Celebrity Judges
Fri., Aug. 25, 2006
Miguel Ravago
Executive chef at Fonda San Miguel and co-author of the award-winning cookbook Fonda San Miguel: Thirty Years of Food and Art, Miguel Ravago has been recognized by the James Beard Foundation as one of the Southwest's top chefs.Tyson Cole
The executive chef at Uchi, Tyson Cole studied under sushi masters in New York and Tokyo before opening his magnificently multicultural restaurant in Austin. He was voted "Best Chef" in the 2005 Austin Chronicle Reader's Poll and was named one of the Top 10 Chefs in America in 2005 by Food & Wine.
Tyson Cole
David Garrido
Currently Chuy's executive chef, David Garrido was formerly the executive chef at Jeffrey's and is the co-owner of O's Campus Cafe. Garrido once worked with Stephan Pyles at the Routh Street Cafe in Dallas. He is the co-author (with Robb Walsh) of Nuevo Tex-Mex: Festive New Recipes From Just North of the Border.Raul Herrera
Kitchen supervisor for Chuy's, Raul Herrera is chief in charge of food quality for the 11-store chain. Herrera was born in Delicias, Chihuahua, Mexico, and started working for Chuy's in 1988 as a dishwasher. He worked his way up to line cook, then assistant kitchen manager. Then, in 2003, he became a kitchen supervisor for the company. In his spare time, Herrera likes to whip up experimental salsas.Paula Disbrowe
Her last gig was working as the chef at a dude ranch on the Rio Frio. She has written about food for Food & Wine, Fortune, and The New York Times and is the former food editor of Restaurant Business magazine. Disbrowe is also the author of a new cookbook titled Cowgirl Cuisine: Rustic Recipes and Cowgirl Adventures From a Texas Ranch.Alan Lazarus
Chef and co-owner of the highly acclaimed Vespaio restaurant on South Congress Avenue and the new Enoteca Vespaio, a deli, pizzeria, and wine bar that has just opened next door, Alan Lazarus has long been considered one of Austin's top toques. Lazarus also spent several years serving as the executive chef for Whole Foods Market.Robb Walsh
(Founder and Head Judge)Restaurant critic of the Houston Press, Robb Walsh is the former food editor of The Austin Chronicle and former editor-in-chief of Chile Pepper magazine. A 12-time nominee for the James Beard Award and winner of the IACP's Bert Greene Award, Walsh is also the author of several bestsellers, including The Tex-Mex Cookbook.
