ILAN HALL

At seventeen Ilan Hall began his culinary studies in Florence at the Lorenzo de Medici School’s Apicius  program. While there he staged at the Al Lume di Candela restaurant preparing traditional Tuscan cuisine. He went on to the Culinary Institute of America where he earned his degree after completing an externship at Charlie Palmer’s Aureole Restaurant in New York. The following year Ilan went to California where he received a certificate in baking and pastry arts at the CIA’s Greystone campus. During his stint in Napa he was employed at The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant. Upon graduation Ilan returned to New York and worked briefly for Tom Collicchio at Craft. From there he went on to Casa Mono, one of America’s top Spanish restaurants, the creation of Andy Nusser, Nancy Selzer, Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich. For three years Ilan worked for and learned from Andy Nusser, originally of Batali’s acclaimed Babbo. With an affinity for offal and paprika, Ilan won Bravo TV’s reality competition Top Chef.

Ilan’s TV appearances have included guest stints on the Today Show (NBC), I village (NBC), and Mike and Juliet (Fox). He has been interviewed on Sirius and XM radio. He has appeared in print in Food and Wine, People, OK magazine, In Touch, Life and Style, The NY Times, Newsday, The Daily News, The NY Post, and Time Out. On line he has been seen in Salon, Slate, The Voice, New York magazine, Epicurious, Entertainment Weekly, and Chowhound. He has done demonstrations and cooked at various venues including the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, the Scottsdale Food and Wine Festival, the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen and the Sundance Film Festival.

His food has been described as “inventive” (Tom Collicchio), having “great flavor”  (Wylie Dufresne), and “perfection” (Eric Ripert). “At 24 he’s showing a lot of talent” (Roy Yamaguchi) and he has “exactly what I look for in a young chef” (Scott Conant).

Ilan is now in development for his first restaurant slated to open this summer in Los Angeles.

MARY ANN ESPOSITO

Authenticity, history, and tradition, are the watchwords that define Mary Ann Esposito and her cooking. Her commitment to bringing genuine Italian recipes, cooking tips, and history to the Italian-Americans in the United States has made her one of America's best known and most loved television chefs. Broadcast nationally and internationally, Mary Ann’s PBS cooking series Ciao Italia is television’s longest-running cooking show.

Growing up in Depew, New York, Mary Ann was steeped in the artistry of Italian cooking; both nonnas, one Sicilian and one Neapolitan, were Italian natives and professional cooks, so life inside the Saporito household was decidedly Italian. Yet in spite of the culinary expertise she absorbed as the oldest of seven kids, she had no desire to pursue a profession in a kitchen. Her first career after graduating from Daemen College was as a high school history teacher, and it wasn’t until the 1980s that a pivotal trip to Italy made her realize that what she was learning in cooking classes abroad, she innately knew from her all-Italian upbringing. This revelation inspired her to open a catering business in her home of Durham, NH and to make successive trips to Italy to further study the native flavors and dishes of each of the country’s 20 regions. After earning a Master’s degree in Italian history from the University of New Hampshire — while maintaining full-time mom and wife status — she pondered the “what if’s” of hosting a cable program that would teach the cooking lessons she learned as a child.

Eighteen years later, Mary Ann has been recognized by countless organizations for her efforts to preserve the traditions surrounding Italian food and culture, has studied and taught in numerous cooking schools throughout Italy and the United States and has written 10 cookbooks. Her television experience has also extended beyond PBS, with appearances on a handful of major programs, from the TODAY show to Regis and Kelly to the Food Network. For 18 years, Mary Ann has been as renowned for her knowledge of authentic Italian cuisine as her warm, encouraging approach to instructing her audience-of-all-ages.

ALEJANDRO BARREDA

Alejandro is a Culinary Institute of Mexico graduate, trained in Paris and London and is identified as Mexico’s top chef by a number of international publications.  He is the former Executive Chef for Hostal de los Frailes in Mexico City as well as the Paraiso del Desierto Grand Hotel in Torreón.  For over five years he has served as the Executive Chef for TV Azteca, one of the two national television stations for all of Mexico.  There he was both an on the air personality and chef as well as the Executive Chef for management and visiting dignitaries.

His restaurants have won numerous awards in El Sarten D’Or (one of the most important cooking competitions in the world) and he is recognized also for serving Mexico’s “best coffee”.  He is known for blending traditional Mexican flavors with European influences in a number of signature, exotic dishes, often paired with Mexican wines and tequilas.

The front half of Las Montañas will continue to serve its very popular cantina menu of tacos, burritos, enchiladas and chimichangas as well as a full breakfast.  The back half of the restaurant (about 50 seats) will become Alejandro’s and serve lunch and dinner with a personalized chef menu that will change weekly.  Additionally the restaurant will offer a Chef’s Table for up to a party of 12 where individualized service and dishes prepared exclusively by Alejandro will be offered nightly.  Alejandro’s menu will be by reservation only beginning Thanksgiving 2007.

“Alejandro is one of best chefs in the world and capable of going anywhere in the US: New York, San Francisco, or Los Angeles.  We got him to visit Telluride during peak fall colors and he and his wife Bibiana never wanted to leave”, said Fletcher McCusker, owner of Las Montanas. “We are thrilled that Alejandro has selected Las Montañas and Telluride to showcase his Latin Haute Cuisine”

BETTY FRASER

A native of San Francisco, CA, Betty was an accomplished musical theatre performer prior to embarking on her culinary career. Her successful “after-show” parties fueled her desire to pursue to become a chef and in 1995 after teaming up with her close friend Denise DeCarlo, the pair launched As You Like It Catering and were almost immediately in high-demand. After five years of running a successful catering business, the pair decided they needed a bigger kitchen to accommodate the increasing demand for their services. Running across a 1920’s bungalow that had been converted into a restaurant, they purchased the building and in 2001 Grub was born.

An instant success, Grub and their signature “California Comfort Food” has been embraced by the media and public alike with awards including the 2003, 2004 and 2005 “Best Lunch Spot” in Los Angeles as voted on by LA Citysearch as well as the 2004 award for “Best Brunch Spot.” Their renovation of the duplex that houses Grub was also acknowledged with the 2004 “Best Reuse of a Building” by the Hollywood Community Legacy Awards. In addition, in the 2007 Los Angeles Zagat Survey, Grub was chosen as one of the “Top Five Breakfast Spots” in Los Angeles as well as inclusion in the “Best Places to Dine Alone” and the “Offbeat” section.

Betty’s good looks, high-energy personality and cooking skills have also caught the eye of the media. In addition to her Season Two appearance on Bravo’s Top Chef and subsequent 2007 Top Chef Holiday Special, she can be heard weekly on the Sirius Satellite radio show “Out Q in the Morning.” Along with her partner Denise DeCarlo, the other half of the “Grub Girls” she was the guest chef in five, 30-minute episodes on the NBC nationally-syndicated Recipe TV show “The World’s Greatest Chefs” which takes viewers into the kitchens of some of the most high-profile chefs in the nation. Additional recent television appearances include The Food Network’s “Rachel Ray’s Tasty Travels” where Grub was highlighted as the best breakfast spot in L.A, “Weighing In,” also on the Food Network, “Reality Chat” on the TV Guide Channel, “Holiday Home Invasion” on the WE Network, “Trendspotting” on ABC News, YourL.A on KNBC and as chef consultants on the Style Network show “Foodie Call.” Betty was seen on “The Today Show” cooking her “Ba-Da-Bing Betty’s Grilled Cheese Sandwich” with Al Roker and is an in-demand cooking instructor, holding regular classes at William-Sonoma stores throughout the Southland.

TROY GUARD

Troy Guard was recently named one of the “Great Regional Chefs of America” by the James Beard Foundation, and it’s no wonder—his culinary “Midas Touch” has garnered him a loyal following all over the world.

Troy’s career began under the guidance of fusion legend Roy Yamaguchi in Hawaii. During their eight-year journey together, Troy developed a winning multi-cultural style that would serve him well in years to come. Soon Troy emerged on his own as the artist behind New York hotspot Tao and the internationally respected Dog Cheng’s before focusing his significant talents on Denver.

In partnership with Richard Sandoval, the visionary behind award-winning “Modern Mexican” concept restaurants across the U.S., Troy hatched the idea of creating Denver’s first Latin-Asian fusion restaurant, Zengo. His meteoric rise continued from there, with the launch of acclaimed local concept restaurants such as nine75 and Ocean. Then, in early 2008, Troy returned to the James Beard House as a member of the Denver FIVE—a select group of local tastemakers chosen to represent the Mile High City at an exclusive industry event.

Never content to rest on his laurels, Troy is on the verge of yet another grand opening in Denver. His latest endeavor, TAG, slated to open its doors in early 2009, will combine his love for travel with his flair for culinary innovation. Serving up a brand-new genre that he calls “continental social food,” TAG will be the realization of a lifelong dream for Troy. 

KELLY PATTON

Chef Patton's defined his culinary career at the Ashevillle, North Carolina Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa, one of America's pre-eminent resorts with a legendary 94-year history. Promoted to Chef de Cuisine of the Sunset Terrace after only 6 months as as lead line cook, Chef Patton rose quickly within the culinary ranks of this prestigious resort. Sunset Terrace, winner of the 2007 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, is one of three award-winning restaurants at the Grove Park Inn Resort.  Most recently, Mr. Patton served as Chef de Cuisine at Grove Park's Blue Ridge Dining Room famous in the region for Seafood and Prime Rib Buffets and Sunday Brunch before coming on board at 9545 Restaurant in Telluride.

Prior to his culinary sucesses in Asheville, Mr. Patton  gained experience at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa in Farmington,  a Mobile Four Star and AAA Four Diamond resort in western Pennsylvania  He also served as and served as Executive Chef for the Ohiopyle House Cafe, in Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania.

ELISE WIGGINS

From her beginnings in Louisiana to Texas, through Colorado, Puerto Rico, Tennessee and now back to Colorado, Wiggins has purposely and progressively moved up through the ranks - all the time honing her kitchen skills, tasting new flavors, managing more people and developing the talents that have won fine dining awards and accolades.

Elise came to the Colorado Institute of Art’s school in Denver and graduated with honors.  Several kitchen jobs in Denver included a stint as the chef of Bella Ristorante, a busy Southern Italian restaurant in Lower Downtown. A five month culinary trip through Central America followed her departure from Denver.  

Meanwhile, it was time to get back to work and she accepted an offer from The Palio restaurant at the Westin Rio Mar Resort in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The restaurant earned a Mobil 4 Diamond rating during Elise’s watch.

The opening chef position for the Capriccio Restaurant in the Peabody Hotel in Memphis was the next stop for Elise. “But I never wanted to leave Colorado,” said Wiggins. “When I heard about the Panzano job, I knew it was the job I really wanted and a way to get back to Denver.”

The Rocky Mountain News named Panzano Top Italian since her arrival. She was named 2005 Colorado Chef the Year by the American Culinary Federation and Panzano was awarded 4 out of 4 stars and included in the Top 25 Restaurants in Denver by 5280 magazine and the Zagat Guide.