TASTE OF ST. LOUIS – 2012 • SEPT. 28 – 30
SOLDIERS' MEMORIAL • FREE ADMISSION
Chef Jack W. MacMurray III
from Jack Mac’s Distinctive Taste
Executive Chef Jack W. MacMurray III (or “Jack Mac” as he is affectionately known), has accomplished much in his 20-year journey to the top of the culinary world – including taking the title: 2010 Taste of St. Louis Culinary Champion. A silver medal graduate of the Academy of Culinary Arts in Atlantic City, he’s cooked for countless celebrities, including Sigourney Weaver, Clint Eastwood, Whitney Houston, President Gerald Ford, Ross Perot, Lenox Lewis and John Glenn. He spent almost a decade as chef at the luxury, 5-star Sonnenalp resort in Vail, Colorado as well as Blu's Restaurant.
For the past 8 years, Jack has also been a cooking instructor which he has found to be quite rewarding. It gives him a chance to share his professional cooking experiences and help the “home cook” really enjoying their time in the kitchen. He even has a full line of custom spice rubs and other unique products which can be found at Jack Mac’s Distincitve Taste. We wish him the best of luck as he defends his title on the 2011 Culinary Stage!
Chef John Griffiths
from Truffles
A native of Oxford, Michigan, John Griffiths started his culinary career at 15 and became an Executive Chef at 22. It was at Bay Harbor Yacht Club where he met Larry Forgoine and began his journey to St. Louis, as Executive Chef at Forgoine’s American Place (now closed). Since his move to St. Louis in 2004, Griffiths has served as a consulting chef to numerous restaurants in St. Louis and across the country. Today, as Executive Chef at Truffles, he prepares a new menu every day to showcase the flavors of each season. Griffiths has trained with four Certified Master Chefs and traveled to Europe and southeast Asia to study, cook and compete.
John Griffiths has been featured with recipes and reviews in numerous media outlets including Gourmet Magazine, The Nation’s Restaurant News, Food Arts Magazine, Sauce Magazine, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Town and Style Magazine, St. Louis Magazine, Alive Magazine, The Detroit Free Press, Riverfront Times and the Zagat Guide: Top Tables of America. We look forward to seeing him on the culinary stage in 2011.
Chef Grace Dinsmoor
from Modesto
Grace Dinsmoor was born into the St. Louis restaurant scene at a very early age, working with Lisa Slay (Remy’s) and Tim Mallet (Big Sky Cafe), and later for Steve and Jaime Komerack from Trattoria Marcella. Self-taught in the art of Spanish cooking, her extensive travels to Spain and her passion of bringing true Spanish flavor to St. Louis are tastfully evident in the dishes she prepares at Modesto Tapas Bar and Restaurant on the Hill. Grace has 22 years of culinary experience – the last 10 of which have been spent at Modesto. Without hesitation or apology, Chef Grace brings to St. Louis the best Spanish ingredients, some of which would not otherwise be available in our city, or even the region. As the only female participant this year (and the second ever, in the seven year history of the Taste), her talent and specialty dishes are truly unique and we are very grateful to have her in the Chef Battle Royale Culinary Competition.
Chef Nicholas Miller
from Harvest Seasonal Market Cuisine
From the tender age of 8, Nicholas Miller used “My First Cookbook,” to conjure up tasty dishes and, from then on, knew that what he wanted most to be when he grew up – a chef. He landed his first gig at a Pizza Hut at 16 and soon left St. Louis to attend the California Culinary Academy of San Francisco. Chef Miller later returned to St. Louis where he worked at Harvest as a “grill guy”, then on to Sous Chef and later executive chef, and just recently to owner – as he purchased the well-established restaurant in 2010. Taking American cuisine to a new level by transforming seafood, steaks, chicken, game, and vegetables, chef Miller creates beautiful presentations of flavors and textures. We welcome him to the 2011 culinary stage!
Chef Jim Voss
from Duff’s Restaurant
Jim Voss has been the chef at Duff’s Restaurant for the last 35 years. During that time, he also served as the traveling chef for the Grateful Dead (from 1985-1995). He claims everyone starts small and works their way up, and yes, even the chef of the Grateful Dead started out washing dishes. As modest as Chef Voss can be, he is tough competitor to beat. In addition to his 40 years of experience, he has also cooked for celebrities such as Bob Dylan and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The Taste of St. Louis Chef Battle Royale pressure maybe high, but Voss certainly knows how to keep his cool.
Chef Chris Lee
from Sanctuaria
A dedicated culinary professional committed to the highest standards of food preparation, presentation and dining ambience, Chef Lee is an experienced chef highly accomplished in a wide range of foods including French, Asian, Italian and Contemporary cuisine. His accolades include awards such as the DiRona, top recognition in Wine Spectator, and Gourmet Magazine along with the honor of being of one of “St. Louis' Top 10 Up and Coming Professionals” in the Post Dispatch. As the current Executive Chef for Café Ventana, Chuy Arzola’s, and Sanctuaria, Chris Lee also oversees staffing, training and development of each location. In his “spare time”, Chef Lee is developing a BBQ concept and an Italian concept due to open in the next year. All three restaurants have been recognized in their own right for being ranked among the top restaurants in St. Louis by St. Louis Post Dispatch, Sauce Magazine, St. Louis Magazine, and Alive Magazine. Chris also writes the "Pro's Pantry" article for Feast magazine and is in the process of developing an online radio show called "Chef's Table". We are looking forward to chef Lee showcasing his expertise and style on this year’s Culinary Stage!
Chef Carl Hazel
from The Scottish Arms
As the 2011 winner of Riverfront Time’s Iron Fork competition, Chef Carl Hazel is no stranger to competition. His upbringing on a South East Missouri farm lead to his passion for slow food and influenced him to build his menus around locally available produce and meat. Even more impressive, he is a nose-to-tail chef, utilizing all parts of the animal for pates, head cheese and more. Chef Hazel is currently the Executive chef of the Scottish Arms, which has won best English/Irish/Scottish cuisine for the last 6 consecutive years, largely due to Chef Hazel. With 15 years of experience in the culinary field, chef Hazel held the position of Sous Chef at Sqwires in Lafayette Square, and prior to that, he was a consultant for Roxane of Clayton. He has also been featured in local media including Sauce Magazine, The Post Dispatch, The Riverfront Times, Great Day St. Louis and News Channel 11.
