Chef Genealogy
Tracing culinary family trees to the roots of four local mentors
By Virginia B. Wood, 9:00AM, Tue. Sep. 16, 2014
Making the rounds of restaurant openings the past couple of years, it became apparent that many of the new generation of young chefs could trace their local work history through the kitchens of four important local mentors. This previous generation of chefs helped train and encourage many of the players responsible for our current restaurant boom.
It's bound to be gratifying for chefs Alan Lazarus, Emmett Fox, David Bull, and Tyson Cole to see all these talented young people becoming their respected colleagues and in many cases, fellow restaurant owners. After picking the brains of the established mentors, we've come up with something of a culinary family tree for each restaurant group. Some of our young chefs have even worked for more than one mentor. Though the chefs who provided us with these lists don't claim they are totally comprehensive, here's a pretty good look at Austin's culinary begats. To make the lists easier to decipher, executive chef is abbreviated as EC, chef de cuisine is CDC, and general manager is GM.
Chef Alan Lazarus has been the chef partner of two seminal Austin Italian restaurants: Basil's in the Eighties, and Vespaio and Enoteca which he founded with three friends over the past 15 years. Here are some of the alums of the Vespaio kitchens:
Jesse Griffiths - owner Dai Due Butcher Shop & Supper Club
Andrew Francisco - formerly EC at Mettle, now co-owner of Aqua Crisps, a snack food company
Mat Clouser - EC partner at Swift's Attic
Jason Dodge - most recently chef at Péché
Zach Davis - most recently chef at Lamberts
Tom Micklethwait - EC and co-owner Micklethwait Craft Meats
Sebastien Bonneau - EC and owner Countryside Farms
Daniel Brooks - former GM at Mettle; co-owner Licha's Cantina
Breton Childs - director of operations, East Side Pies
Janelle Reynolds - local Chopped champion; EC for the Austin outlet of Dinner Lab
Olivier Calmut - co-owner of Justine's
Susan Shields & Nathan Baumann - co-owners Lux Catering
Matthew Grimes - EC at Cipollina Bistro
Clinton Bertrand - EC at Red's Porch
Abby Love - pastry chef at Dai Due
Barrie Cullinan - until recently owner of Amity Bakery
Chef Emmett Fox was executive chef for Reed Clemons' Restaurant Group (Granite Cafe, Mezzaluna, Bitter End) from 1993-1999 before opening Asti Trattoria (2000) and Fino Restaurant & Patio Bar (2005) with wife Lisa Fox. Look for their new Cantine in the Lamar Union center in 2015.
Michael Fojtasek - owner and EC at Olamaie
Andrew MacArthur - EC Dai Due
Morgan Angelone - chef at Dai Due
Kristie Sasser - baker, instructor Make It Sweet
Andy Sasser - Whole Foods Market, SW region
Jason Donoho - Research and Concept chef, Alamo Drafthouse
Kenzie Allen - chef at Asti, now ECDC at Searsucker
Brad Sorenson - EC, co-owner, NoVa Kitchen & Bar
John Bates - EC, co-owner Noble Sandwich Co.
Sam Dickey - Whole Foods Market, SW region in Dallas
Andrew Francisco - formerly EC at Mettle, now co-owner of Aqua Crisps
Adam Puskorius - EC Eddie V's in Chicago
Chef David Bull was raised in his family's restaurant in New York, graduated from the CIA in 1994, and brought national attention to Austin's historic Driskill Hotel during his tenure there from 1999-2007. He returned to Austin as part of La Corsha Hospitality to open Congress and Second Bar + Kitchen in late 2010.
Josh Watkins - Driskill CDC, then EC; then EC at the Carillon
Chris Andrews - formerly CDC at the Carillon, now CDC for the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center
Jason Maddy - EC at Oak in Dallas, now working in the Caribbean
Emily Maddy - met Jason at the Driskill; chef at Charlie Palmer at the Joule in Dallas; now in the Caribbean
Tien Ho - former EC Má Pêche, Montmarte in NYC, now EC of the Morgans Hotel Group
Christina Bowerman - was chef at the Driskill, is now chef at Michelin-starred Glass Hostaria in Rome
Lawrence Kocurek - recently CDC at Trace at the W, now EC and co-owner of upcoming Counter 3. Five. VII on Congress Ave.
Erica Waksmunski – owner and EC Red Star Southern trailer
Jason Stude - Chopped champion, left Austin to open the Stoneleigh in Dallas, now CDC at Congress
Stephen Trevino - former dishwasher at the Stoneleigh, now sous chef at Congress
John Hajash - Citywide 86'd champ 2013, now line cook for Sean Brock at Husk in Charleston
Rebecca Meeker - started at the Driskill, worked for Joel Robuchon, was then CDC at Congress; now EC at Jeffrey's
Curtis Cooke - now EC at Cad-a-Vie near Santa Monica
Oscar Marquez - formerly EC for Mandola's Italian Markets, now EC Napa Flats restaurant in College Station
Chef Tyson Cole is one of the few American chefs who can claim mastery of the art of sushi. His passion for Japanese cuisine led him to spend more than six years training under chef Takehiko Fuse at Austin's Musashino Sushi Dokoro as well as masters in Japan before opening Uchi (2003) and Uchiko (2010) to national acclaim.
Shawn Cirkiel - chef/owner Parkside Projects restaurant group: parkside, the backspace, Olive & June, chavez, the upcoming Bullfight tapas
Paul Qui - Top Chef winner 2011, founding member of East Side King, EC and owner qui
Casey Wilcox - CDC at Justine's
Deegan McClung - CDC at Danji in NYC
Tim Dornon - sous chef at Eleven Madison Park in NYC
Ek Timrerk - founding member of East Side King, EC and co-owner of former Spin Modern Thai Cuisine, now EC and co-owner of Kin and Comfort
Moto Utsonomaya - founding member of East Side King
Mat Clouser - EC and co-owner of Swift's Attic
Thai Chanthong - EC and co-owner Thai Kun trailer, named one of the Top 10 New Restaurants of 2014 by Bon Appetit
Shion Aikawa - chef and co-owner Ramen Tatsu-Ya
Ben McBride - CDC at chavez
Monica Glenn - pastry chef at qui
Sharon Gofreed - pastry chef JW Marriott in Houston
Fermin Nunez - concept chef for Rene Ortiz
Zach Hunter - CDC at the upcoming Fixe
Casey Fannin - EC and co-owner of the upcoming Fork & Taco
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tracing culinary backgrounds of local chefs, Alan Lazarus, Emmett Fox, David Bull, Tyson Cole
