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Celebrity Judges
Dr. Roy E. Crabtree has served as the regional administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Region since January 2003. Previously, he has served as research fishery biologist for the South Carolina Marine Resources Center, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and the Florida Marine Research Institute. His managerial experience includes operating his own fishing guide business in the Florida Keys and Everglades National Park, service as a fishery management specialist with NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Region and, most recently, as the director of the Division of Marine Fisheries with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Spanning more than 15 years of state and Federal Government service, Dr. Crabtree has garnered a broad spectrum of experiences as a natural resource manager, resulting in authoring or coauthoring 36 scientific publications and six selected unpublished assessments, as well as providing input on numerous fisheries management plans for the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean. A native of Chapel Hill, N.C., he earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Furman University in 1976, his master’s degree in marine science from the University of South Carolina in 1978, and his doctorate in marine science from the College of William and Mary in 1984. Dr. Crabtree now resides in St. Petersburg, Florida, with his wife, Laura, and three daughters, twins Rachel and Julia and Arlyn.
 Chef Justin TimineriExecutive Chef and Culinary Ambassador Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services 2006 King of American Seafood Justin Timineri has been cooking for as long as he can remember. Raised by a family of Tallahassee cooks, Justin loved being in the kitchen whenever he could. When he realized that cooking was his life-long passion, he took a job as a dishwasher in a local restaurant. With that foot in the door, Justin was able to explore the many facets of the culinary industry. Working out of the Division of Marketing and Development, Justin’s responsibilities include promoting all of Florida’s freshest commodities, creating new recipes, participating in trade events, performing cooking demonstrations and educating children on the value of health and nutrition in food. “Cooking should always be fun, simple and flavorful.” That’s Justin’s motto, and it reflects his style. He always keeps nutrition in mind and enjoys cooking with fresh foods that are harvested regionally or locally. From casual to fine dining, modern American to classic European cuisine, Justin promotes Florida as he creates foods for every palate.
Jody Denton, an experienced chef, restaurateur and national food product developer with more than 30 years in the industry, opened Deep, his fifth restaurant, in Bend, Oregon in June 2007. Deep is an upscale Modern Japanese Restaurant focused on modern interpretations of Japanese gastronomy—traditional and creative Sushi, inventive fusions of Asian-inspired ingredients and techniques along with tried and true practices of the French kitchen. Only the freshest ingredients are served in what Denton describes as “elegant, sophisticated, exciting and exacting dishes that diners in this area have never been offered.” Chef Denton opened Merenda Restaurant and Wine Bar in August of 2002. Serving Country French and Italian cuisine, Merenda rose immediately to the top spot on the Central Oregon dining scene. The wine bar features more than 100 wines by the glass, more than any other restaurant in the Pacific Northwest. The wine list has garnered high accolades, receiving the coveted “Best of Award of Excellence” from the Wine Spectator in each of the last four years. Prior, he was the executive chef and CEO of renowned San Francisco restaurants LuLu, Azie and Zibibbo (named one of the top 20 restaurants by Gourmet readers, and all three in the San Francisco Chronicles Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants three years in a row). Jody also started and operated LuLu Gourmet Product Company, whose line of specialty food products won the award for outstanding product line two years in a row at the International Specialty Food and Confection Trade show in New York City. Denton first discovered Bend in 1995 when he was invited to participate as one of the Celebrity Chefs at the now famous Sagebrush Classic Celebrity Chef charity event. He returned each year and over time fell in love with the area. According to Denton, Bend is a sophisticated melting pot. He saw an opportunity to bring something new to the town – fuse outstanding, reasonably priced food, great wines from around the world and an upscale metropolitan feel with its stylish, outdoor lifestyle. In early 2002, he discovered the ideal restaurant space in the heart of downtown Bend and permanently moved with his Wife, Michelle and Daughter, Ana. Before opening his own restaurants, Denton work with some of the most notable Chefs in the country and headed up kitchens at some of the nation’s top restaurants. After returning from working in Switzerland he work with Dean Fearing at the famed Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, TX, worked with George Morrone at the lavish Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles and then opened his first restaurant as Executive Chef for Wolfgang Puck at Eureka Restaurant in Los Angeles. He opened Red Sage with Mark Miller in Washington D.C. (awarded Esquire Magazines coveted “Restaurant of the year award in 1992) and spent three years in Chicago helping out with various concepts for Richard Melman of the Lettuce Entertain You restaurant group. He then set his sights on San Francisco and waited patiently until just the right opportunity presented itself at Restaurant LuLu, where he spent the next seven years refining his style of simple, rustic food.
E.J. (Ed) Mueller is the manager of food and equipment marketing for Santé Magazine. With over 25 years of experience in business-to-business publishing Mr. Mueller has seen the foodservice industry dramatically evolve. He has worked on publications that cover a global view on foodservice as well as publishing several trade journals for the domestic restaurant industry. Santé Magazine reports on trends in the restaurant and hospitality industry with a focus on up-scale casual through fine dining establishments. Mr. Mueller puts his years of experience to work for companies that want to reach this important segment of the market. When not working, E.J. spends his time working on his forty-six year old sail boat and relaxing on Lake Michigan.
Zach Brooks is the Editor of Serious Eats: New York, a website focused on finding the most delicious food in the largest city in the country. It is the newest addition to the nationally respected Serious Eats family of food websites. Founded by New York Eats author Ed Levine in 2006, Serious Eats is focused on celebrating and sharing food enthusiasm through blogs and online community. Its unique combination of community and content brings together the distinctive voices of food bloggers, compelling original and acquired food video, and spirited, inclusive, conversations about all things food- and drink-related. In addition to SeriousEats.com, the Serious Eats family also includes Slice ("America's Favorite Pizza Weblog"), A Hamburger Today (the nation's most popular hamburger blog), Photograzing (a place for people to share their best food photography, discover new food blogs, and find delicious inspiration) and Serious Eats: New York.
Acclaimed chef John Besh grew up hunting and fishing in Southern Louisiana, learning at an early age the essentials of Louisiana’s rich culinary traditions. “With all the cultural influences in Louisiana,” he says, “it’s an exciting place to learn about food.” And he should know: years later, fortunate enough to have traveled and studied the world over, Besh has set the benchmark for fine dining in New Orleans, one of the world’s most esteemed restaurant cities -- and he is still learning, growing, and refining his work at the forefront of his industry. His talent and drive have earned Besh critical kudos from the outset of his career: in 1999, Food & Wine named him one of the “Top 10 Best New Chefs in America.” In 2003, Gourmet magazine included Restaurant August in its “Guide to America’s Best Restaurants,” and in 2006, it cited Restaurant August as one of America’s Top 50 Restaurants. In 2005, Chef Besh received a nomination for a James Beard Award, and he won the Beard Award for Best Chef of the Southeast in 2006. Also that year, he defeated Chef Mario Batali on Iron Chef America on The Food Network, scoring a victory in the andouille sausage battle. The 2007 Zagat Guide rates Restaurant August #1 in New Orleans for both Food and Service. Besh received his formal training at the Culinary Institute of America. His love of classical cooking styles, together with his “born on the Bayou” Creole heritage, drew him to Europe for further culinary exploration and training. In the Black Forest region of Germany, Besh experienced his first exposure to truly localized cuisine, a concept that remains essential to his cooking and menu development. Local farmers and artisans would bring their choicest goods directly to the Michelin-starred restaurant where he worked; brook trout were caught live and kept fresh in the cold stream running deep below the centuries-old building. He also spent time in the south of France refining his classical sensibilities, while the flavorful stews and roasts of the region informed his understanding of his own native cuisine, the Creole cooking of southern Louisiana. The young chef’s early career was interrupted when, as a noncommissioned officer of the United States Marine Corps Reserves, he was called upon to lead a squad of infantry Marines in combat during Operation Desert Storm. Besh’s appreciation for local ingredients and local cuisine has only increased since Hurricane Katrina, as he considers these essential to the survival of the peoples and cultural heritage of New Orleans. No one is more keenly aware of the fragility of the region’s culinary culture. In addition to getting his own restaurants, the elegant contemporary Restaurant August and chic Besh Steak, up-and-running as soon as possible after the storm [for the benefit of his staff, as well as the morale of his loyal local guests,] he was also instrumental in rebuilding other establishments such as Willie Mae’s Scotch House, one of the city’s venerated culinary landmarks. With his friend and business partner Octavio Mantilla, he acquired the charming and rustic La Provence in Lacombe, Louisiana from his late mentor, legendary Chef Chris Kerageorgiou; and also opened Lüke, a brasserie in the grand New Orleans tradition, a cultural legacy that Besh could not allow to slip away. All the while, he has been the energetic spokesman for the Louisiana Seafood Council, as well as a member of the Southern Foodways Alliance; and a Board Member of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum. Besh is active in a state promotional program created by Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu, who tapped the chef to prepare meals with the media in an effort to showcase the cuisine of Louisiana. In Americas’s oldest fine dining city, this boy from the bayou has built a thriving restaurant group. Each venture reflects his broad-ranging culinary passions, benefits from his dedication to local products, and – though his palate has taken him around the world – celebrates the multi-faceted cuisine of his beloved southern Louisiana.
Born into the third generation of the New Orleans legendary musical family, Charmaine Neville has nonetheless worked hard to get where she is and make her music known as her own. The work has paid off - as one reviewer recently wrote, "Charmaine Neville is beginning to rival her father and uncles in terms of popularity in New Orleans." She started out backing up the Neville Brothers and went on to perform with the survivors, a band whose alumni list includes Harry Connick Jr. and Bobby McFerrin. The Charmaine Neville Band is led by Charmaine Neville on vocals, co-led by natty piano wizard Amasa Miller and Fats Domino graduate Reggie Houston on sax. The talented band member list continues with Jefferey Cardarelli on bass and Gerald French on drums. Devoted fans worldwide acclaim the Charmaine Neville Band. They've played festivals and clubs in Rome, Paris, Copenhagen, Germany, Japan, Barbados and will begin a tour in Spain in 2008. Visit www.CharmaineNevilleBand.com for tour dates and to purchase music from the band.
Tim Thomas, the youngest of six children from Durham, NC, started in the ‘business’ at the age of 15. Working at an Italian Pizza and Sub Shop as a pot washer, Thomas realized that food would be his life occupation. Thomas is a 1988 graduate of Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College. He earned an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Culinary Technology. His career has followed his initial instincts, providing Thomas with a wide range of culinary experience. Thomas began his professional career at The Cloister on Sea Island, GA. He later moved down the road as Sous Chef for the Jekyll Island Convention Center. Returning to his home state, Thomas held the Executive Sous Chef position for the Capital City Club in Raleigh, NC and later became Executive Chef for The Willow Creek Inn in Vale, NC. Moving north, Thomas served as Executive Chef / Food & Beverage Director for the Hidden Valley Resort & Conference Center in Hidden Valley, PA. In 1998, he returned to the South, becoming Executive Chef at the Ocean Forest Golf Club at Sea Island, GA. A career highlight was being the team leader for the presidential cooking team during the G-8 Summit hosted by President George W. Bush which included many world leaders. Thomas has won several awards recognizing his skills, including:
In addition to managing the kitchen, Thomas has also managed a classroom, serving as Adjunct Instructor at the Coastal Georgia Community College in Brunswick, GA from 2001 - 2004. He currently is a member of the Hospitality and Culinary Advisory Committee with Coastal Georgia Community College and is the Apprentice Coordinator for the Sea Island Resort Culinary and Pastry Apprenticeship. Thomas enjoys competing in professional culinary and cooking competitions, doing cooking demonstrations for local schools and civic organizations, and working with the Boy Scouts of America. Thomas has been married 18 years to his wife Kimberly and has three children.
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Dr. Roy E. Crabtree
Chef Jody Denton
Chef Christopher Koetke, CEC CCE
Ed Mueller
Zach Brooks
Master of Ceremonies Chef John Besh
Mistress of Ceremonies Charmaine Neville
Celebrity Chef Tim Thomas