After graduating valedictorian from the California Culinary Academy and working for Chefs Bradley Ogden and Wolfgang Puck, Stephen returned to St. Louis in ’96 to open Harvest. Harvest has since earned a multitude of recognition from national and local publication and media outlets including a wonderful review by the NY times.
May 21st, 2009
Gerard LaRuffa, Jr of Villa Farotto
to benefit Danny's Dreams
View the Menu
From a very early age, Gerard knew that cooking was going to be his life. After graduating from Baltimore’s International Culinary College, he spent time in the Southwest, Texas, Colorado and Washington D.C. before settling down in St. Louis. Opened in July 2004, Villa Farotto is a dream come true for Gerard and his partners.
June 18th, 2009
Marc Del Pietro of Luciano's Trattoria
to benefit Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
View the Menu
Marc Del Pietro grew up in the restaurant business. His parents opened Del Pietro’s in South St. Louis in 1976 when he was seven years old. Marc went to culinary school and worked at the famous Le Cirque in New York. Adventurous at heart, he then set off for Monaco where he worked at the Hôtel De Paris cooking. He returned to St. Louis to help his parents and seven years ago he opened Luciano’s Trattoria in Clayton.
July 16th, 2009
Pawel Ziarko of Dominic's Restaurant
to benefit Friends of Kids with Cancer
View the Menu
Pawel Ziarko not only spent five years in culinary school in Krakow, Poland but also worked his way through dietitian school. He moved to St. Louis to be near family and started working at Dominic’s in Clayton as a line cook. Over the past four years he has worked his way up to Executive Chef.
August 20th, 2009
Kevin Nashan of Sidney Street Café
to benefit Healing the Children
View the Menu
Kevin Nashan actually grew up in the restaurant business in Santa Fe where his parents owned a restaurant for many years. Originally intending to get a law degree at St. Louis University, he realized that cooking and making people happy were his passions and he attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York. In 2003 he purchased the Sidney Street Café.
September 17th, 2009
Rob Uyemura of Yia-Yia's
to benefit Friends of Kids with Cancer
View the Menu
Rob Uyemura has over 20 years cooking experience, starting from the Culinary Institute of America in New York and then proceeding all over the country and the world from Japan to New York to Dallas. He taught at the L’ecole Culinaire before finally before finally returning St. Louis as the Executive Chef for Yia-Yia’s in Chesterfield. Lately he has been moving towards using more wholesome and handcrafted foods in his day-to-day cooking.
November 19th, 2009
Jeff Davis of Café Napoli
to benefit Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
View the Menu
Jeff Davis started cooking at the ripe age of 16 and has spent the last 12 years at Café Napoli in Clayton. He would love to travel to Naples, Italy where he could dine on the fresh seafood, enjoy a true Bolognese, and take in the breathtaking scenery.
January 21st, 2010
Mike Morton of Robust
to benefit College Bound
View the Menu
A rising star and newcomer to the St. Louis restaurant scene, Michael Morton graduated in 2006 from the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. Prior to Robust, Morton most recently served as Sous Chef at the highly acclaimed Chris McD’s Restaurant and Wine Bar in Columbia, Missouri.
February 18th, 2010
Mark Curran of Araka
to benefit Healing the Children
View the Menu
Mark Curran is originally from New Jersey and attended Ithaca College in New York. He spent years cooking in Washington, DC and Colorado during which time he developed a versatile and cosmopolitan culinary style. Always looking for a new challenge, he accepted the Executive Chef position at Araka in Clayton.
March 18th, 2010
Jimmy Jackson of Truffles In Ladue
to benefit The March of Dimes
View the Menu
Jimmy Jackson began his career working in kitchens at the young age of 14 and by the age of 17 he fully immersed himself in the culinary world as a cook. It has been his life calling to become a chef and is now doing so at Truffles as the executive chef. Jimmy’s style of cuisine is classic French with a modern twist.