Marie Stitt
Originally from Alabama, Marie Stitt grew up in Charleston and developed a love of food, wine, and restaurants early on thanks to her parents. She has worked on wine harvests in Napa and Austria and she studied sustainable food systems in Italy where she met her husband and business partner Edward. Marie spent 12 years with a local distributor, Grassroots Wine, as their director of sales and operations. She and Edward then opened, babas on cannon, an all day European-style cafe, in Charleston in 2018. Their third babas location is opening soon!
Bethany Heinze
Bethany Heinze is the Co-Owner and Operations/Beverage Director at Vern’s, a modern American bistro located in downtown Charleston, SC. While growing up in central Ohio, Bethany became infatuated with Charleston’s vibrant culture and beautiful scenery from an early age and knew she would eventually put down roots in the Lowcountry. She later enrolled at the College of Charleston for her undergraduate degree, where she earned a double major in Hospitality Management and Business Administration and solidified her career path in the restaurant industry.
After working in many front-of-house positions and gaining hands-on experience in downtown Charleston’s bustling restaurant scene, Bethany accepted the position of Bar Manager at the formerly renowned McCrady’s restaurant in 2013. During her time there, Bethany gained invaluable skills and knowledge behind the bar and on the floor. Most importantly though, it was at McCrady’s where she met her now-husband and business partner, Chef Daniel (‘Dano’) Heinze. Excited to continue their professional growth together in the industry, the couple traded their views of the Lowcountry for the West Coast, and moved to Los Angeles, CA in 2016 to work with esteemed restaurateurs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo of Joint Venture Restaurant Group.
Bethany assumed the role of General Manager at Animal, a highly influential restaurant featuring nose-to-tail cooking in West Hollywood. She also assisted with the restaurant group’s expansion by serving as the Wine Director & Manager for the concepts Jon & Vinny’s and Helen’s Wines, a buzzy Italian American restaurant with a curated natural wine shop nestled inside. In the fall of 2019, Bethany hit pause on restaurant work and traveled to Chablis, France to work harvest at Château de Béru, a biodynamic vineyard and winery. In 2020, Bethany returned to the United States and joined the team at Gjusta, an iconic all-day bakery & cafe in Venice Beach, where she served as the Front of House Manager.
In 2022, Bethany and husband Dano took a leap of faith and returned to Charleston to open their very own restaurant – Vern’s – a dream they had been working on for years. Here, Bethany oversees all operations and beverage programming. Her goal is to ensure that guests experience warm, attentive service and can select from a thoughtful beverage offering that compliments the seasonally driven menu. Exercising her passion for small-production wines, her program at Vern’s centers around sustainable farming with all selections following organic or biodynamic practices.
Vern’s has received an enthusiastic welcome from the Charleston community and many national media outlets, highlights including being named one of New York Times Most Exciting Restaurants of 2023 and a nomination for a James Beard Award, Best Chef Southeast.
Steve Matthiasson
Steve Matthiasson is a revered Napa Valley-based winemaker, viticulturalist and organic farmer dedicated to environmental regeneration—and, by extension, to crafting classically balanced, delicious wines that speak truthfully to their upbringing.
His endeavors have earned him the attention of consumers and critics alike under his own eponymous label, winning him Winemaker of the Year from both Food and Wine magazine and the San Francisco Chronicle, and making him a six-time James Beard Award nominee for Outstanding Wine, Spirits or Beer Professional. Steve is also sought after as a consulting winemaker and mentor to several private labels, and since 1996, he has provided viticultural consulting for historic Napa Valley vineyards such as Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Spottswoode Winery, the Araujo Estate, and Dalla Valle Vineyards, to name a few.
Steve’s consulting, teaching and mentoring in organic and regenerative viticulture stand as a reaffirmation of his core belief that “great wine is made in the vineyard,” and his voice continues to resonate among his peers in the agricultural community: In addition to speaking around the world, he has formally served with organizations such as the American Vineyard Foundation, the Napa County Farm Bureau, and the Association of Applied IPM (Integrated Pest Management) Ecologists, and he teaches organic viticulture at the University of California at Davis. Steve also co-authored the California Code of Sustainable Conduct, Lodi Rules Sustainable Winegrowing Program, and Lodi Winegrowers Workbook. In 2020, Steve helped launch the viticulture fellowship program for San Francisco’s The Two Eighty Project, providing a path for marginalized people into the wine industry.
Together with his wife Jill, Steve farms their own family vineyards and fruit-tree orchards in the Napa Valley. You’ll rarely (if ever) find Steve far from a pair of pruning shears or without his signature flannel and wide-brim straw hat.
Matthew Conway
Matthew Conway is the owner, operator, and sommelier at The Tippling House in Charleston’s Elliotborough neighborhood. The Tippling House is an intimate wine bar set in a Charleston Single house that Mr. Conway renovated to preserve its historic feel from when it was built in the late 1800’s. The daily wine list is printed and dated every day highlighting a global selection of bottles produced by families that respect the land they farm and the history of their domaines. All of the wines are available by the half bottle and are offered with a seasonal menu featuring wine-friendly small plates and entrees by Chef Micah Pearson. Conway also offers “Matthew’s Stash” which is a list of fine and rare wines from the best vintages and producers sourced from his personal cellar. Matthew prides himself on having created a wine bar that caters to all wine lovers regardless of taste or budget.
Mr. Conway moved to Charleston, South Carolina in March of 2020 after 17 years in New York City and 14 years as partner and beverage director at Restaurant Marc Forgione. Conway, a native Californian, moved to NYC in 2004 where he worked for the late Chef Gray Kunz at Café Gray in the Time Warner center from 2004-2007. In 2008 he became the general manager and wine buyer for Restaurant Marc Forgione in TriBeCa, before eventually becoming partner. In 2010 he took a short leave to work in the world-famous cellars of Taillevent in Paris, France. After returning in the fall of 2010 Restaurant Marc Forgione received one Michelin Star. Shortly thereafter, Matthew became a certified coffee sommelier, was honored as one of Zagat’s “30 Under 30” in 2012 and named one of Star Chefs “Rising Star Sommeliers” of 2015. Matthew has consistently been a featured sommelier at several of the top wine events of the year including but not limited to La Paulée and La Fête du Champagne. Matthew now holds partnership at La Tablée which focuses on the Northern Rhône Valley which Matthew is nationally recognized as a leading industry expert on.
Since opening The Tippling House in October 2021, his team has received glowing coverage from Wine Spectator, Food & Wine magazine and Charleston City Paper. In 2004 The Tippling House was named a ‘Top wine bar, according to the pros.” By Food and Wine Magazine. The Post & Courier named Matthew and his fiancé Carissa Hernandez a Charleston “Food and Beverage Power Couple” in February of 2022. He resides in downtown Charleston with Carissa and their two Pekingese Devlin and Zuccy.
Callie White
Maneet Chauhan
Maneet Chauhan is an award-winning chef, author, television personality and founding partner and president of Morph Hospitality Group in Nashville, Tennessee. She is a recipient of the 2012 James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Award for her role as a permanent judge on Food Network’s “Chopped.” In addition to judging roles on Food Network, Maneet also competes at the highest level and most recently won Guy Fieri’s Tournament of Champions II, where she was able to donate winnings of $40,000 to help different restaurants survive the pandemic.
Born in Punjab, India, chef Chauhan worked in some of the country’s finest hotels before moving to the U.S. to study at the Culinary Institute of America. She went on to work as executive chef in some of New York City and Chicago’s top restaurants, which received national acclaim under her leadership. After relocating to Nashville, Tennessee, Chauhan and her husband, Vivek Deora, co-founded Morph Hospitality Group, opening their first restaurant, Chauhan Ale & Masala House in 2014. With the goal of filling gaps in Nashville’s culinary landscape, the group opened Tansuo, a Chinese concept, and The Mockingbird, a global diner, in 2017. Chef Chauhan is also a co-founder of Hop Springs, home to the state’s largest craft brewery and a fun-filled 84 acre beer park located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Chauhan is the author of two cookbooks, Flavors of My World and her most recent, Chaat: The Best Recipes from the Kitchens, Markets, and Railways of India, which was released in October 2020. Published by Clarkson Potter, the book was inspired by Maneet’s epic cross-country railroad expedition that brought her to local markets, street vendors and the homes of family & friends. Chaat has been recognized as one of Fall 2020’s most anticipated cookbooks and has appeared in the New York Times, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Food Network Magazine, and more. And, received the IACP Cookbook Award in October 2021.
A leader in the Nashville community, Chauhan has been honored as one of the Nashville Business Journal’s “40 under 40”, which highlights young, successful business leaders and was recognized in Nashville Lifestyles’ Women in Business, which showcases local women who are at the top of their respective industries. In March 2020, Chauhan founded Hospitality Strong, a nonprofit benefitting hospitality workers in need and currently serves as an advisory board member for Nashville’s COVID-19 Response Fund, founded to assist individuals, families and nonprofits experiencing financial hardship due to the virus.
When she’s not in the kitchen or traveling, chef Chauhan can be found at home in Franklin, Tennessee, with her husband, Vivek Deora, their daughter, Shagun, and their son, Karma.
Tyler Florence
Twenty-eight-year Food Network veteran Tyler Florence has captivated millions of viewers on numerous hit shows, including Emmy nominated “Tyler’s Ultimate,” and “The Great Food Truck Race,” heading into its 18th season. His 17 cookbooks, American Grill (Abrams) was released in May 2024.
Tyler’s full-stack production company, Monarch Collective, Inc., produces projects for television and film, plus digital content and advertising videos for a variety of well-known clients including The Venetian Resort, Red Bull, The Four Seasons and The Food Network/Discovery to name a few.
A proud graduate of Johnson & Wales University ’94, ‘04 Hon, and a two- time James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef West Coast, Tyler launched his award-winning flagship restaurant, Wayfare Tavern, over a decade ago. Under his restaurant group, The Greater Organization, Tyler operates several other highly acclaimed spots. Miller & Lux, recently named Best Steakhouse, Bay Area by San Francisco Magazine, is located in the Chase Arena, home of the Golden State Warriors. In addition, Tyler Florence was also named “2024 San Francisco Chef Of The Year” by San Francisco Magazine. In December 2023 he opened the second outpost of Miller & Lux in Hawaii, at the Four Seasons Hualalai resort.
Kwame Onwuachi
Kwame Onwuachi is a James Beard Award-winning chef, and author of the critically acclaimed cookbook “My America” and memoir “Notes from a Young Black Chef,” which is being turned into a feature film by A24. Kwame has been named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs, Esquire Magazine’s 2019 Chef of the Year, and is a 30 Under 30 honoree by both Zagat and Forbes. He’s also been featured on Time’s 100 Next List and has been named the most important Chef in America by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Kwame appeared as a judge on season 18 of Top Chef in April 2021. He first appeared as a contestant on the show in season 13. He also was the host of the 2021 and 2022 James Beard Awards in Chicago.
Kwame currently serves as Food & Wine’s executive producer. In this newly appointed role, Kwame will collaborate on big brand moments and events, including the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, as well as the creator of “The Family Reunion: Presented by Kwame Onwuachi,” an annual multi-day event taking place in Middleburg, Virginia that celebrates diversity in the hospitality community.
His restaurant concept Tatiana, opened at the Lincoln Center in November 2022. Since its opening, it has had numerous top accolades, including “The #1 Restaurant in New York City,” by the New York Times, “The One to Watch” by World’s 50 Best Restaurants, and La Liste’s “World's Best Restaurants List.” In the summer of 2024, he will partner with the Salamander DC hotel, to open his newest restaurant concept, Dōgon.
Melissa King
Chef Melissa King is an award-winning chef, author, television personality, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Her debut cookbook, Cook Like a King: Recipes from My California Chinese Kitchen, was released on September 9, 2025. She is the host of Tasting Wild, the National Geographic docuseries on Hulu, and has served as a judge on Top Chef, The Julia Child Challenge on Food Network, and other top culinary competitions. A Top Chef All Stars champion, Melissa holds the record for the most challenge wins in the show’s history. She is the founder of King Sauce and a dedicated advocate for LGBTQ+ and Asian communities. Known for her modern Californian cuisine infused with Asian flavors, Melissa continues to push culinary boundaries while championing diversity and representation in the food industry.
Gail Simmons
Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Since the show’s inception in 2006, she has lent her extensive expertise as a permanent judge on Bravo’s Emmy-winning series Top Chef. Now entering it’s 22nd season (set in Canada), Top Chef is rated the #1 food show on cable television. She was most recently co-host of The Good Dish, and was formerly host of Top Chef Amateurs, as well as Iron Chef Canada. From 2004 to 2019, Gail served as special projects director at FOOD & WINE. Gail’s first cookbook, Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating, was released by Grand Central Publishing in October 2017. Her first book, a memoir titled Talking With My Mouth Full, was published by Hyperion in February 2012. Gail is the co-founder of Bumble Pie, Productions and sits on the board of several nonprofit organizations including Children in Conflict, City Harvest and Hot Bread Kitchen. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband Jeremy and their two children, Dahlia and Kole.