Chef Monique Feybesse

Chef Dr. Lo

Gregory Gourdet Chef and Founder - Kann and SousòlAuthor, Everyone’s Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health - 2022 James Beard Foundation Award Winner2023 James Beard Foundation Award Winner for Best New Restaurant2024 James Beard Foundation Award Winner for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific RegionCulinary Director Printemps - New York

Gregory Gourdet is a three-time James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef, best-selling author, and television personality. He is best known for his award-winning cuisine, bevy of TV appearances, and trendsetting role in the culinary boom of Portland, Oregon.

A native of Queens, NY, Gregory attended the Culinary Institute of America, becoming the school’s first student to land an internship with celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. For nearly seven years, Gregory honed his culinary skills at three of Jean-Georges’ trailblazing restaurants, climbing the kitchen ranks to become one of his chef de cuisines. Gregory ran the kitchen at Portland’s Departure Restaurant + Lounge for 10 years, leaving in 2019 to focus on opening Kann.

An avid traveler and lifelong student of food and culture, Gregory has made a name for himself by infusing methods and ingredients from all over the world, balanced together with his Haitian heritage, and creating signature flavors adored for their seasonality, boldness, complexity, and spice.

He was named “Chef of the Year” by both Eater Portland and the Oregon Department of Agriculture, and is a two-time Bravo Top Chef finalist.

In 2021, Gregory released his first cookbook, Everyone’s Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health, the ultimate guide to cooking globally-inspired dishes free of gluten, dairy, soy, legumes, and grains. The book is a national bestseller and a 2022 James Beard Award winner for Best General Cookbook.

August 2022 brought about the opening of Kann, a live-fire dinner house that showcases traditional Haitian flavors alongside dishes inspired by the cuisines of the African and Caribbean diaspora. Kann was quickly recognized by Eater, The New York Times, and Robb Report as a “Best New Restaurant”; Esquire named Kann the #1 “Best New Restaurant in America.” Portland Monthly and The Oregonian also named it restaurant of the year. Kann was named the James Beard Foundation Awards 2023 “Best New Restaurant.”

In September of 2022, Gregory opened Sousòl, Kann’s subterranean sibling cocktail bar. Sousòl draws inspiration from the greater Pan-Caribbean for its food and drink menu. It also features a full zero-proof menu for an inclusive experience for drinkers and non-drinkers alike. In 2023, Sousòl was named one of Esquire’s “Best Bars in America.”

In 2024, Gregory’s culinary career was recognized by the James Beard Foundation Awards, which named him “Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific.” The same year, Kann was featured on the inaugural “25 Best Restaurants in Portland, OR Right Now” list by The New York Times and was featured on La Liste’s 2025 list of the world’s best restaurants.

In his role as Culinary Director of Printemps New York, opening March 2025, Gourdet will oversee five concepts, ranging from fine dining to a casual cafe—each a celebration of artistry, unparalleled quality, innovation, culture, and creativity.

Gregory sees food as nourishment and is committed to moving the restaurant industry forward sustainably and equitably. He is a member of the US State Department’s American Culinary Corp. He is also an ambassador for the Marine Stewardship Council.

He spends his spare time trail-running in the woods for hours.

Gregory is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and openly gay. He is a member of Alcoholics Anonymous and Ben’s Friends, a national recovery group for the restaurant industry.

​Alice Cheng is the Founder and CEO of Culinary Agents, an online professional networking and job matching platform dedicated to the hospitality industry. Her career began in the hospitality sector, working as a hostess and server at La Maisonette in the Pearl River Hilton and as a catering server for Munno's Deli in Pearl River, NY.

Cheng pursued a Bachelor of Science in Advertising, Marketing & Communications from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, NY. She then embarked on a 13-year tenure at IBM, starting in the mailroom and advancing to roles such as Digital Media Specialist, Economic Stimulus Strategy & Sales Leader, and Global Innovation Executive in Strategy & Transformation.

In 2012, Cheng founded Culinary Agents to address the challenges hospitality professionals faced in job searching and recruitment. The platform has since connected over 2 million users with more than 50,000 businesses, offering job listings, industry insights, and educational content to inspire the next generation of restaurant talent.

Beyond her role at Culinary Agents, Cheng serves as a Strategic Advisor for Hot Bread Kitchen's Kitchen Cabinet in New York, NY, and is a member of the Society of Fellows for the Culinary Institute of America. She also hosts the podcast "Hospitality on the Rise," highlighting stories and insights from hospitality professionals.

Cheng's dedication to the hospitality industry is evident in her efforts to provide resources and tools that support professionals in their career development. Her work continues to influence and shape the future of hospitality recruitment and networking.​

#194 Tyson Ho-Specialty Meat Purveyor NYC

Andrew Friedman is a renowned author, journalist, and podcaster specializing in the culinary world. Over the past two decades, he has authored or co-authored more than 25 books, many in collaboration with esteemed chefs, offering readers an insider's perspective on professional kitchen life.

His notable works include "Chefs, Drugs, and Rock & Roll," which chronicles the evolution of the American chef profession in the 1970s and 1980s, and "Knives at Dawn," detailing the American team's journey in the prestigious Bocuse d'Or culinary competition.

In addition to his writing, Friedman hosts the "Andrew Talks to Chefs" podcast, where he engages in in-depth conversations with a diverse array of chefs from around the world, exploring their careers, philosophies, and personal stories.

Friedman holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Columbia University and is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute's "La Technique" cooking program. He resides in New York City with his family.

For a deeper insight into Friedman's career and perspectives, you might find this interview from the meez Podcast informative:

His latest book, "The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food," delves into the intricate network of individuals and efforts involved in creating a single restaurant dish.

Katie Reicher is the Executive Chef at Green's Restaurant a Vegetarian Restaurant in San Francisco, started by the Zen Center in 1979. They are powered by their famed farm in the Bay Area named Green Gulch.

Originally from New York, Katie Reicher was introduced to Greens as part of an externship program through the Culinary Institute of America. Upon graduating, she returned to Greens to work full time. Within a few years, she swiftly rose through the ranks to become Executive Chef — A promotion that took place in the heart of the pandemic.Chef Katie continues the restaurant’s legacy of “celebrating vegetables,” while moving the art of vegetarian cuisine to the next level with new and exciting globally-inspired dishes. She celebrates local farmers and makers first, rotating half of her menu every month to deliver the freshest, most seasonal food possible. Chef Katie believes that there is no limit to the potential of cooking vegetables.This culinary vision is further enhanced through the creation of her Guest Chef Series, a revolving program welcoming outstanding local-area chefs to participate in collaborative 4-course dinners, bringing their unique culinary perspectives to the art of vegetarian dining. The Guest Chef Series will continue in 2024 with an incredible line up of Bay Area chefs.

#chefpodcast #zencenter #sanfrancisco

#190