPhail. "I'm always thinking very forward when it comes to Creole food. There are so many restaurants here that use the same exact recipes as 75 years ago," explains McPhail. "And that's just not us." To maximize his culinary enlightenment, McPhail buries himself in antique cookbooks and constantly experiments with new technology and techniques. "You have no business messing with Haute Creole food if you don't have an appreciation for how it's gotten to be so good over the last 250 years. Still, I want to make it my own. I'm not going to settle for second best," the recent James Beard House invitee exclaims with vigor.

To whit, McPhail describes one of his favorite creations, which embraces Creole tradition and layers of condensed flavors extrapolated through the freshest products and assorted techniques. His Creole Seared Gulf Fish showcases "farm-fresh, high-end" produce like spring mushrooms, corn, local organic fingerling potatoes and seared speckled trout. The vegetables are crab-boiled separately and individually tossed with browned butter vinaigrette. "Instead of loading up the plates with cream, we brown the butter and spin it into a fluffy vinaigrette that incorporates the air with a fraction of the calories and butter," he says. This is just one example of the goods on McPhail's seasonal menu which he describes as "the most inventive, most creative and most inspiring Creole menu in the city." Somehow, one expects nothing less from the animated and resolute chef — hard working, with an unwavering pursuit of culinary perfection.

Ian McPhee
McPhee's Grill
Templeton & Avila Beach, California

Like Bill Hoppe, Ian McPhee was a Vintage Dinner Chef in 1987, 1988 and 1989. Remarkably, Ian was a self-trained Chef with a great intuition for the profession, as well as a great attitude, an unfailingly gracious professional. It is a real treat to share the festivities at the Dinner at Hearst Castle with him this year, and to enjoy the cuisine from his new restaurant at the Avila Beach Resort, McPhee's Grill, during the Auction Day festivities. By the way, Ian is quite unassuming, and the biography he provided was, shall we say, abbreviated. As a consequence we decided to include an article by long-time Central Coast Wine Classic supporter and participant, food and wine writer, Kathy Marks Hardesty, that fully describes the special restaurant experience of McPhee's Grill in Avila Beach, the site of one of the Wine's Classic's Friday night Winery Dinners and the catering establishment for the 2009 Wine Classic Rare & Fine Wine & Lifestyle Auction Luncheon. In addition, for those fortunate attendees, Ian will be the Chef presenting the Main Course at this year's Dinner at Hearst Castle.

From wine and food writer, Kathy Marks Hardesty:

"Ever since I moved to SLO County in 1996, locals have told me how much they love chef Ian McPhee. Their food love affair began with his first restaurant in Cambria named Ian's, and his followers remained loyal when he relocated to Templeton as McPhee's. With his popular restaurant an easy drive from Paso Robles wine country, locals competed with wine aficionados and tourists who filled every seat and bar stool in the house. They converged there to feast on beef, pork, fowl, or seafood, and wash down those generous meals with local wines chosen from the excellent wine list at McPhee's.

I've experienced great food and wine pairings at McPhee's that seemed a match created in heaven's kitchen. Yet, like others living south of Cuesta Grade, I lamented that I couldn't visit as often as I liked. It's a long climb over the Cuesta Grade to get there, enjoy a feast with fine wines and then have to drive back. Food lovers' prayers have been answered since McPhee cloned his Templeton restaurant in Avila Beach. Now he's got all the bases covered with his new restaurant only minutes away from the South County wine regions.

The chef told me he toyed with the idea of another McPhee's over the years. But it wasn't until he struck a deal with local entrepreneur Rob Rossi that he decided to bring it to fruition.

"We're trying to provide people the feeling of comfort we have in Templeton. We brought in the same finishing guy to recreate the McPhee look," he explained. "We're not trying to be different and I think people are comfortable with that." Rossi not only asked McPhee to take over the restaurant, he made him food and beverage director for the entire golf course.

Soon, the new building at the golf resort will provide the snack bar and lunch service. And if demand grows, McPhee's restaurant will begin offering lunches this summer. They also offer wedding services in their beautiful locale beside the Pacific Ocean. McPhee is already working with Archie McLaren on dining events for the Central Coast Wine Classic this coming July. McLaren invited McPhee to be one of the star chefs at the prestigious Hearst Castle dinner this past summer.

From the first moment I walked into the new restaurant, formerly Mulligan's and the Cove at the Avila Beach Golf Resort, it was clearly a clone of McPhee's original. Everything from the menu and the wine list to the tablecloths and friendly service gave it that comfortable vibe that has made McPhee's the local favorite it has always been.

The wine list features nearly 100 selections from the best producers in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, quite reasonably priced for a restaurant. For the past three years, renowned winemaker Jim Clendenen has made McPhee's house wines, a solid buy if you're on a budget. The choices include Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot, and a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc.

McPhee's not done with the Avila Beach concept yet. He's planning to expand the patio for dining, and add fire pits. Even as it stands, he's already made this hidden gem a destination for food and wine lovers."

Susan Spicer

Susan Spicer began her cooking career in New Orleans as an apprentice to Chef Daniel Bonnot at the Louis XVI Restaurant in 1979. After a 4-month "stage" with Chef Roland Durand (Meilleur Oeuvrier de France) at the Hotel Sofitel in Paris in 1982, she returned to New Orleans to open the 60-seat bistro "Savoir Faire" in the St. Charles Hotel as Chef de Cuisine. In 1985, she traveled extensively in California and Europe for 6 months, returning to work in the kitchen at the New Orleans Meridien Hotel's "Henri" (consultant chef, Marc Haeberlin of l'Auberge de I'lle).

In 1986 she left to open the tiny "Bistro at Maison de Ville" in the Hotel Maison deVille. After nearly four years as chef, she formed a partnership with Regina Keever and in the spring of 1990 opened Bayona in a beautiful, 200-year-old cottage in the French Quarter. With solid support from local diners and critics, Bayona soon earned national attention and has been featured in numerous publications from Food and Wine, Gourmet, and Food Arts, to Travel & Leisure, Bon Appetit, The New York Times and more.

From 1997 through 1999, Susan owned and operated Spice, Inc., a specialty food market with take-out food, cooking classes and artisan bakery. This developed into Wild Flour Breads, which she currently co-owns with partner Sandy Whann.

In October of 2000, Susan and three partners opened Herbsaint, a casual contemporary bistro-style restaurant in the Warehouse District of New Orleans. Herbsaint has quickly become a hot spot with the locals for dining and socializing.

Susan has been the guest chef at The James Beard House, The Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, the Lanesborough in London, Cunard and Crystal Cruise Lines, as well as appearing on local and national television, most recently appearing on the finale of the popular Bravo series Top Chef. She also contributes her talents to numerous charity events, such as co-chairing the New Orleans chapter of Share Our Strength's annual "Taste of the Nation" for more than 15 years. She has also represented New Orleans at the Superbowl hunger-relief fundraiser "Taste of the NFL" for 20 years. In May 1993 she was the recipient of the James Beard Award for Best Chef, Southeast Region and, in 1995 was chosen for the Mondavi Culinary Excellence Award. Bayona was featured as one of Restaurants and Institutions 1996 Ivy Award Winners, as well as being named to Nation's Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame in 1998. One of the 1989 recipients of Food and Wine's Best New Chefs award, Chef Spicer was inducted in the summer of 2008 into the magazine's Best New Chef Hall of Fame. In March 2009, the John Folse Culinary Institute honored Chef Spicer with the Lafcadio Hearn Award given to "culinary professionals who have had a long term positive influence on the cuisine and culture of Louisiana and the nation." In addition Bayona received "5 Beans," the highest rating from the New Orleans Times- Picayune., Since 1995, Bayona has been listed in the Zagat Guide for New Orleans as one of the top 5 restaurants in the city, receiving a rating of 28 points out of 30, and in 2009 received 4 stars from Mobile Star Awards, one of two restaurants to receive this rating in New Orleans.

Susan's first book, entitled Crescent City Cooking: Unforgettable Recipes from Susan Spicer's New Orleans, was released nationwide by Knopf in late October 2007. In the spring of 2008 Crescent City Cooking was recognized by the International Association of Culinary Professionals with a nomination for Best American Cookbook, and was awarded Best New Cookbook by New Orleans Magazine. Chef Spicer's book was also included in Food & Wine's 2008 Best of the Best, a collection of recipes selected from their top 25 cookbooks of the year.

Evan Treadwell
Executive Chef
Lido Restaurant at Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa
Shell Beach, California

Chef Evan Treadwell serves as Executive Chef for Dolphin Bay Hotel and Spa, which features the destination restaurant, Lido. A professional cook for more than 25 years, Chef Treadwell has crafted a signature culinary style that blends classical technique, fresh regional ingredients and a casually elegant dining experience. His menus reflect mastery at combining textures and flavors to bring out the best in each dish.

Evan Treadwell arrived on the Central Coast in 2002, as Opening Executive Chef for Vigneto Ristorante, a 200 seat Italian-Mediterranean restaurant and bar in Arroyo Grande. In 2004 he was recruited as Executive Chef and Director of Food & Beverage for the Gardens of Avila Restaurant, located at Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort near Avila Beach. He followed that with an appointment as Corporate Chef for Boutique Hotel Collection, responsible for establishing and executing culinary direction and strategy for a chain of 10 California resort properties

Prior experience was earned on the North Coast, where Evan served as Executive Chef at the historic Benbow Inn. The Benbow's proximity to Northern California's wine regions inspired him to develop a distinctive style that he calls "coastal wine country cuisine" and for which he was honored with a "Wine Spectator Award of Excellence."

"The Central Coast is a magical region with wonderful food producers, vintners, growers and artisan bakers," says Chef Treadwell. "It's the perfect place to evolve coastal wine country cuisine to a new level at Lido Restaurant."

Before moving to Humboldt County, Evan served as Opening Sous Chef at Viognier, the Restaurant at Draeger's Marketplace in San Mateo. From 1997 to 1999, he worked closely at Viognier with James Beard Award-winning chef Gary Danko, formerly of the Ritz Carlton Dining Room in San Francisco and currently chef/owner of "Gary Danko" in San Francisco. Also at Viognier, Chef Treadwell served as chef for Mondavi Opus One wine dinners and was chosen to create custom dinner menus for visiting celebrity chefs including Chef Jaques Pepin and his family and Chef Madeline Kamman. He also served as an instructor at Draeger's Culinary Center and Cooking School.

Prior to Viognier, Chef Treadwell spent two years as the Executive Chef at Faz, a Mediterranean restaurant located in the Silicon Valley at the Sheraton Hotel Sunnyvale. He also worked for the renowned Chef Joyce Goldstein of Square one and Chef Jeremiah Tower at Stars restaurant in Palo Alto, serving as grill chef alongside fellow chef Derek Burns.

Chef Evan Treadwell has undergone advanced training at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, Calif. and completed the Culinary Arts Program at the Opportunities Industrialization Center West in Menlo Park, Calif.

Raised in Mendocino, Calif., Evan's father was a jazz saxophone player and his mother was a social worker. Perhaps most significant to his chosen career, however, was his grandmother, "an amazing chef who taught a generation of women how to cook" as a home economics instructor in the 1940s and 50s. Evan Treadwell spent a treasured part of his youth in his grandmother's kitchen, cultivating his passion for cooking. His first job was counter service at the local deli (age 14), and he's been in the restaurant and bar business ever since.

Organic gardening, reading cookbooks, watching a film at home, are some of Chef Treadwell's favorite pastimes. In the rare moments he's not in the kitchen, creating, cooking and feeding his life's passion, Evan treasures life with his wife Pamela Treadwell, who is a Director of Food and Beverage and life long collaborator and muse.