Jason Stanhope
Jason Stanhope is Chef and Partner at Sullivanās Fish Camp on Sullivanās Island in Charleston, SC.
Born and raised in Topeka, Kansas, Stanhope grew up in a family where the ritual of cooking together was an important part of everyday life. He stayed close to home after high school, attending Washburn University and playing for the schoolās Division II football team. Stanhope quickly realized his passion lay with food rather than on the field and moved to San Francisco to attend Le Cordon Bleu. After graduation, he spent a few years working in Peru with the Orient-Express Hotel Group under chef Michael Raas, who first taught Stanhope the importance and beauty of high-quality ingredients. Stanhope returned to Kansas in 2005 and joined James Beard Award-winning Chefs Michael Smith and Debbie Gold at 40 Sardines as Chef de Cuisine.
Stanhope came to call Charleston home by chance. He fell in love with the city’s rich epicurean history while on vacation and began looking for job opportunities soon after. Stanhope moved east in 2008 to join chef Mike Lata and his team at FIG, the restaurant that helped introduce Charleston to farm-to-table cooking and garnered national acclaim after opening in 2003. From the beginning, Stanhope and Lata discovered that they shared a similar approach to cooking and ingredients. During his time at FIG, Stanhope grew personally and professionally, and learned the importance of empowerment, timing, and communication. Stanhope joined FIG as Chef-Tournant, worked his way up the culinary ranks, and was named Executive Chef in 2012. He later earned the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Southeast in 2015.
Stanhope left FIG in 2023 and soon after announced his partnership with Method Co., the Philadelphia-based developer and operator behind Charleston boutique hotel The Pinch, to oversee its new restaurant, Lowland. Stanhope led that concept, a Southern tavern serving timeless classics and luxurious comfort food, which gained critical and popular acclaim from locals and visitors alike. In March 2025, Stanhope announced he would join Sullivanās Fish Camp in what he called āa homecoming of sorts,ā stepping into a chef/partner role that allows him to work with a small, local team and prepare food that showcases the Lowcountryās best farmers, fishermen, and purveyors.
When heās not working, Stanhope tends to his home garden and chicken coop, supports several nonprofits in the Charleston community, and spends time with his wife and young sons.
Lewis Donald
Lewis Donald is the pitmaster and owner of Sweet Lew’s BBQ, one of Charlotteās best local barbecue spots. Growing up outside Cleveland, Ohio, he learned his earliest lessons about food from his grandfather Ray. After graduating from the culinary apprenticeship at The Greenbrier, Lewis went on to work at prestigious country clubs and kitchens across six states. Today he brings those experiences to Sweet Lewās, where he serves traditional Carolina barbecue cooked entirely over wood and honors the craft and tradition of real Southern barbecue.
Chris Shepherd
Midwest-raised, James Beard Award-winning Chef Chris Shepherd has helped change the landscape of the Houston culinary scene since opening Underbelly in 2012. He built the restaurant to support the Houston food community and its suppliers by buying local and drawing inspiration from the people and cultures that live in the city. Thanks to Chrisā vision and passion, Underbelly was a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best New Restaurant, was named one of the best new restaurants in the country by Bon Appetit and Esquire and was named one of 38 essential restaurants in America by Eater. Chris was named one of the 10 Best New Chefs in America by Food & Wine in 2013 and was then awarded the 2014 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest.
Chris was a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef in 2019 and was named Robb Reportās Chef of the Year the same year. Chrisā first cookbook, Cook Like a Local: Flavors that Will Change the Way You Cookāand See the World, was published by Clarkson Potter in September 2019 and was nominated for a 2020 James Beard Foundation Book Award. In 2023, Chris launched a TV show Eat Like a Local on Houstonās KPRC-TV, where he tells the stories of Houstonās rich and diverse food and beverage scene. He also hosts an onstage conversation series, Table to Stage, with the biggest names in food and beverage.
Chris began his fine dining career at Brennanās of Houston, where he spent seven years in the kitchen and then ran the wine program for two. He left Brennanās in 2006 to open Catalan Food & Wine, which was named one of Esquireās Best New Restaurants in America that same year.
Chrisā foundation Southern Smoke has distributed more than $11 million directly to people in the food and beverage industry in crisis via the Emergency Relief Fund and provides free mental health counseling to F+B workers.Ā
Dan Richer
Dan Richer is the chef and owner of Razza in Jersey City, the only U.S. pizzeria to earn a three-star review from The New York Times. A six-time James Beard Award nominee and author of the bestseller The Joy of Pizza, Richer was named 2023 Pizza Maker of the Year by Italyās 50TopPizza. While he is renowned for his scientific, 57-point evaluation rubric andĀ a commitment to hyper-local sourcing, his work is ultimately driven by a much simpler mission: connection. For Richer, the true reward isnāt the accolades, but the opportunity to bring people together to experience the pure, universal joy of pizza.
Eric Ripert
Eric RipertĀ is the chef and co-owner of the acclaimed New York restaurant Le Bernardin. Born in Antibes, France,Ā RipertĀ moved to Andorra, a small country just over the Spanish border as a young child. His family instilled their own passion for food in the youngĀ Ripert, and at the age of 15 he left home to attend culinary school in Perpignan.
In the NYC 2006Ā Michelin Guide,Ā Ripert's Le Bernardin was one of four New York City restaurants to be awarded the maximum three Michelin stars for excellence in cuisine. Le Bernardin received four stars fromĀ The New York TimesĀ six consecutive times, making it the only restaurant to maintain an exquisite status for that length of time and never dropping a star.Ā RipertĀ has since firmly established himself as one of New Yorkās and the worldās great chefs.
ChefĀ RipertĀ has made several guest appearances on cooking-based television shows, including guest judge and assistant chef roles onĀ BravoĀ TV'sĀ Top Chef.Ā He has appeared in many episodes ofĀ A Cook's Tour,Ā Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations,Ā andĀ Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. In September 2009,Ā AvecĀ Eric,Ā Ripert's first TV show, debuted onĀ PBSĀ and ran for two seasons, earning twoĀ Daytime Emmy Awards. In 2021 and 2023 he publishedĀ Vegetable SimpleĀ andĀ Seafood Simple, which both became instant best sellers on the New York Times best seller list. In 2014, he releasedĀ My Best:Ā Eric RipertĀ . In 2016, he published his memoir:Ā 32 Yolks: From My Mother's Table to Working the LineĀ , which also was aĀ New York TimesĀ bestseller.
This fall,Ā RipertĀ debuts his ninth book,Ā Mindful Cooking.Ā It draws onĀ Ripert's roots, meditation practice and time spent over the years in Tibetan and Korean monasteries, but comes to life through very tangible, everyday ritualsāpausing before cooking to set intention, approaching ingredients with respect, cooking without distraction, and reframing mistakes as part of the process rather than something to react to.
He is also the Vice Chairman of the board of City Harvest, working to bring together New Yorkās top chefs and restaurateurs to raise funds and increase the quality and quantity of food donations to New Yorkās neediest. When not in the kitchen,Ā RipertĀ enjoys good scotch and peace and quiet.
Nyesha Arrington
Nyesha Arrington is the co-star of FOXās hit culinary competition show Next Level Chef. She is also the host andĀ producer of the digital series Plateworthy on Eater.Ā Ā
Nyesha started her culinary career at Michelin starred restaurants MĆ©lisse in Santa Monica and LāAtelier and TheĀ Mansion in Las Vegas. She went on to open restaurants Leona and Native in Los Angeles, where she was celebratedĀ for using farm fresh, locally and responsibly sourced ingredients. She has been named to Zagatās Best Chef 30Ā Under 30 List as well as Eaterās LA Chef of the Year.Ā Ā
Nyesha hit the national stage as a fan favorite on Bravoās Top Chef season 9 and has been a household name everĀ since. Her credits include FOXās MasterChef and Hellās Kitchen, Food Networkās Tournament of Champions, GuyāsĀ Grocery Games and Diners, Drive Ins and Dives and ITVās Next Level Chef U.K.Ā Ā
Nyesha draws inspiration from cooking through the seasons, traveling the globe and contemporary art. When sheāsĀ not in a kitchen, she can be found connecting with others over functional fitness and wellness practices. She lives inĀ Los Angeles with her French bulldog, Bleu-Ginger and tuxedo cat, Mr. Robert Marley.
Martin Yan
Elliott Moss
Elliott Moss is a two-time James Beard-nominated chef celebrated for his inventive approach to Southern cuisine and dedication to whole-hog barbecue. A South Carolina native, Moss built his culinary reputation in Asheville, North Carolina, where he first earned national attention as the chef ofĀ The Admiral, a fine dining restaurant known for its creative, ingredient-driven dishes. His second James Beard nomination came for his work atĀ Buxton Hall Barbecue, which quickly became a culinary landmark. Under his direction, Buxton Hall earned a spot onĀ Bon AppĆ©titās list of theĀ Top 10 Best New Restaurants in America (2016)Ā and garnered widespread acclaim for its authentic Carolina barbecue and inventive sides. That same year,Ā Bon AppĆ©titĀ recognized Mossās fried chicken sandwich as theĀ āBest Fried Chicken Sandwich We AteāĀ ā further cementing his place among the Southās most influential chefs. Now, Elliott has returned to his home state withĀ Elliottās Barbecue LoungeĀ in Florence, SC. At Elliottās, he combines his passion for wood-smoked meats, pasture raised hogs, scratch-made Southern fare, and local ingredients to create an inviting and soulful dining experience. Mossās philosophy is rooted in tradition but driven by creativity: honoring the time-honored craft of Carolina barbecue while pushing the boundaries of flavor and hospitality. Together with his wife, Jennifer, heās bringing his signature āBarBee-Que Loveā to Florence.
Robbie Robinson
Robbie Robinson is the owner and pitmaster of City Limits Barbeque in West Columbia, South Carolina. A self-taught pitmaster, Robinson has earned national recognition for his meticulous approach to both Texas and Carolina barbeque, drawing inspiration from traditional techniques while bringing a craftsmanās precision and creativity to every step of the process. His commitment to live-fire craft extends beyond the pit to a full menu of scratch-made sides, all prepared with the same attention to detail and respect for ingredients. Known for his hands-on presence and genuine hospitality, Robinson has helped establish City Limits Barbeque as one of the most respected barbecue destinations in the country, honoring Southern traditions while continuing to push them forward.
George Motz
George Motz is a well-traveled chef, author, award-winning filmmaker, and photographer. He has also been called the 'foremost authority on hamburgers' by The New York Times, and āAmerica's biggest burger name' by Eater LA. In the spring of 2004, Motz completed Hamburger America, his second documentary film, which he shot, produced, edited, and directed. The film was nominated in 2006 for a James Beard Award, and in 2011, was recognized by the US National Archives as an integral part of American food history. The film's success led to a state-by-state guide to hamburgers, also titled Hamburger America, a State-by-State Guide to Great Burger Joints. And in 2016, Abrams Books released his first cookbook, The Great American Burger Book, fully updated in May 2023. George can be seen on his show Burger Scholar Sessions on Complex Media's First We Feast.
When not working on his upcoming children's book, George can also be found spreading the word of burger around the globe through workshops, consultations, and burger pop-ups. He recently opened his dream restaurant, Hamburger America, in the Soho neighborhood of NYC, which was awarded 2-stars by Pete Wells in the New York Times.