Culinary Liberation Front

Patrick 'Paddy' Glennon (Founder)

Patrick Glennon's past speaks for itself, an award winning chef with 26 years of experience in the seafood wholesale and restaurant hospitality business, Chef Paddy has done and seen it all, More / Close

with as he always says "More where that came from!!" At the age of 19 Paddy secured a position as Poisonier (fish cook) with consulting Chef Jacques Maximin (Meiller Ouvrerier De France) and Chef Bruno Cirino at the Meridian Hotel Newport Beach. During Paddy's tenure with Chefs Maximin & Cirino, Restaurant Antoine was listed by Zagat as one of the top 5 restaurants in the US.
The ever explosive and passionate Chef Cirino became his mentor and guided his culinary training through a six year period in France. Chef Paddy trained in the kitchens of Jacques Maximin (Negresco, Nice), Alain Ducass (Hotel Juana, Juan les Pines), Christian Plumaeil (Auberge de l'Esterel), Roger Verger (Moulin de Mougins, Vence) and Bruno Cirino (Le Grand Hotel, Saint Jean del Luz). All still considered some of the greatest Chefs of our modern era. Paddy's culinary career has taken him all around the world.
He has worked in the finest kitchens in Ireland, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, France, Italy, and on the East & West coasts of the US. Fluent in Spanish and French, Paddy also has a conversational knowledge of Portuguese and Italian.
Not content with staying in the kitchen, at the age of 26 Paddy's entrepreneur-ial drive led him to open, operate and sell restaurant concepts in Los Angeles and the East Coast.
Chef Paddy still cooks privately for a number of the entertainment industry's most influential stars. He has also had the pleasure to serve former Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton. Paddy is also a mentor and source of inspiration and guidance to a multitude of Southern California and Las Vegas Chefs.
Paddy is Co Owner of Quality Plus Trading which serves the food service community with quality products such as their Europa Specialty Sausage Line and a developmental line of Healthy dinning options that are ground breaking in their formulas.
CHEF PADDY HAS BEEN FEATURED IN/ON; Access Hollywood, Hard Copy, MTV/VH1, KTLA, New York Times, L.A. Times, OC Register, Orange County Business Journal, Hotelier International, Entertainment Weekly, American, Southwest, Delta in flight Magazines, Vegas Magazine, Where Magazine, BBC International Radio, Entertainment Tonight, Art Culinaire, Gault Mileau, Star Chefs, In Style, Chef's Magazine, Forbes, Bon Appetite, Food Network and the A&E Network for a brief overview. Paddy is a constant educator and Speaker on Food and Seafood Sustainability to the Professional Chef community.

Paul Buchanan

After graduating with honors from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, Chef Paul honed his cooking skills in some of the best kitchens in Southern California, including Water Grill, Patina, Pascal’s and Campanile. More / Close

At Patina he executed large scale events like the Oscars, Emmys, SAG Awards gaining valuable experience in logistics as well as cooking.
He brought his passion for seasonal, sustainable, local cuisine to the event industry by creating Primal Alchemy, the first catering firm to adhere to the principles. Even the name reflects his drive: Primal, meaning, first or premiere and Alchemy, the transformation of something. Cooking is the first science of man…in other words, First Transformation. His commitment to excellence in his craft has attracted clients like the TED Conference in Long Beach.
Chef Paul creates customized menus for every event to meet his client’s needs. Primal Alchemy offers catering for both corporate and private clientele, serving from two to 2000 guests.
Chef Paul and his wife and business partner, Dana Buchanan, have a 10 year old daughter named, Skye. They are very involved in the urban food movement and have become well known for their Farm to Table dinners. They are passionate about teaching kids about REAL FOOD and this fall they will begin their 14th year leading a program called Days of Taste where they teach 4th grade student about food, nutrition, reading labels with a field trip to the Farmers Market and Organic Gardens.
Chef Paul and Dana were instrumental in working with the LBUSD to install the first salad bar in a Long Beach School and continue to work with the schools in improving their meal program. They have pioneered the way for organic gardens on school grounds and dream of the day when a true farm to table program is implemented. Working closely with leaders in their community, they have helped drive policy and legislation that affects the accessibility of healthy food for all including community gardens, vending machine policies, and wellness policies.

Jenny Ross

Jenny Ross, the owner and executive chef of the living-foods restaurant 118 Degrees in Costa Mesa, California, has been a pioneering spirit of the raw-foods movement since 2000, beginning with her first Los Angeles café. More / Close

Brian Black

As a Professional Chef, Mr. Brian Black has lead winning teams of chefs, sommeliers, servers and fromagier’s. More / Close

Chef Mead

One would never guess, after experiencing the excellence of Chef Rich Mead’s cuisine, that he was once paper-pusher for the IRS. Understandably, Rich wasn’t very happy with the position and dreamt of a better life. More / Close

Bryon Freeze

Bryon H. Freeze is the Chef de Cuisine of Five Crowns and SideDoor. In this position, he oversees the restaurants’ daily kitchen operations under the direction of Executive Chef Ryan O’Melveny Wilson. More / Close

His responsibilities include sourcing and ordering products, staff training, participating in the creation of new dishes, and expediting service. Bryon was born and raised in Maryland. He earned an Associate of Arts Degree from Baltimore International College, where he pursued culinary studies. He won a gold medal in the school’s Alumni Salon Competition.
Bryon arrived at Five Crowns in 2010 with a truly eclectic range of experience from kitchens across the country. His time at Due and as Chef de Cuisine at Linwood’s Restaurant in Owings Mills, Maryland introduced him to Mediterranean and New American cuisines respectively. He became familiar with the intricacies of French cooking while working at Brasserie Tatin in Baltimore. Upon moving to Phoenix, Arizona, Bryon broadened his knowledge and culinary interests as Executive Sous Chef at Tarbell’s, a James Award nominated organic restaurant and at Nine 05, a popular Asian eatery. During his service under Executive Chef Jacques Qualin at J&G Steakhouse, a Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant, he learned how to cook and present the finest meats. Bryon was an integral part of the staff whose work at Five Crowns’ SideDoor gastropub earned Orange Coast Magazine’s "2010 Restaurant of the Year" Award.
With his wide experience, a passion for food, a deep appreciation of the farmers and suppliers he meets regularly, and an enthusiastic desire to always provide the best for his customers, Bryon Freeze is well prepared for his new position as Chef de Cuisine at Five Crowns. Bryon says, "I’m proud to be a co-worker at Five Crowns, whose commitment to excellence is so well known and highly respected. We’ll keep offering the finest Prime Rib anywhere. At the same time, I’m excited about the opportunity to take advantage of the great bounty of fresh ingredients available to us on the West Coast through our local suppliers and farmer’s markets. I look forward to lending my knowledge and creativity to our seasonally changing menu-one that I know our guests will enjoy."

Lindsay Smith

Executive Chef Lindsay Smith-Rosales, 30 is dedicated to developing menus with healthy organic ingredients that delight and engage the senses. More / Close

Scott Brandon

Scott Brandon is a locally harvested product himself. Born and raised right here in Corona del Mar, he is a self-taught chef who brings over three decades of vast experience to the kitchen. More / Close

Adam Navidi

Adam was born on 1973 in Orange County, California. At an early age Adam knew his ability to cook spontaneously came natural. He started cooking at home with his mother preparing dinners for family and friends. More / Close

At age 15, Adam enrolled in cooking classes at North orange County R.O.P. where he showed older students how to use a chef’s knife and took his first job at a popular restaurant chain in Yorba Linda as a prep and pantry cook.
At age 17, Adam left his home in California to move to Vail, Colorado where he worked in a small family French Bistro, alongside the Chef/Owner and spending his days off snowboarding. He spent three years in Colorado and worked in two other restaurants both in Vail and Beaver Creek.
He then moved to Bend, Oregon where he became the first National Snowboard Patroller in Oregon and the third in the United States. He spent his days on the slopes of Mt. Bachelor and his evenings tossing hand-made pizzas for a local pizzeria. At age 21, Adam had a realization when he took a prep cook/apprenticeship job at the first 5 star restaurant country club in Bend, the "Broken Top Country Club". He apprenticed under Chef Gary Slattery, formerly Executive Sous Chef of the "Mansion on Turtle Creek" and the "Hotel Bel Air". This is where he developed a passion for fine cuisine, while rigorously training in all levels of a professional kitchen.
Adam then moved to Seattle, Washington where he studied at the Culinary Institute and did stints working at some of the most prestigious restaurants in Seattle. He then accepted a position as kitchen manager at a hip seafood restaurant at Watersedge on lake Washington, where he spent his mornings handpicking fresh fish and exotic produce from Pikes Market.
With a better understanding of cooking with fresh products, he moved back to Oregon where he was Head Chef of "Widgi Creek Country Club" during its open golf season and Production Chef at “Bend Golf and Country Club” on the off season.
Missing home, his family and friends, Adam moved back to California where he accepted a position as Head Chef of a small catering company in Corona del Mar. After spending three in a half years there and building this company into mega proportions, Adam decided to leave and traveled to the hottest culinary spot in the country, Napa Valley. There he trained at the Culinary Institute of America Greystone with the late great Chef Jean Louis Palladin from the Watergate Hotel, Palladin, New York, and Napa in Las Vegas. It was here that Adam was nicknamed "The Artichoke" by Jean Louis because he was the only student who could turn a perfect artichoke. This is also where Adam saw the importance of cooking with the seasons and using only the freshest ingredients, no matter what effort it takes to achieve them.
With Adam’s new foresight and experience he returned to Orange County eager to take catering cuisine to the next level. He started up "Toast to the West Coast" catering company, with the idea that he would deliver "Quality Cuisine for the Quality of Life" and a sustainable experience with sustainable foods. Looking for additional challenges to fulfill himself as a notable Chef, Adam honorably accepted the opportunity as Fine Dining Chef of "the Californian" restaurant in the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa. Within six months, Adam’s determination earned the 3 diamond restaurant its fourth diamond, making it the first four diamond restaurant in Huntington Beach and positioning the restaurant amongst the best in Orange County. With a signature restaurant and elite catering company, his innovative cuisine has received numerous awards and accolades as the next great chef of Orange County.

Pamela Waitt

Pamela Waitt, President and cofounder of the OC Restaurant Association. The OCRA’s objective is to promote, market and inform the Orange County restaurant industry by More / Close

Greg Daniels

Greg Daniels has been working in the restaurant industry for the past 12 years, working as bartender, manager, cook, and consultant. He joined the team at Haven Gastropub to showcase his version of "gourmet comfort food. More / Close

Yves Fournier

Paris-born Yves Fournier succumbed to the kitchen at a young age not by his palate, but by his nose More / Close

"I always loved the smell of food in preparation…the spices wafting from the kitchen were irresistible to me". At the tender age of 15, he enrolled at Paris's prestigious Ecole Gregoire-Ferrandi culinary school, beginning a rigorous three-year education during which he apprenticed at various restaurants, honing his craft at celebrated Parisian kitchens like Fauchon and Michel Pasquet.
After graduation, the young chef began his career at restaurants such as Le Rendez-Vous in a town outside of Paris, Levallois-Perret, at Chez Eugene in touristy Montmartre, and Le Petit Fer à Cheval in Paris' historic Marais district. After a short stint in Great Britain, Fournier came to America in 1998 and landed jobs at Manhattan's Côte Sud and Pitchoune, before being appointed Executive Sous Chef at the legendary Rainbow Room high atop Rockefeller Center. In California, Yves was appointed Chef de Cuisine for the successful opening of 6ix Park Grill at the Hyatt Regency Irvine in 2004 and the Executive Sous Chef at the Hyatt in Newport Beach.
Yves sums his philosophy up in the simple statement: "I want diners to be as delighted as I am." The chef's love of cooking has never waned since walking into culinary school as a boy. "I have memories as a young boy on vacation, going to the farm in Normandy and buying fresh milk and cream; growing up with the Parisian market being so accessible, fresh bread from Poilane in le Marais district and fresh fish from the market at Rungis, Paris." Along the way, he has found inspiration in such luminaries as Lyon's Paul Bocuse & Alain Passard; and New York's Daniel Boulud & Jean-Georges Vongerichten. His cuisine at Andrei's showcases the Golden State's remarkable local produce as well as its rapidly increasing selection of artisan cheeses and other food products, many of which can be found at our local farmer's markets. Yves looks forward to developing close relationships with local purveyors and farmers. His menu at Andrei's is truly a celebration of their bountiful California ingredients which are not masked by elaborate sauces or complicated by fussy presentations. His training in formal cuisine gastronomique aside, the affable French chef has fallen in love with the simple cooking that our regional agriculture affords.
When he's not in the kitchen, he can usually be found cooking at home. Fournier resides in Corona del Mar with his wife, Elyssa, a pastry chef professionally trained in New York and who also attended the French Culinary Institute in New York. Elyssa creates all of Andrei's fine pastries and desserts. They also have future chefs in their children, Maxime and Solenne.

Melissa Carrasquillo

Melissa Carrasquillo has been described as being one of the industry's "most passionate and energetic" sustainability advocates in Southern California. Melissa first became enamored with the concept of More / Close

Andrew Spurgin

Andrew has designed events and prepared menus and events honoring dignitaries and glitterati for over the last three decades. More / Close

He has cooked for three US presidents, Martha Stewart and at the renowned James Beard House in New York City He grew up in London, working in his relative's restaurant and butcher shop. His aunts introduced him early to the bounty of local purveyors at London's historic Borough Market where he also "worked" at a young age. His family moved to San Diego in 1974.
He was chef and baker of one of California's first handcrafted, on-premise bakery/restaurants. He was director of catering at Southern California's celebrated Pirets, and at several other respected catering firms. Andrew has consulted and cooked with London's Mustard Catering Ltd. and has been tutored by the cheesemongers at Neal's Yard Dairy also in London.
Andrew is a co-founder of Passionfish and Cooks Confab. He also sits on the Advisory Board of Catering Magazine and Event Solutions Magazine. He is an Associate Board Member of the Slow Food Convivium San Diego. He is a past member of the Director's Cabinet for Scripps Institution of Oceanography and E.W. Scripps Associate. He assisted in the development of Blue Ocean Institute’s "Green Chefs Blue Ocean" program, a national curriculum addressing sustainable seafood education for culinary students and continuing education for chefs.
He has produced and designed menus and events throughout the United States, in addition to Canada, England and Mexico. Regularly lectures to the industry and public and youth audiences too on sustainability, cooking, event design, culinary responsibility and entertaining. His events, interviews and photos have been featured in numerous local and national magazines, radio and TV.
San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyle Magazine inducted Andrew into the Chefs Hall of Fame in 2011. San Diego Magazine named him and Cooks Confab 50 People to Watch in 2011. He has received the coveted ACE Award as Best Caterer in the West, Spotlight Award as National Caterer of the Year, he has consistently won accolades from a host of local magazines and media as Best Caterer in San Diego.

Gina Galvan

Gina Galvan, the founder of Mood for Food, is one of the foremost developers in the food industry having developed iconic food products for over 20 years. More / Close

She has a well built reputation for leading teams in the development of highly successful products and strategies for top clients such as Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, KFC. Gina finesses the art, business and science of food to create memorable food experiences that are visceral, leading edge and have consumer cache’. She finesses the art, business and science of food to create memorable food experiences that are visceral, leading edge and have consumer cache’.
Commonly referred to as the "Tortilla Temptress" for her work in the Mexican food industry with such leaders as Mission Foods, La Victoria, La Salsa has helped in the growth of the tortilla industry in domestic and international markets. Gina’s work with Rubio’s Baja Mexican Grill was recently honored by Sports Illustrated as the Best Stadium food in 2007.
The latest brands to be created by Gina and her team of experts at Mood For Food is the ultra chic SNOla yogurt concept. SNOla’s green friendly flagship restaurant is now being expanded throughout Japan. The menu delivers guiltless indulgence with gastro unique flavors like Wolfberry, Fig & Date, Ultra Chocolate all fat free and sweetened with natural sweeteners.
Gina’s Mood For Food team were the creators behind the critically acclaimed restaurant chain Granville Café. Gina’s talent was essential in the design of the mouthwatering menu, on point operations, refined elegant ambiance creates a new hallmark standard of a truly great restaurant. Gina has had a tremendous impact in international markets with Pizza Hut International, JEC and Yamamotoyama of Japan. Gina helped Pizza Hut expand the reach of their menu with culinary driven pizzas, pastas, appetizers and desserts that have been launched throughout the globe in Europe, Asia, South America and Canada.
Gina is a graduate of UCLA and apprenticed under culinary masters since the age of 13. She began her professional career as Director of R&D and Quality Assurance in the meat industry at National Steak and Poultry. While at NSP, Gina’s leadership talents were quickly noticed as she became the first female in management and developed customized products for Applebee’s, Claim Jumper, Jack in the Box and Marie Callendar’s. Gina continued her leadership and operational skills at Pacific Fruit Processors serving as Director of Quality Assurance where she monitored and developed the production of key ingredients for Ocean Spray, Dannon, Weight Watchers, and Tropicana.
While at Taco Bell, Gina quickly became a star developing some of her most memorable work. The Double Decker Taco has been a leading selling item at Taco Bell for nearly two decades. As R&D manager at Taco Bell, Gina launched the Quesadilla line and innovative new cooking platforms, the high recovery clamshell grill which continues to be a workhorse of the QSR industry today. Gina also lead the food efforts as Director of R&D at Del Taco, the world’s second largest Mexican food chain.
Most recently Gina has launched her own Gourmet Food Truck brand which has had immediate success and notoriety as a leading concept in an emerging trend. First to market as a Singapore Cuisine meets American Gourmet Food Truck Phenomena, Chomp Chomp Nation can be seen all over the roads and high profile catering events in southern California.
Gina started her own consulting agency to satisfy her appetite for new challenges within all disciplines of the food industry. Mood for Food is an agency that continually expands and redefines what is possible in food. An agency that harnesses innovation, bridges new technologies and continually pursues knowledge.

Pascal Olhats'

Talking to Pascal Olhats about his culinary credentials is like cruising down France’s "valley of 1,000 chateaux" in a converted barge full of happy passengers. More / Close

The scenery of his life – Normandy, Brussels, Paris, Lyon, St. Tropez and Newport Beach – is absolutely fabulous!
Chef Pascal is, of course, famous for his warm smile and for putting French provençale cuisine on Orange County’s culinary map with his iconic Pascal Restaurant, now re‐named Tradition by Pascal. Perhaps his natural ease comes from an early passion for food and the seemingly stress‐free Gallic esprit de corps.
As a boy in the cathedral city of Rouen, Pascal lived in two cooking camps. His father taught him the value of strict cooking à la Normandie with lots of butter and crème fraîche, but few aromatic herbs. This persnickety patriarch hated both olive oil and garlic. Pascal’s mother cooked much differently and Pascal loved it. "I wanted fresh thyme in my omelettes," says Pascal of his childhood kitchen. Today in Rouen, Pascal’s mother still tends her herb garden, which the teenaged Pascal planted in his thirst for gastronomic knowledge and fine flavors.
His father was a hunter. "I used to wake up in the morning to the aroma of his preparing a cut of meat for dinner," he remembers. Some of his earliest cooking memories are lessons in making marinades for venison or wild boar.
Young Pascal was also taught to make classic Escoffier‐style reduction sauces and how to prepare meat in the braising method. By high school, Pascal spent his summer days in the basement kitchen of a local two‐star Michelin restaurant.
First, he was in charge of the earthy pommes de terre; peeling to steaming to a light pomme soufflé. He remembers the many burns on his forearms when his move up the kitchen ladder took him to grill‐master, turning out perfectly seared pork, veal and steaks. Aspiring chefs in France still attend hospitalité school and Pascal’s three‐year étage in Brussels, Belgium taught him everything in the hotelier business, including classic European cooking techniques. For his mandatory French military service, Pascal was assigned duty as the maitre d’hotel for a five‐star general in Paris’ fashionable 16th arrondisement. "I never wore my uniform once," he says laughing, "but I did shine shoes." Those white‐gloved dinners serving ministers and foreign dignitaries paid off big time when Pascal decided to meet legendary chef Paul Bocuse. With his rather posh pedigree, Pascal walked into Chef Bocuse’s now famous L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges outside Lyon and politely requested an introduction. “Within 15 minutes, I was asked to work for him," he says.
Pascal served for two years under Monsieur Paul, further cementing his future star chef status. He was then hired by Chef Jean‐Paul Lacombe’s Léon de Lyon, where you learn via the motto ecouter, comprendre, apprendre, transmettre (listen, understand, learn, pass on).
Finally, he moved south to St. Tropez and moved un in status to Club 55 – Europe’s playground for the rich and famous. His guests (including Jack Nicholson and Madonna) arrived by yacht or exotic car and Pascal prepared languid lunches and dazzling dinners with fresh ingredients and local wines.
It was perhaps from a Club 55 connection that Pascal ended up vacationing in Newport Beach at a beachside cottage on the Balboa peninsula. He returned home to St. Tropez, but was soon called back to become one of Orange County’s most popular French chefs in the 1980s at eateries such as Paula’s, Pierret’s, Le Hotel Meridien and Chanteclair. In 1988, he opened Pascal Restaurant in an unassuming strip mall right off busy Bristol Street in Newport Beach. "I want to serve my guests like I cook at home," says Pascal about his food service philosophy. Pascal frequently highlights the dishes of his childhood, a charming homage to the women of his family that influenced his career path and cooking style.
These days, he says that he’s more confident than ever about cooking classic French cuisine. "Now I can find the best authentic ingredients, cuts of meat, produce and condiments," he says. He takes some of the credit for this phenomenon. Pascal’s run as No. 1 French restaurant in the area first created demand for such delicacies as duck confit, duck fat and duck tenderloin.
Pascal offers an unsurpassed range of catering and private dining options, serves intimate groups aboard outbound yachting excursions, to wedding receptions for one thousand guests, to private cooking classes for elite hunting groups.
Today, from owning one special restaurant named "Pascal," he now offers a variety of dining destinations all over Orange County. Pascal has thoughtfully created several establishments that each offers its own unique ambiance and menu and even holds different price points so any guest can enjoy his cuisine. Pascal serves only the best foods using the best and freshest ingredients to his patrons. These establishments are by no means a chain… they are a varietal gastronomic group.

Craig Connole

Voted Chef of the Year in 2010 by Orange County Business Journal, Chef Craig Connole is hailed for his creative approach to cuisine. More / Close

Teri Williams

Editor in Chief Teri Williams has her finger on the pulse of the local hospitality industry like no one else. Seven years as editor and publisher of Orange County's only hospitality trade magazine More / Close

Chris Powell

Chef Powell, native to Southern California, has carved his name on San Diego cuisine for over sixteen years. It became a love for the food, its flavors, for the cultures, the traditions, and More / Close

Andrew Gruel

Chef Gruel is well known in Southern California for his knowledge of seafood as well as his advocacy and evangelism of seasonal and sustainable cuisine. More / Close

Robert Zuetell

Robert Zuetell is a creative catalyst of innovative thought processes, a brilliant forecaster of emerging trends and is instrumental in harnessing team goals and initiatives. More / Close

Kevin Lyles, VP of Def Jam Records/Warner bros, once said of Robert’s skills, "Quite simply, Robert was born with the gift of spotting trends. You are an early adopter my friend". Strategic in launching Black Flys Eyewear and FlyGirls, The Black Flys brand lead the action sports industry from the days of its infancy to the meteoric rise into mainstream culture. The launch of Black Flys / Flygirls re-wrote the rulebook in guerilla marketing and brand development. The high energy brand was defined by out- of- the- box design, use of alternative materials, novel packaging, and celebrity appeal and was early pioneer in Shock marketing. Robert managed all national and regional sales efforts with responsibility for such prestige clients: Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Fred Segal, Patricia Fields, Pac Sun and many other fashion leaders.
Robert has successfully held similar roles for Von Dutch, Bear Surf, Crazy Shirts Hawaii and Herbie/Christian Fletcher’s Astrodek all of which were category leading and influential to market paradigm shifts.
Robert always an early adopter served as sales executive in high tech experiential marketing at Picture Mark. Robert developed and managed viral, mobile and social marketing forums for large scale events such as Latin Grammy’s DUB show, San Diego Street Scene, Film and Television Museum Awards and marketing partnerships with leading accounts such as Anheuser Busch, Starwood Resorts, CBS Radio, Diageo Liquor Brands, Jaguar and Daimler Chrysler, all of which have solidified his depth of reach to the end user.
Most recently developed and launched a market leading brand in the competitive emerging market of Gourmet Food trucks. Chomp Chomp Nation more than Singapore! Blasted on the scene in OC at prestigious events and was embraced by the early adoptors and critical foodie bloggers, praise and good merits with notable press and sightings at key fundraisers and corporate functions.
Robert is also a role model in Community Leadership dedicating some of his time, talents and collective network to give back to the community through non-profits that educate sustainability and local food promotion. Robert sits on the Committee that produces the annual fundraiser “Green Feast” at the Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano, A Farm to Fork local foods celebration. He has also volunteered for many other local ecological and communal non profits such as Surfrider Foundation, Slow Food OC, Laura’s House, Eli’s Home, CHOC, Boys and Girls Clubs, Ecofficiency, and Earth Resource Foundation.
Recently added to the Professional Advisory Committee at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Santa Ana, Robert lends his time to bolster the curriculum and workshops programs offered at the school.
Robert’s talents in integrative marketing and sales development have put Mood for Food on pulse with new market emergence in the food industry and its clientele ahead of the curve for innovation and education. A true creative visionary Robert has taken menus and stretched their boundaries through innovation platforms and key ingredients without losing context of core consumers and yet bridging new audiences through familiarity and approachability and visual and culinary appeal of trend forecasts. Customer satisfaction adds seats and frequency of visits and is the key indicators of a successful menu extension.

Cathy McKnight

Chef Cathy McKnight grew up in Grass Valley, a small town in Northern California, where, as a little girl, she would help her Italian grandfather in the kitchen by baking breads and dinners on Sunday afternoon after mass. More / Close

Chef Cathy McKnight grew up in Grass Valley, a small town in Northern California, where, as a little girl, she would help her Italian grandfather in the kitchen by baking breads and dinners on Sunday afternoon after mass. Those early baking and cooking experiences left Cathy with fond memories and helped inspire in her a love for cooking.
As a teenager, Chef Cathy was influenced by restaurateur/Chef Alice Waters, with her “fresh farm to table approach. Her restaurant,Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Ca. was destined to revolutionize the way people would dine out, and it shaped the way Cathy would approach food and cooking as a professional chef.
Cathy was originally determined to become a lawyer, however, while attending University of California, Davis, she was constantly asked to cook for roommates and friends. Even on her small college budget, Cathy made it a priority to make the short drive to San Francisco, exploring the variety of restaurants there. Along with her love for cooking and the constant praise from her friends (and future husband Scott) Cathy was inspired to take culinary classes along with her pre law studies.
Chef Cathy started her career in 1983 after graduating from the University of California, Davis and completing course work at the prestigious California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Her first professional catering job was for her friends’ sisters wedding. Cathy enjoyed every minute of it and the feedback from the guests was overwhelming, thus “What a Dish” catering company was officially born in 1995. Herreputation for great food and passion for parties grew with each event.
While preferring the title "celebration artist," Chef Cathy has over 20 years of celebrations to her credit. In the fifteen years she owned her company she refined her menus to reflect every clients dream party and along the way, became an exceptional event planner. "What A Dish" grew into one of the premiere catering companies in Southern California with an extensive client list.
After selling her company, with the intention of retiring, Beachfire Bar and Grill caught her attention. Beachfire Extreme Catering flourished for five years under her guidance and professional knowledge. As both Chef and Caterer for Beachfire San Clemente, Beachfire Ladera Ranch and Irons in The Fire, Cathy developed and executed each specific dish for its particular venue or off site catering, producing events from 20-500 guests. In 2008 Chef Cathy was recognized as one of the top ten female executive chefs in Orange County. She humbly attributes her natural talent “as a God given gift”.
Proving you can go home again; Chef Cathy rejoined What A Dish as their executive chef in June 2010 and is happily cooking everyday in Dana Point. With a farm to table menu and strong relationships with local farmers, What A Dish is committed to serving the freshest available local foods, sustainable seafood’s and meats in the marketplace. Everything from Cathy’s kitchen at What a Dish is made from scratch and her proprietary recipes.
Cathy’s family is her inspiration: Her Daughter Shannon was married two years ago to Bret ( Quiring) and they are expecting their first baby in November. Son Scotty is a 2011 drafted receiver for the New York Jets and her husband Scott is retiring after 28 years as a Newport Beach Police officer to coach high school football full time.
Chef Cathy’s future, as she so cleverly puts it, is an "open cookbook." Cathy currently resides in Coto De Caza, Orange County with her husband.. Her free time is usually spent in her organic garden or with her Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Rowdy, at the beach.

Matt Perez

Southern California native Matthew Perez has enjoyed a tenure with T S Restaurants that has taken him to some of the most sought after destinations in California and Hawaii. More / Close

Board of Effects