Daniel Boulud
DANIEL
Daniel Boulud, a native of Lyon, France, is considered one of America’s leading culinary authorities and one of the most revered chefs in New York, his home since 1982. Best known for his eponymous, exquisitely refined DANIEL on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Boulud has continually evolved his cuisine and expanded across the United States, as well as Canada, The Bahamas, Singapore and Dubai. He is the author of ten cookbooks, the recipient of multiple James Beard Foundation awards including “Outstanding Chef” and “Outstanding Restaurateur,” as well as The Culinary Institute of America’s “Chef of the Year Award” (2011) and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants “Lifetime Achievement Award” (2015). Boulud was named a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur by the French government in March 2006 in recognition of his contributions to the advancement of French culture. He is a generous supporter and Co-President of Citymeals-on-Wheels for more than two decades, and is Chairman of the Ment’or BKB foundation.
Michael Cimarusti
Providence
At his ever-growing seafood-focused culinary empire, Executive Chef & Restaurateur Michael Cimarusti, winner of the 2019 James Beard ‘Best Chef: West’ award, combines his knowledge and appreciation of the dynamic nature of seafood with an advocacy for sustainable fishing practices evident in every dish. Cimarusti’s acclaimed first restaurant Providence, a bastion of Los Angeles fine dining for over a decade, has yielded numerous James Beard Award nominations and two highly coveted Michelin stars. Located in the heart of West Hollywood, Connie and Ted’s pays homage to Cimarusti’s grandparents and the simple, honest seafood cookery of New England. In fall 2017, Michael added two more distinctive culinary openings to his repertoire with the debut of Best Girl at Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles, in addition to Il Pesce Cucina, a fish-forward restaurant concept with his business partner, Donato Poto at the expansive 60,000+ square foot Eataly L.A.
“Seafood has inspired me in a personal way from the very start,” Cimarusti says. “It is my duty to staunchly support its conservation and best practices, and it’s my privilege to have the opportunity to showcase it on a nightly basis.”
The New Jersey native was first lured to L.A. by Wolfgang Puck to become chef de cuisine at the original Spago, followed by stints at New York City’s Osteria del Circo; the Michelin three-starred Arpège; and Le Cirque, where he cooked with legends such as Paul Bocuse, Roger Vergé, and Gérard Boyer. He then spent six years at downtown L.A.’s famed Water Grill, earning a national reputation for his fish mastery.
His path for a storied culinary career was spurred from experience in his youth: fishing with his grandfather and learning of his Italian heritage from his grandmother’s and great-grandmother’s cooking. His most influential professional experience came just after graduating with honors from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, when he headed down the Hudson River to New York City to cook at An American Place with Chef Larry Forgione. Working garde manger, the young chef had access to the leading edge of the farm-to-table movement that would soon transform American cuisine. “Much of the reverence I have for ingredients came from my experience with Larry,” Cimarusti says. While working in Forgione’s kitchen, he also met his future wife and business partner, the talented pastry chef Cristina Echiverri.
Today, Cimarusti, Echiverri, and Co-Owner/General Manager Donato Poto operate a total of four distinctive concepts across Los Angeles including Providence, Connie & Ted’s, Best Girl, and Il Pesce Cucina. Outside of his restaurants, Michael actively supports the Alex’s Lemonade Foundation and always finds time to go fishing with his two children and wife, Crisi.
Josiah Citrin
Citrin & Mélisse
Josiah Citrin is a culinary expert and veteran of Los Angeles’s gourmet dining scene, with more than 25 years of experience. He is chef and owner of Santa Monica, California’s 2 Michelin Starred Mélisse Restaurant, Charcoal Venice, Dave’s Doghouse in the Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles, and his most recent venture, the food and beverage program at the LINE LA in Koreatown, as well as the restaurant Openaire situated at the hotel. Most recently, Citrin has partnered with chef and friend Hans Röckenwagner for a two-year run at the iconic Sinatra-frequented Dear John’s in Culver City. In December of 2019, Citrin reopened the reimagined Mélisse restaurant as two distinct concepts - Citrin, an a la carte dining experience, and Mélisse, a 14-seat tasting menu. His culinary philosophy, “In Pursuit of Excellence” sets the standard for all of his concepts, whether fine-dining or casual.
Walter & Margarita Manzke
République, Bicyclette, & Manzke Restaurant
A Southern California native, Walter Manzke began his fine dining career in Los Angeles working alongside esteemed Chef Joachin Splichal of Patina and from there, traveled around the world working with renowned chefs Ferran Adrià and Alain Ducasse. After a few years in the Bay area opening successful Relais & Chateaux properties, he returned to Los Angeles making his mark on the city as Chef of Bastide and moved on to take over the kitchen at Church & State.
Chef Walter has several restaurants to his name. Domestically, he and his team have opened critically acclaimed Los Angeles concepts including Petty Cash Taqueria, Sari Sari Store, & République. Working alongside his wife and business partner Margarita Manzke, they have opened sixteen Wildflour Bakeries in the Philippines.
Regarded as an “unassailable cornerstone of Los Angeles dining” by Los Angeles Times Restaurant Critic, Bill Addison, République pushed Manzke to the forefront of contemporary French cuisine. The restaurant has become an icon of the city’s dining scene garnering recognition from the James Beard Awards Foundation & The Los Angeles Times 101 Best List for consecutive years. In one of the most anticipated restaurant debuts for Los Angeles, Chef Walter seeks to further his passion for Parisian cuisine in Bicyclette Restaurant & Bistro, debuting this summer 2021.
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Born and raised in the Philippines, Margarita Manzke entered the Los Angeles scene working at some of the city’s most celebrated restaurants including Patina, Spago and Mélisse. In the early 2000’s, she and her husband, Walter, moved to Carmel, opening critically acclaimed dining concepts: Bouchée, Cantinetta Luca and l’Auberge Carmel. This is where her love for creating her signature French baguette was mastered. Manzke returned to Los Angeles as Pastry Chef of Bastide Restaurant. In the years to come, Manzke opened several award-winning concepts in Los Angeles including Petty Cash Taqueria, Sari Sari Store, and République.
Manzke pushed the boundaries of her craft at République, introducing her own distinctive techniques and flavors into her creations. As a result of her inspired work at Republique, Manzke has been nominated for the James Beard Awards Outstanding Pastry Chef category for multiple years. République has continued to make its mark on the culinary landscape of Los Angeles, securing a spot on the Los Angeles Times 101 Best List for years and being one of Restaurant Critic, Bill Addison’s, most recommended LA restaurants to both friends and readers.
In addition to Republique, Manzke is well known for her Sari Sari Store in the historic Grand Central Market, bringing a fresh take on Filipino food to the Downtown Los Angeles area and Petty Cash Taqueria on Beverly Blvd. Internationally, her reach includes sixteen Wildflour Bakery and Cafés in the Philippines. Chef Manzke is thrilled to open Bicyclette Restaurant & Bistro, debuting this summer 2021, highlighting the Parisian Bistros she has loved to frequent and the bounty of California ingredients.
Dave Beran
Pasjoli
Dave Beran began his culinary career in Chicago at MK, followed by a position at Tru, and then joining the team at Alinea. He was promoted to Chef de Cuisine before assuming the opening Executive Chef position at NEXT in 2011. In 2017, he moved to Los Angeles to open his first restaurant, Dialogue, an 18-seat open kitchen restaurant that tells a story through a seasonally changing tasting menu. Dialogue was named one of the Best New Restaurants in America by GQ magazine and, in 2019, Dialogue received One Michelin Star and Five Stars from Forbes Travel Guide, the only U.S. restaurant to be added to the 2019 Five Star list. Additionally, Beran has received the James Beard Award for Best Chef Great Lakes and was named one of Food & Wine Magazine’s Best New Chefs in 2014.