A systems advocate throughout his career – Kevin O’Donnell has taken his career from convention center management to high-end hotels, a Sun Valley exclusive dude ranch to elegant New England country inns, and busy co-op grocery stores to teaching kitchens and dining rooms of hospitality and culinary schools in New York and Vermont. A problem solver, logistics manager, creative thinker and mentor to many – Kevin stands out as a true example of leadership in…

A highly successful chef chooses a different direction – a chance to give back, to be a mentor for others, to open eyes and open doors – to teach. Years later, his personal accomplishments are transformed into student accomplishments. He built a program based on an experience that goes beyond the classroom and beyond the curriculum. He created and maintains lifelong connections with students who became part of his commitment as a teacher. Join CAFÉ…

A seasoned chef, Ph.D. in food studies, culinary educator, program administrator, research chef, sustainability advocate, and food waste warrior – Chef Jonathan Deutsch is on a mission to help us all see the big picture. The fragile food supply chain in America is broken and our collective malaise concerning food waste is a crisis that must be addressed. According to a United Nations study – nearly 1/3 of all the food produced for human consumption…

Flavor is that elusive key that opens up the experience of eating, it is something that chefs spent their careers in search of, food manufacturers toil over, restaurant customers embed in their memories, and culinary instructors try to teach – yet few people really understand it like a flavorist. This is the person with the knowledge of a food scientist, the palate of a great chef, the memories of a food lover who has picked…

The experience of dining would not be complete without a great, appropriately matched bottle of wine. What goes into the production of that bottle is a long process that begins with the farmer and the terror. The quality of the wine, as every vintner will tell you, is determined by the quality of the grape and the grape depends on the soil, the sun, the temperature, amount of rainfall, and nurturing from the person who…

Thinking creatively is natural during youth and not so much so as we age. Factors including group dynamics, the structure of formal education, peer critique, and fear of being scorned for thinking outside the norm – make it far more difficult to be creative in our approach toward opportunities and challenges. Bob Eckert is the CEO of New and Improved – a company dedicated to helping others work together, reinvigorate their creative energy, and in…

From his early days growing up in New Jersey within a family deeply rooted in great cooking, Chef Keith Taylor loved everything about the kitchen. Visits to New York City restaurants with his uncle and alignment with his grandmother – a professional cook – Keith would eventually meet and spend quality time in the kitchen with Chef Patrick Clark – a chef of great renown in America. His career was self-determined at an early age…

What will tomorrow bring? This is a question that keeps many people awake at night. How do I prepare for what is uncertain - is it possible to really plan ahead? Jack Uldrich is a future thinker – a person whom many organizations lean on for guidance as they realize that the only thing that is certain is that change will come with them on board or in spite of them – so they had…

Since the early days of America’s great restaurants it has been the restaurateur – the person with the extended hand, warm smile, great stories, nurturing hospitality and firm handle on how to control the fragile finances of operations that defined an industry so essential to American lifestyle.  The need to gather, break bread, enjoy wonderful meals with family and friends, and feel that special touch of sincere welcome is core to a quality life. Those restaurateurs…

Born with his feet planted firmly in the soil of Louisiana and the swampland of the Bayou, John Folse grew to become Louisiana’s worldwide ambassador of food.  As the foremost practitioner of Cajun cooking – Chef Folse represents this melting pot cuisine through his original restaurant Laffite’s Landing and currently in partnership with Chef Rick Tramonto at restaurant R’Evolution Additionally, his John Folse Companies include catering at White Oak Plantation, a PBS television series, publishing…

Although not a chef, Mary has been involved with setting standards for a chef’s educational experience as well as providing ongoing experiences linking the foodservice industry with the foodservice classroom. Her experiences include ACF accreditation and certification criteria as well as setting up summer institutes and other events for culinary educators in order to help them maintain their expertise in both cooking and education.  She looks at the current challenges facing educators and is proud…