Scroll below to learn more about the best chefs from the best local restaurants that teach classes at Kitchen Conservatory.

Josh Allen

Josh Allen, Chef-owner of Companion Bakehouse, started his career in the San Francisco Bay area working in small bakeshops. At the tender age of 24, Josh opened the doors of Companion with a goal to provide the good folks of St. Louis with simple honest food that tastes extraordinary. When he's not baking, Josh spends time with his three beautiful daughters, two great dogs, and close friends. Though his passion is baking, he admits his guilty food pleasure is French fries with garlic! Chef Allen teaches a bread class quarterly at Kitchen Conservatory which sells out every time, so be sure to sign up early!

Jean Pierre Auge

Chef Jean-Pierre Auge became an apprentice chef in his hometown of Vatan, France at the age of thirteen. He has served President Charles de DeGaulle, the Queen of England, President Dwight Eisenhower, the Kennedys, Aristotle Onassis, actors, vice presidents, secretaries of state and several U.S. astronauts. Chef Jean-Pierre Auge has taught cooking classes for over thirty years. He is an entertaining story-teller, and offers delicious classic French cuisine. He has a flair for elegant presentations and sophisticated recipes.

Glenn Bardgett

Glenn Bardgett has been the Wine Director at Annie Gunn’s Restaurant and the Smoke House Market since 2001. He studied wine at the University of Hawaii.  Glenn worked the retail wine business for 30 years, including owning The Wine Cellar for 12 years. Glenn has taught at community colleges for over 15 years and at Missouri Botanical Garden.  He has been a member of the Missouri Wine and Grape Board for over 15 years and judges wine competitions. He hosted a weekly wine chat on America Online for eight years. Glenn is a certified sommelier and a certified specialist of wine. Glenn writes two monthly columns “MO Wine” and “Drink This” for Sauce Magazine. A passionate promoter of Missouri wines, Glenn was awarded the Pioneer Award in 2009 from the Missouri Grape and Wine Programs. Glenn uses his corkscrew collection on a daily basis.  

Terry Black

Terry Black is the chef-owner of Super Smokers. He is a winner of the whole hog division at the World Barbeque Championship, plus he has won several Illinois state barbeque championships. He demystifies grilling and barbequing over charcoal , and his delectable ribs have been a class (and staff!) favorite for many years.

Eric Brenner

Eric Brenner’s culinary pursuit began at an early age working in restaurants in St. Louis’ famous Italian neighborhood known as “The Hill”.  He found a love for the simplicity of the bold flavors in Italian cuisine. While fulfilling his collegiate studies in communications and fine arts, he gained his first position as chef at the age of 23. Four years later, Brenner decided to enroll in the well-respected culinary program at Forest Park College in St. Louis.

To further expand his understanding and talents, he accepted a two-year apprenticeship at the St. Louis Country Club, St. Louis’ oldest and most exclusive private club.  The Bistro at GrandCenter and Chez Leon have given Brenner two backdrops to further his reputation as one of St. Louis’ most watched and awarded chefs. Moxy, just next door to Chez Leon, has quickly become the jewel of the CWE. Moxy was voted Best New Restaurant by the RFT and St. Louis Magazine for 2004 and Chef Brenner was named Chef of the Year in Sauce Magazine.

Chef Brenner has participated in numerous culinary competitions, benefits, guest chef appearances, and live cooking demonstrations while teaching frequent classes at the Kitchen Conservatory.  He also is Consulting Chef for Kaldi’s Coffeehouses throughout Missouri, Araka Restaurant and Sub Zero Vodka Bar.

Alex Brooks

Alex Brooks started his coffee career at a little cafe in O'Fallon, MO at the age of 17, and was introduced to a coffee that changed an industry. He dedicates his career to the pursuit of excellence. Things really got rolling when he started to work for Picassos Coffee House in St Charles, MO. Since then, he has worked for Edwardsville, IL based Goshen Coffee Company as a sales/training rep, and as a barista for one of the best cafes in Portland, OR, Coffeehouse 5. He is constantly pushing his experience of coffee, and his latest adventure is with the Pi Coffee Bar at Pi's Central West End location.

Bradley Burns

Bradley Burns of Lorenzo's Trattoria on the Hill teaches the secrets of delectable Italian potato gnocchi and sauces.

Bryan Carr

Bryan Carr and his wife, Diane, own and operate the charming and delightful Pomme Restaurant and Pomme Cafe and Wine Bar in Clayton. They are also the proprietors of Mockingbird Market in Olivette. Bryan, who specializes in French cuisine, learned his craft from French chefs in California where he worked for ten years before returning to Missouri.

Robin Chestnas

Robin has always loved to cook. Her husband, John, is her biggest fan and official taster when their two girls, ages 20 and five, are not around.  Plus, John’s a pretty good cook in his own right and they enjoy cooking together. Robin started Silver Spoon Catering in Summer 2004 when she offered to cook for a bridal shower and, voila, her small catering company was formed. She would love to open a small bakery/dessert shop one day, but for now she’s happy cooking and baking for family and friends for any occasion.

Bob Colosimo

Robert “Bob” Colosimo was born and raised in Warren, Pennsylvania and upon graduation from high school attended the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY graduating in April 1980. Bob began his traveling food career in 1981 joining Holland America Cruise Line sailing on board several oceangoing cruise ships, including a world cruise in 1984. In 1984, Bob joined St. Louis-based Clipper Cruise Line as executive chef. During this period, Bob had the opportunity to work on passenger ships, river boats in Europe and on the American Orient Express Luxury Train. Bob also has worked as an adjunct instructor at St. Louis Community College, Forest Park.

In 2008, Bob joined the Eleven Eleven Mississippi Restaurant team and in 2009 became the general manager/executive chef. Bob is a Certified Executive Chef and Certified Culinary Administrator.

Katy Colson

Katy Colson, who has taught cooking classes for more than five years, trained at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, and The Natural Gourmet Institute for Food and Health in New York. Katy has been cooking up healthful, luscious, gourmet meals for over 20 years. She believes that food is meant to enjoy, to share and to nourish. Her simple philosophy of delicious food full of goodness makes her cooking classes memorable.

Anne Cori

The owner of Kitchen Conservatory, Anne Cori has taught cooking classes for over fifteen years. She trained by working in restaurant kitchens in Italy, France, and New Orleans. She operated a catering business, Amuse-Bouche Catering, in St. Louis for ten years. She has produced several videos on cooking called Mastering the Kitchen. She is a Certified Culinary Professional by the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

Christine Cradock

Christine Cradock grew up in Webster Groves, went to Nerinx Hall High School (don't we all want to know) and later attended Fontbonne University, graduating with a degree in Public Relations. But after working for a small PR firm, she realized that offices were not for her. She found herself most happy cooking and creating meals for family and friends, as well as exploring new restaurants. So with their support and encouragement, Christine decided it was time to follow her passion and work in the restaurant industry. Christine got her feet wet at the eclectic Radio Maria restaurant in Champaign, IL, and at Blue Water Grill in Kirkwood, MO. She decided to attend the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York in 2003. While in school, Christine was offered an externship (and eventually a job) working under Ming Tsai at Blue Ginger in Wellesley, Massachusetts. She graduated the CIA and stayed on with Blue Ginger until 2006, when she decided to come back home to St. Louis. She worked as a line cook, then as sous chef at Niche. Christine came to Big Sky Cafe as the sous chef in September 2008.

Gerard Ford Craft

Gerard Ford Craft, the chef-owner of Niche, Brasserie by Niche and Taste by Niche, is one of the most celebrated chefs in St. Louis and has been honored by Food and Wine magazine as one of the ten best new chefs of 2008 in the United States. In 2009, Gerard was a best chef finalist for the James Beard Award. Chef Craft and Niche have been named Chef of the Year and Best Restaurant by Sauce Magazine readers for the past four years.

Derek Craig

Derek Craig is the executive chef at Jimmy's on the Park, a lovely restaurant in the DeMun neighborhood in Clayton.

Jamie De Weer

Jamie De Weer is the owner of Jamie Bakes, a custom-order cupcake company that specializes in delicious cupcakes and hand-sculpted fondant cupcake toppers. Jamie fell in love with baking as a child in her grandma’s kitchen. Her adult life has been a sweet confusion of her love of learning and her love of cooking. She went to Middlebury College where languages helped her to taste her way around the world. After college, she earned three masters degrees, one from Harvard, studying culinary metaphors in Latin American Literature. While teaching Spanish in St. Louis for the past few years, Jamie has been perfecting the cupcake recipes that led her to open Jamie Bakes. Jamie Bakes creates custom-order cupcakes with hand-sculpted fondant toppers for special events and ordinary days. All cupcakes are made from scratch with quality ingredients and unique attention to detail. Jamie Bakes can be found at www.jamiebakesonline.com or www.jamiebakesblog.com.

Colby Erhart

Colby Erhart, 24, started his culinary career at the age of 16 while attending Lafayette High School in Wildwood, working at St. Louis Club and learning from former White House chef Pierre Chambrin. At 18, Colby attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY and after graduation, returned to St. Louis to work at Eau Bistro in the Chase Park Plaza. His love for classic French cuisine landed him a job as the sous chef at Chez Leon. Chef Erhart is now the Executive Chef at Chez Leon, and his favorite dishes include pâté de foie gras, duck confit, traditional Provençal bouillabaisse, and Coquilles St. Jacques.

Rocky Fino

Rocky Fino, the author of Will Cook for Sex and Will Mix for Sex, shows how to improve relationships with a little effort in the kitchen. Rocky learned to cook from his dad ('The Old Man') and has enjoyed cooking and eating since he was a child. It wasn't until he got older that he was enlightened to the true value of cooking. "I realized that a short, big-nosed Italian wasn't exactly a women's first choice. I needed an edge. The first time that I experienced the results of cooking for a date that solidified my respect for food. I was young, the meal was marginal and she was too naive to know any better. I got lucky. I never questioned the power of food again." He has appeared throughout the country at presenting at Food and Wine Expos and cooking demonstrations. There are two truths about men and women. "Women love chivalry and men want to get lucky. Cooking is the catalyst that can fuse the two." Rocky relates his own personal stories of trial and plenty of error to dating and the use of food with dating.

Dorothy Firestone

Dorothy Firestone was reared in Belleville, Illinois and graduated from the University of Illinois, where, hard to believe, she refused to major in English because it involved writing. Later, when food processors appeared in kitchens, she refused to buy one because “who wants to cook that much.” About 30 years ago, she realized that writing and cooking were what she really wanted to do, and she has been doing both ever since. (She is on her third computer and third food processor.)

For over twenty years, she wrote free-lance food features for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. For twelve years, she wrote the TableTalk column in the St. Louis Jewish Light. In TableTalk: A Cookbook and Memoir, she has brought together her favorite foods and food stories. She lives in Clayton, Missouri with her husband, Billy Firestone, and still enjoys cooking.

Helen Fletcher

Helen Fletcher comes from a food writing background which included newspapers and magazines, and was a consultant to Cuisinart before writing her first book, The New Pastry Cook in 1986. Three years later she opened Truffes, Inc., her wholesale bakery which services restaurants, caterers and hotels. Helen focuses her time on the bakery, as well as restarting her writing career with articles appearing in the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

To see what her bakery does, please visit her website, www.gooeychocolate.com where over 200 photos await you.  Helen's love of teaching is equaled by her enthusiasm for all things food.  She considers it a privilege to teach at Kitchen Conservatory.

Chuck Friedhoff

After nearly a decade of service at facilities in Massachusetts, St. Louis native Chuck Friedhoff joins the staff at Persimmon Woods Country Club. He was the Executive Chef at Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts for six years, and then Chef Chuck returned to St. Louis in 2007 to serve in the same executive capacity for J. Buck's in Clayton. During his experiences in Massachusetts and in Missouri, Chef Chuck developed a fondness for creating dishes utilizing locally produced foods. He takes great care to incorporate produce from farms within the region. Chef Chuck, who studied under local chef Christopher Desens at The Racquet Club West, describes his cooking style as rustic American. "My goals are to provide full flavored foods that are also visually pleasing," he says. "I'd like to make our offerings a mix of home-style comfort food with the occasional twist."

Joshua Galliano

Growing up in South Louisiana gave Joshua Galliano a great appreciation for the life of the city and the ways of the country. After working at various restaurants in Baton  Rouge, Josh was lucky enough to find two mentors who encouraged his passion for food. The quest for knowledge and experience in cooking led Josh past a Master's degree in Political Science to a Grand Diplome from Le Cordon Bleu in London. Josh has worked at Commander's Palace and Brennan's in New Orleans, and also with  Daniel Boulud in New York.

 After evacuating New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, Josh and his wife have begun a new life in the Midwest. Now, Josh has a new home at Monarch where he highlights the bounty of local farmers and modern interpretations of American regional cuisine.

Jerad Gardner

As the previous beverage manager for Amalgamated Brewing, Jerad Gardner was responsible for selecting the craft beers available at The Stable (in South St. Louis) and The Rotten Apple (in Grafton, Illinois). The Stable has been awarded Best Beer List in St. Louis by The Riverfront Times in both 2008 & 2009 and featured on St. Louis Magazine's 2009 A-List. He enjoys sharing his knowledge of beer while teaching couples classes with his girlfriend, Kelly Schmickle.

Brian Hale

Chef Brian Hale began his career in Milan, Italy and boasts over sixteen years experience as a St. Louis culinary professional in such premier dining locations as Al Baker's, Harry's Downtown, Sqwires, and Monarch Restaurant. Chef Hale finds inspiration in the flavors of the Southwest and Asia as well as classical French cooking techniques. He is the executive chef at Eau Bistro and Café in the Chase Park Plaza.

Joe Herbert

A native St. Louisan, Joe Herbert, learned the ins and outs of the restaurant business from his older brother, Ron, the owner of Rizzo's South County. After traveling to France to further develop his culinary skills, he worked as the chef at Chez Leon in the Central West End for several years. Joe especially enjoys teaching hands-on classes and his amiable personality makes everyone feel at ease in the kitchen.

Jim Jackson

Jim Jackson grew up in Saint Louis and started cooking when he was 17, attended the culinary program at Forest Park when he was 20. Jim worked his way up the private club scene before landing a spot as a sous chef at Truffles, and was promoted to head chef last year. Jim lives in Granite City with his wife Lesa and their newborn son James Michael.

Wes Johnson and Brendan Noonan

Wes Johnson, chef de cuisine at Eclipse, is a food junkie, a complete food junkie. He has spent the last fifteen years traveling across the United States perfecting his craft and sampling the best flavors America has to offer. Having found his way back to his home state, Wes set to work preparing dishes that combine the gourmet food of his travels with the comfort food of his youth in a delicious and whimsical way. After spending the last few years working at The Scottish Arms and Shaved Duck, Wes is excited to get to cooking at the Eclipse.

Brendan Noonan, the executive sous chef at Eclipse, is a native of St. Louis. Brendan has been working in the industry in various capacities since high school. Leaving St. Louis to study in Chicago and Rhode Island, Brendan began to develop his signature style. Upon returning to St. Louis, Brendan worked as the executive chef at the Scottish Arms and then helped open the Shaved Duck where he once again served as executive chef. Combining European techniques with American sensibilities, Brendan oversaw the kitchen of a favorite restaurant.

Margi Kahn

Margi Kahn, who bakes fresh bread in her home every day, has been teaching bread baking and other cooking classes at Kitchen Conservatory for almost twenty years. Her engaging and passionate personality inspires all of her students to start sourdough starters, hand-knead doughs, and bake irresistable breads. Many local and national publications have featured her excellent bread-baking skills.

Eric Kelly

Eric Kelly is the executive chef at ~Scape. With an insatiable appetite for knowledge and passion for many cuisines, chef Eric Kelly has set himself apart from the crowd with great success in the premium hotel/resort industry and multiple restaurant concept developments in global cuisines.  Italian, French, American and Asian cuisines have become the benchmarks of Eric’s continued success.  Eric started in California working in a variety of restaurants.  Eric joined the team at Le Meridian Resort in Coronado Island, Calif., where he had the privilege of working with Master Pastry Chef Yves Fournier.  Eric enrolled in the California Sushi Academy and then founded the extremely successful sushi restaurant “Kona Grill. ”  In 2001, Eric joined Levy Restaurants as the Executive Chef at Wolfgang Puck Grand Café – Orlando. In 2005, Eric became the Area Chef for the Restaurant Group at Levy Restaurants where he managed the culinary direction at a number of Restaurant locations. Today, Eric has come to St. Louis to stay and focus all of his time on Scape.

Adam Lambay

Chaumette Vineyards & Winery's culinary program is headed by Executive Chef Adam Lambay, whose goal is to appeal to a wide audience by focusing on the overall tasting experience for each dish, matching visual appeal and taste. “A balance of all the senses is the fundamental component of a good dish. The dish must not be overdone in presentation but should be straightforward, appealing and suggestive of its taste.” Contemporary American is the most befitting category for Chef Adam’s menus with French, Indian, Asian and Italian influences. Classically trained and a Zagat award-winner, Chef Adam and has spent the past decade “chef-ing” at such St. Louis favorites as Café Mira, 12 North Café and Portabella Restaurant, and he is a regular chef instructor at Kitchen Conservatory in Clayton. Chef uses local foods whenever possible from such producers as Ladd Family Farms, County Line Farms Windrush Farms, Flieg Family Farms, Stonie’s Sausage Shop, Baetje Farms and SayersBrook Bison. Chef Adam is a big supporter of the Mississippi River Hills Association, of which Chaumette Winery is a member, comprised of local food producers, wineries and craftspeople to further promote the local products of our region. Adam works closely with Chaumette’s horticulturist to cultivate herbs and other produce for use in his menus.

Christopher Lee

Christopher Lee grew up in St. Louis and graduated from Francis Howell High School. He then enlisted in the United States Navy where he worked long hours in an environment with an average temperature of 160 degrees. To this day, "the heat in the kitchen" doesn't get to him. He then went to work for the late Jean Claude Guilloussou at L'Auberge Bretonne, who he considered his mentor and friend. He has also worked at Cafe de France, the Ritz-Carlton, the Chase Park Plaza and Melange, which was owned by his family.

Chris takes a simple, light approach to food, with a serious interest in food as a restorative and he cooks with lots of spices and herbs. He is currently the executive chef at Cafe Ventana and Tables on Lindell. Chris thoroughly enjoys the opportunity to teach and to share his passion with so many people.

Simon Lehrer

Raised in rural Wisconsin on a family farm, Simon Lehrer has had a passion for locally grown, sustainable, artisanal foods. He is an award winning cheesemonger with an exceptional record of service for locally notable establishments including Niche, Tony’s, Pomme, and The Scottish Arms. He has been featured in articles in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Sauce Magazine and various industry periodicals. With more than eight years of expertise in all facets of cheese and specialty foods, he is known as one of St. Louis’ experts in all things cheese!

Justin Leszcz

Justin Leszcz is a seasoned veteran of St. Louis’ culinary scene. He began his culinary training at the St. Louis Community College at Forest Park and spent years working in the kitchens of the area’s most notable chefs including Eric Brenner, Christopher Lee, Kenji Nemoto, and Bruce Piatek II. In 2008, fueled by a passion for wholesome, ethical food, Justin and his wife started YellowTree Farm, a sustainable urban homestead where Justin is in charge of growing the food they eat. Justin also frequently sells the homestead’s excess harvests to local restaurants, offers consulting services to other gardeners in need of help, and can grow specific varieties of vegetables or herbs upon request.

Theresa Liu

Cookbook author Theresa Liu has been teaching cooking classes for twenty years. Her specialty is the food and culture of her native China, plus other Asian cuisines. As a reading specialist in the Parkway School District, she has the ability to simplify and explain the foods of Asia.

Jon Lowe

Jon Lowe, Executive Chef at Oceano Bistro, was born and raised in Central Kentucky. Since the age of eleven, he has been working toward his goal of becoming an Executive Chef. After graduating from Johnson & Wales University in 1998, Jon accepted a sous chef position at a nearby catering company in Charleston, South Carolina. Vanna White and Bill Murray were just a few of the celebrities he entertained with his artistic culinary skills. Shortly after, Jon obtained a position at The Charleston Grill under renowned Chef Bob Waggoner. While there, he experimented with what the locals in the area call low-country cooking and combined it with French influences.

In 2000, Chef Lowe moved to Memphis to open a Mediterranean concept for a small company outside of Kansas City, Missouri. Eventually the company transferred him to St. Louis where he was able to contribute with handling daily operation and creating special dinners for the community.

Ivy Magruder

Ivy Magruder was born in St. Louis and graduated from Vianney High School. He attended Johnson & Wales University in Charleston, South Carolina, and after working at various restaurants, including Flying Fish Cafe at Disney's Boardwalk, he moved back to St. Louis in 2001. He had been the chef at Eleven Eleven Mississippi since it opened, and is currently at Vin-de-Set. Ivy's cooking motto is KISS (keep it simple stupid), and his fun-loving and "simple" approach are evident in his teaching style. 

Barry Marcus

Barry Marcus is a pastry chef instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in New York City. A one time instructor in the Microcomputer Program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, he "got the New York bug" and with his wife and dogs close behind, moved from the Midwest to find his place in the big city restaurant scene. He succeeded, landing positions in the prestigious pastry and confectionery kitchens of Payard Patisserie, The Tribeca Grill and Le Cirque 2000, before being offered a full-time faculty position at ICE by Chef Nick Malgieri, dean of Pastry Arts.

Now residing once again in St. Louis, he regularly makes the trip east to teach specialty professional development courses in pastry, confectionery and sugar art. His three- and five-day seminars in the Art of Pulled Sugar are popular with recent graduates of the Institute's Professional Pastry Program as well as with seasoned culinary professionals in and around the New York area. A blue-ribbon graduate of ICE, Barry studied the art of pulled sugar under the tutelage of Ewald Notter at the International School of Confectionery Arts in the U.S. and with Othmar Fassbind at the Fabilo International School of Sugar Art in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Emily Marshall

Chef-owner Emily Marshall of Napa Catering is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. She worked for three years in restaurants in Napa Valley, including Tra Vigne. She has been catering elegant parties in St. Louis since 1999 and is known for her creative hors d’oeuvres. Her popular participation classes at Kitchen Conservatory allow all the students to master essential culinary techniques.

Cary McDowell

Cary McDowell began his career in New York City under the mentorship of Daniel Boulud. Inspired by all the great restaurants of New York, he moved to St. Louis to open his own restaurant, The Crossing, which he co-owned with a friend for 8 years. He then took a position with Wolfgang Puck's as Regional Executive Chef. After traveling extensively for the next few years between St. Louis and Indianapolis, Cary returned to open Revival and he is now at Winslow's Home. Cary's students appreciate his enthusiasm and easy-going approach to cooking.

Neville McNaughton

Neville McNaughton’s career started on a 30 cow dairy farm in Riverton New Zealand where his father as a Director of the local Dairy Cheese Factory. No coincidence that Neville gravitated to another local Dairy operation when he graduated High School in 1972. By 1977 Neville had graduated from Massey University in Palmerstone North with a Diploma in Dairy Technology. In 1975 Neville had commenced employment with The New Zealand Cooperative Rennet Company as a Cheesemaker, it was here that his extensive knowledge of cheese began. Having moved from a Conventional Cheddar Cheese plant it was hear that he gained knowledge in Blue, Havarti, Danbo, Gouda, Edam, Emmental, Romano, Feta, Parmesan and Process Cheese. When Neville departed this company in 1975 sales had increased 600% and he was managing 55 people. But the entrepreneurial spirit saw him team up with Ross McCallum in 1983 and begin what was to become a bellwether operation for the New Zealand Dairy Industry. Kapiti Cheese became New Zealand’s premier brand for specialty cheese in the 80’s and 90’s and achieved sales of nearly $25 million prior to being sold in 2003. In the USA Neville has held various positions with, The New Zealand Dairy Board, (now Fontera), Marin French Cheese, Imperial Biotechnology, Innovative Ingredients and since 2001 has operated CheezSorce,L.L.C. a consulting company providing technical services to the emerging and existing Cheesemakers in North America. Neville is a member of the board of directors for the ACS (American Cheese Society – www.cheesesociety.org) Has a contract with the DBIC (Dairy Business Innovation Center) since its inception.

Jack West MacMurray, III

A native of New Jersey, Chef Jack Mac found his way to St. Louis after spending 10 years as a chef in Vail, Colorado. A 1992 silver-medalist graduate of the Academy of Culinary Arts in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Chef MacMurray has cooked for many famous people, including Emeril Lagasse and President Gerald Ford. He has held the executive chef position at Wild Horse Grill and Old Hickory Country Club in St. Louis. His local favorite restaurants are Fuji Sushi and Monarch. Now Chef MacMurray is executive chef at Sage, 1031 Lynch Street, which opened in 2007 to rave reviews. Jack's engaging teaching style and passion for cooking make his participation classes especially fun.

Dawn Meyer

Dawn Meyer has been teaching cooking classes for ten years. She specializes in the cuisines of Mexico and Spain, which trace her family heritage. Plus, she enjoys teaching charming classes for children and gingerbread house making. She team-teaches couples classes with her brother-in-law and amateur cook, Larry Meyers.

Barb Nack

Barb Nack is our fabulous director of the Kitchen Conservatory cooking school. Barb had a mid-life career change; she followed her heart and love of cooking when she quit her job in the medical field and went full-time to culinary school. She is a graduate of the culinary program at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park. Barb loves to cook and entertain for her family and friends, and enjoys being with fellow foodies. Her favorite cuisine is American comfort food.

Kevin Nashan

Kevin Nashan, owner and chef of Sidney Street Cafe, studied at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Honored as a semi-finalist for the James Beard Foundation Awards 2009 - Best Chef Midwest, Kevin is also an avid tri-athlete.

Phil Nekic of Bob's Seafood

Phil Nekic, who has worked at Bob’s Seafood for many years, teams up with local chefs for very popular classes on how to cook fish. He brings in a market basket of fresh fish and shows how to select and cut the freshes fish.

Phil Noe

Phil Noe is the chef-owner at Mia Rosa, a rustic coastal Italian restaurant in the Grove neighborhood. He has taught many cooking classes at Kitchen Conservatory over the last 15 years and worked for many years as the chef at the Blue Water Grill. Grilled fish and seafood is his specialty.

Angela Ortmann

"A hospitality professional, trained in San Francisco, striving to share exceptional food and wine with Saint Louis and the Midwest, making the world of food and wine more approachable and accessible for everyone!" STLwinegirl Angela Ortmann is a hospitality professional whose passion in life is food and wine. A St. Louis native, Angela was fortunate to spend four years in San Francisco improving her food, wine and service knowledge. She worked her way up from simple cafes and corporate restaurant chains to employment by some of the Bay Area's top restaurants, including Mobil four- and five-star restaurants, Michelin star rated locations and with James Beard award-winning chefs. Angela then advanced to management of the food and beverage outlets in top luxury hotels such as the St. Regis San Francisco and the Ritz-Carlton Saint Louis. She is a certified sommelier and an expert in guest relations. Her knowledge also includes spirits and cocktails. Angela is not only a guest services professional with five-star demeanor but is also a fun-loving individual who enjoys hosting an exciting, entertaining event. STLwinegirl specializes in food and wine pairings, In Home Tastings, classes, local events, corporate functions, special occasions, client entertainment, art functions, wedding celebrations and more. She is dedicated to spreading her love and passion for great wine and flavorful, seasonal food. She is committed to usin a wide assortment of foods and wines of the world as well as supporting the local industry. STLwinegirl only uses products that are available at local retailers for clients' easy accessibility.

Cindy Ott

A certified elementary school teacher who taught pre-school for ten years, Cindy Ott has taught the children’s gingerbread house making classes at Kitchen Conservatory for over 12 years. Her enthusiastic and easy-going style inspires everyone to enjoy cooking.

James Peisker

James Peisker began his culinary career at The Gatesworth at One McKnight Place. After graduating high school he attended Forest Park Community College and competed with the American Culinary Federation state jr. team. After a year he moved to Hyde Park, New York to attend The Culinary Institute of America. After graduation James went to study for two weeks at the Sichuan Higher Institute of Cuisine in the Sichuan region in China and learned local cuisine and culture. He then moved back to St. Louis and started working at Old Warrson Country Club as a roundsman. After his time at O.W. he started at Niche in Benton Park. He later became sous chef and then moved over to Taste by Niche. Now James is the Executive sous chef at Brassiere by Niche in the Central West End.

Natalia Penchaszdeh

Natalia Penchaszadeh became fascinated by cooking during her childhood in Venezuela, where she was surrounded by exquisite Caribbean food. At age 20, she started Bienmesabe, a small catering company named after an amazing Venezuelan dessert. Upon completing her professional studies, she started working for other companies and restaurants, as a cook, pastry chef, and executive chef. Since moving to St. Louis in 2006, Natalia has worked for several restaurants, including Mosaic, The Fountain on Locust, and Rue Lafayette and Le Cafe. Natalia loves teaching the cuisine of her native Argentina and enjoys the wonderful opportunity to share her enthusiam with the students of Kitchen Conservatory.

Bruce and Anne Piatek

Bruce Piatek II has worked as the executive chef at several St. Louis restaurants, including Eleven Eleven Mississippi. His wife, Anne Piatek, is a personal chef. Together, they team-teach memorable cooking classes at Kitchen Conservatory.

Bernard Pilon

Chef Bernard Pilon, of Norwood Hills Country Club, has been teaching classes regularly at Kitchen Conservatory for over 10 years. Hailing from Montreal, he refined his culinary craft in restaurants, hotels and country clubs. It is also important to note that he spent a year in another “St. Lou” – St. Lucia in the Caribbean – because it was where he met his future wife while both were working at the renowned Club Med Resort.

A resident of St. Louis since 1996, Chef Pilon is very active in the cooking community. He is on the advisory board for L’Ecole Culinaire, is an active member of the Chef de Cuisine Association of St. Louis, and is involved in Operation Food Search. When he’s not cooking, he can be found running marathons, playing ice hockey, quoting Shakespeare, or enjoying jazz music with a glass of wine on one of his yearly visits to Napa. Everyone looks forward to his patient teaching at monthly cooking classes with amazing food preparations.

Stefani Pollack

Stefani Pollack has always enjoyed baking from scratch. At dinner one night, some good friends mentioned that they were trying to decide where to buy cupcakes for their wedding. Having never baked a cupcake before, Stefani decided to master the cupcake for this occasion. She has been experimenting with all kinds of cupcakes ever since. Stefani writes a cupcake blog, Cupcake Project, which is read by over 40,000 people a month. On the blog, she shares with her readers the lessons she has learned from all of her experiments - both what works and what doesn't.

Marianne Prey

Marianne Prey, M.D. is the proprietor of Extra Virgin, an Olive Ovation, the first store of its kind to hit the St. Louis market. A local physician and pathologist who has long studied the health benefits of a diet rich in olive oil and olive products, Prey is an avid amateur chef who founded Extra Virgin to share her knowledge and love of all things olive.

With a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Food Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a MD degree from the University of Illinois, Prey was employed as a pathologist for the nation’s largest reference laboratory for more than 18 years, achieving the position of medical director for the St. Louis laboratory.

Prey has received formal education and training about the olive oil industry, which includes attending a course at the University of California at Davis where she studied key curriculum points such as: the anatomy of taste; the scientific approach to tasting; food pairing; agricultural aspects; methods for pressing olives, and an historical perspective of the olive industry.

As the St. Louis area’s most unique gourmet market and the first of its kind to feature olive oil tasting, Extra Virgin is designed to reflect the charm and fascination of an old world European market square. Patrons are invited to experience artisan extra virgin olive oils, olive-related specialty foods, unique gifts and accessories.

Naam Pruitt

Naam Pruitt is a Thai cuisine expert and author of Lemongrass & Limes, a colorful introduction to Thai cooking. A Thai native, Naam was raised in Prachuabkirikhan, Thailand. Her father, raised by Thai Buddhist monks, worked as a Thai government spy in Burma and later as a journalist. Naam learned the secrets of Thai cooking from her mother, who taught her how to find the best fruits, vegetables and meat at the lowest prices. She learned how to master the subtle techniques and skills of Thai food by watching her mother cook every day.

Naam first came to the U.S.  in 1987 as a high school exchange student, spending a year in Maryland. After returning to Thailand, she met her future husband, an Iowan who had moved to Asia as a teenager along with his family. They were married in 1990 and moved to Texas, where she worked as a special food assistant at the athletic dining hall at A&M University, creating attractive food presentations for hungry football players. She graduated from the Wilton School of Cake Decorating, where she learned to decorate cakes and make pulled sugar creations. Later she operated her own catering business.

After living in Independence, Kansas for the past decade and teaching Thai cooking, Naam and her family moved to Saint Louis in 2008. She has taught at New York’s Institute of Culinary Education. She also has regular Thai demonstrations at The Giant Eagle Market District in Pittsburgh, PA. She returns to Thailand at least once each year to find new flavors and ideas.  She and her husband Dennis have two children.  Naam is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, and Women Chefs & Restaurateurs.

Vito Racanelli

Vito Racanelli, Jr. says that "food has been my life since I was a little boy. My parents are from Italy and I was very lucky to grow up around traditional, homemade Italian food for "real" people." His passion is to cook with fresh ingredients and with the love for food. A native New Yorker, chef Vito is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island and has been cooking for almost 20 years, including working at the Le Parker-Meridien in Manhattan and the Chase Park Plaza in St. Louis. He has passion, fun, and a kind-hearted attitude. "I love food, it is my life; it is my soul." Currently, he is the executive chef at Onesto. Frequently, his mother helps him in teaching cooking classes.

Matthew Rice

Matthew Rice has been the pastry chef at the acclaimed Niche restaurant since it opened in 2005. Born in North Carolina, Matthew attributes his mom for his loving of baking. Chef  Rice graduated from Johnson & Wales University before beginning his culinary career, with stints at the Metropolitan in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Richmond Hill Inn in Asheville, North Carolina, before moving to St. Louis. His goal is to change the way St. Louisans eat desserts by raising the bar for expectations.

Sid Roberts of the Gumbo Shop

Mary Ann Robinson

Mary Ann Robinson's interest in making cookies started when she began collecting cookie cutters over 30 years ago. During this time, she has accumulated over 7,000 in her collection.

Mary Ann taught herself through trial and error how to hand-paint the cookies with icing, using tiny artist brushes. In 2000, she turned this hobby into a business when she opened Cookie Creations. During the years her retail store was open, her cookies won awards, were featured in the Food Section of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and she was featured several times on TV shows such as Show Me St. Louis. She even had the opportunity to make cookies for celebrities, such as Ozzie Smith, Bob Costas, the Cardinals baseball team and President Bush.

After closing her store, she and her husband had a character education program that they presented to schools and church groups, where he was the Gingerbread Man and she was the Baking Lady. Mary Ann enjoys sharing her knowledge of cookie making. She hopes to encourage families to take time to share this fun activity and to make special memories together. She and other members of the Cookie Cutter Collectors Club want to ensure that making cutout cookies doesn't become a lost art in a fast-paced world.

Lou Rook

Lou Rook has been the executive chef for Annie Gunn's in Chesterfield for 15 years, and has transformed Annie Gunn's from a little known local spot with good pub food, to a nationally recognized, Zagat award-winning, restaurant with an outstanding wine list and consistently superb food. 

Lou grew up in the restaurant business, beginning at the age of thirteen he helped in his family's diner, King Louie's in Wood River, Illinois. By the time he was sixteen, he was managing the restaurant himself, and establishing a thriving catering business. From that early experience, his career path was decided.  He went to the University of Missouri, Columbia and graduated with a B.S. in Food Service and Lodging Management. He then attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Throughout college he worked at various restaurants and catering companies, gaining as much practical experience as he could.  He worked for two years at the Trellis restuarant in Williamsburg, VA under the tutelage of chef Marcel Desaulniers. He returned to St. Louis and worked as assistant chef at Cardwell's in Clayton and was chef-owner of Grappa in the Central West End.

At Annie Gunn's, Lou offers hearty, American cuisine. He changes the menu on a monthly basis to incorporate the freshest quality ingredients, as well as seasonal produce.  Lou believes in using the highest-quality, farm-fresh produce.  Annie Gunn's has received numerous pretigious awards including Top Tables from Gourmet Magazine, the Award of Excellencefrom Wine Spectator Magazine, and Lou and Annie Gunn's were featured on the Food Network's Taste of the Nation, representing the best restaurants in the Midwest.  Lou was a James Beard nominee for the Best Chef in the Midwest.  He is an active member of the James Beard Foundation, The Chef's Collabrative, The Missouri Restaurant Association, and the American Culinary Federation. Married to his wife Shannon for 11 years, Lou has three daughters and resides in Wildwood. 

Christie Saali

A graduate of the California Culinary Academy, Christie Saali is the pastry chef for Sidney Street Cafe. She has been passionate about cooking delicious food for many years. She worked at the St. Louis Club and in France. She has taught cooking on a wide variety of cuisines and themes. Christie has taught cooking classes at Kitchen Conservatory for three years and spent four years in Chicago teaching cooking classes. Her favorites include French pastries, Indian food, and anything made with pork.

Mark A. Sanfilippo

Mark A. Sanfilippo received a B.A. in German Literature as well as a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Missouri - Saint Louis. He then went on to earn his M.A.L.A. in Philosophy from St. John's College in Santa Fe. He spent the next few years working as a freelance writer in Los Angeles, before joining the culinary arts and landing a Prep Manager position at Mario Batali and Nancy Silverton's three-star Pizzeria Mozza. He worked his way up the ranks at the restaurant, and ultimately managed a team of prep cooks, in addition to helping develop the restaurant's nascent salumi program. At Mozza, Mark trained in the traditional Italian art of curing meats, including guanciale, lardo, pancetta, coppa, and salami. Mark and his wife recently relocated back to his hometown of St. Louis to start a small artisan salami company, called Salume Beddu. He specializes in high-quality salumi, fresh salsiccia, and other Italian delicacies. Salume Beddu is dedicated to utilizing hormone-free and antibiotic-free locally-raised pork for their products.

Maria Sakellariou

Maria Sakellariou is a true lover of Mediterranean cuisine. After many years in the corporate world, and living abroad in Greece, Belgium, and Switzerland, Maria moved to Florida and joined her family in the restaurant business. In 2002 she moved to St. Louis and expanded her love of cooking when she created and opened a personal chef service, Culinary Odyssey LLC. Be sure to tap into Maria's culinary genius by joining her in a class at Kitchen Conservatory (hint: her phyllo classes are tops!).

Kelly Schmickle

Kelly Schmickle joined the Kitchen Conservatory staff in April 2008.  A cookbook addict and self-taught cook, Kelly chronicles her kitchen adventures on her food blog Sounding My Barbaric Gulp (www.barbaricgulp.com).  She is also a Foodbuzz Featured Publisher and an occasional contributor to St. Louis's Sauce Magazine.

Clark Stone

A veteran of the knife business, Clark Stone of Wusthof-Trident Cutlery teaches great classes on how to choose, use, sharpen, and maintain knives at peak performance. Participants in the knife classes learn confidence in using this most important tool in the kitchen. Clark makes everyone feel comfortable with sharp knives.

Ruth Sparrow

Ruth Sparrow (on the left), the Director of Marketing for Kitchen Conservatory, has been teaching children and adults for 30 years and loves to cook!  Ruth books our fabulous classes with the best chefs from the best restaurants in the St. Louis area and writes our newsletter, What's Stirring.  Yes, Ruth creates the clever titles that make every class sound irresistable. She also works in our store part-time, and when she is not busy with her passion for cooking, she is running her needle art design business, Twisted Threads.

Karen Tedesco

Karen Tedesco grew up in Providence, Rhode Island, where her grandmother's southern Italian home-cooking influenced her love of food and cooking. Karen apprenticed as a pastry chef and cooked in some of south Florida's finest restaurants before she enjoyed a career as a wine consultant. Now, she's a full-time mom and card-carrying foodie, who reaps the financial and personal rewards of cooking contests, both locally and nationally. She started her own business, DinnerStyle, in August 2007, which specializes in fresh, seasonal meals for busy families.

Kim Tucci

J. Kim Tucci, St. Louis born, raised and educated, possesses both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Communication from Saint  Louis University.  He was a high school teacher and coach for six years and a college teacher for seven years.  He is heavily involved in regional, state and local, civic and business affairs. Tucci along with his partner Joe Fresta and late partner John Ferrara founded The Pasta House Co. restaurant chain more than thirty-four years ago.  Today, with thirty-one restaurants and more than two thousand employees, The Pasta House Co. is the largest locally-owned restaurant chain in Missouri. Tucci is the recipient of numerous awards and honors for outstanding leadership through various civic, business and charitable organizations. 

Julia M. Usher

Former owner of the boutique bakery AzucArte, Julia made her first mark on the food world in 1997 as a wedding cake decorator and pastry chef. Her desserts have appeared at the James Beard House and in the pages of Vera Wang on Weddings, Pastry Art & Design, Modern Bride, Elegant Bride, Brides, and Grace Ormonde Wedding Style.

She now pours her passion for sweets into food writing and styling. She is contributing editor at Dessert Professional (formerly Chocolatier) and a 2008 James Beard-nominee for her monthly column Prep School in St. Louis-based Sauce magazine. She recently completed her first book entitled, Cookie Swap: Creative Treats to Share Throughout the Year (Gibbs Smith, 2009).

Julia graduated valedictorian from The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts in 1996. She also holds degrees in mechanical engineering from Yale and U.C Berkeley, and an MBA from Stanford. In addition to serving on the Board of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, she is a three-time President of the St. Louis Culinary Society. Prior to beginning her career in food, Julia worked as nuclear reactor systems engineer for General Electric, as a management consultant for Bain & Company, and in marketing research.

Doris Vogt

In addition to a full time day job, Doris enjoys expressing her culinary interest at night. She has been with the Kitchen Conservatory staff for seven years and has assisted in instructing several Fondue classes. With over twenty years of hospitality and cooking experience, Doris’ professionalism and attention to detail will definitely enhance your adventure in the kitchen.

Kirk Warner

A native of Paw Paw, Michigan, Kirk Warner began his restaurant career at a young age. In his mother's small bistro adjacent to the family winery, he was both waiting tables and preparing simple bistro fare before he was a teenager. Following college, and after working in a variety of restaurants, traveling extensively and reading every cookbook he could get his hands on, he landed in St. Louis where a cousin had opened a tavern called King Louie's. In just over five years as executive chef at King Louie's, he helped transform what was once a fledgling college bar into one of the most respected restaurants in St. Louis. In the process, he garnered numerous local and national accolades for both the restaurant and himself. Kirk signed on to help open Savor in April 2004.

As chef-owner of Kirk's Traveling Kitchen, Kirk’s goal is to bring the craftsmanship and dedication of a professional restaurant into the home kitchen for those who love great food.

Bryan Young

Bryan Young received an associate degree in hotel restaurant management in 1974 from Forest Park Community College and worked his way up in the restaurant business ladder starting out as a busboy in 1971.

Today, Bryan is the President of Catering Plus, a company founded in 1995, and oversees the full service catering and event planning company for the corporate and private sectors. Each year, he caters such events as the St. Louis Business Journal's Top 150 Companies annual dinner and the St. Louis Black Repertory Company' annual Woodie Awards.

Bryan has received numerous citations and awards for his work in the community including the Michael Edlin Award from Doorways. He serves on the boards of Doorways, Peter and Paul Community Services, the advisory board of Catersource, and the advisory board hotel and restaurant school at Forest Park Community College. Bryan is also a member of The National Association of Catering Executives, The International Special Event Society, and the International Caterers Association.

Greg Ziegenfuss

Chef Gregory P. Ziegenfuss has been working within the catering industry for 30 years. Though Greg is a native St. Louisian he has traveled the world extensively in order to broaden his culinary knowledge. He finished first in his class from The Culinary Institute of America and in 2008, he competed in the Food Network Challenge Series, “BIG Bash Catering Challenge”. Where is he now? Greg has returned to his home town and has been with Butler’s Pantry for nine years. He is the Executive Chef and Vice President of Operations there, specializing in creative food design and presentation. His motto in the kitchen? Stay calm and focused, work hard and, most importantly, have fun. Fun for Greg includes sailing, hiking, biking, gardening, walking his dogs and of course dining with his favorite taste-tester: his wife, Melissa.