Mark Bitterman Entrepreneur, Author & Salt Connoisseur A leading expert on craft salt, chocolate and cocktail bitters, Mark Bitterman is a James Beard Award-winning author, food lover and world traveler. His first book, Salted: A Manifesto of the World’s Most Essential Mineral, was so influential it won a James Beard Award. He’s got salt on the brain, enough said. Mark’s worked with everyone in the culinary industry from top chefs to…

6 Questions with Nyesha Arrington Where does your spirit of adventure come from? I’ve always had wanderlust, ever since I was a kid. To this day I don’t think my dad has been on a plane. We were a very blue collar family, we didn’t have it bad but we didn't have much. I’m grateful for my childhood, but I always knew I wanted to see more of the world.…

6 Questions with Neal Fraser Why do you love LA's food scene? I feel like I’m a part of it. Born and raised in Los Angeles, pretty much have only cooked here. I kind of wear it on my sleeve like a badge. We’ve been cooking great food in LA for a very long time, and I think it’s great to finally get our due. I don’t feel like we’ve…

6 Questions with Michael Scelfo How do you think about creativity, and how does your creative process work? I take inspiration from the meals I share with family & friends. It's those moments that always resonate with me. I take those meals and try to elevate them in the restaurant. Part of that dynamic lives deep in Italian and Sicilian culture. What is your favorite thing to do when you’re…

6 Questions with Andrew Murray Tell us about your first experience in Burgundy. Back in the mid-1980s when I was about 15 years old, traveling around France with my parents, we happened upon a small town called Vézelay in southern Burgundy. The very snooty and wonderfully cliché French sommelier was serving us Burgundy pinot and saying, in this beautiful French accent, "Do you smell zee earth? Do you smell zee…

Neal Fraser Chef Neal Fraser’s modern American restaurant, Redbird, resides in one of downtown LA’s architectural gems. The cathedral-and-rectory-turned-hotspot is also home to Neal and his business partner/wife Amy Knoll Fraser’s event space, Vibiana. Redbird’s been awarded several times over, appearing on Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurant List, Time Out’s Best Restaurant Bar Program and “Top 100 Wine Restaurants in the United States” by Wine Enthusiast, to name a few. Neal’s also…

Chris McDade & Natalie Grindstaff Chef, Sommelier Chris McDade and Natalie Grindstaff share many things: a home, a son, and an eternal love for food and wine. Chris is the author of the cookbook, The Magic of Tinned Fish, and a passionate advocate for eating sustainable canned seafood. “It’s hard to get more convenient and sustainable than fish you can throw in your pocket and eat anytime.” He also makes plates…

Diego Galicia & Rico Torres Chefs Rico Torres and Diego Galicia first met at a restaurant pop-up and quickly bonded over their love for authentic Mexican cuisine. The duo, who both have roots in Mexico, wanted to create dishes that reflected the flavors they love so much. Together they opened Mixtli in San Antonio, to showcase the diverse flavors of Mexico’s regions. Over 10 courses, they unveil the textures, flavors…

Mark Estee Chef & Restaurateur With a larger-than-life personality, it’s only fitting that Mark Estee is celebrity chef to “The Biggest Little City in the World,” a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef, as well as the newest Food Network star. A staple of the northern Nevada culinary scene, Mark is a pioneer in the local food movement. “Our job is to buy great products and not eff them…

6 Questions with Mark Estee What sparked your passion for thinking and cooking 'local'? My passion for the local food movement is something that I hang my hat on. But you know, I went to Chez Panisse with Alice Waters in Berkeley back in the late 1990s, and she asked me where I got my food from. And I was like, I don't know, the produce guy, the meat guy,…