ALEX GUARNASCHELLI
Alex Guarnaschelli is the daughter of esteemed cookbook editor, Maria Guarnaschelli. She spent her childhood surrounded by global cuisine dictated by whatever book her mother was working on at the time. This early emphasis on her palate shaped her future in food, and upon graduation from Barnard College in ‘91, Alex decided to further explore her culinary interests.
Throughout her culinary career, Chef Alex Guarnaschelli has worked in some of the world’s top restaurants including Guy Savoy’s eponymous Michelin three-star kitchen in Paris, Larry Forgione’s An American Place, Daniel Boulud’s namesake Daniel in New York City and Joachim Splichal’s Patina restaurant in Los Angeles.
Since 2003, Guarnaschelli has helmed the kitchen as executive chef of Butter Restaurant, where she brings New Yorkers a menu of eclectic American and green market-inspired fare. She is a recurring judge on the popular prime-time series Chopped and a chef coach on America’s Best Cook. In 2012, she bested nine rival chefs to win The Next Iron Chef: Redemption and joined the ranks of Kitchen Stadium’s Iron Chefs.
Celebrity Chef Dine Around
Grand Tasting Chef Demonstration - 4:00pm – 4:30pm
ANDY HUSBANDS
When he’s not in the restaurant, he indulges his food obsession with his regular segment Farm to Fork on WBUR Radio Boston, competes with the BBQ team he co-founded with Pit Master Chris Hart, iQUE (winners of the Jack Daniel's World BBQ Championship and over 35 KCBS Grand Championships), authors cookbooks (The Fearless Chef, Wicked Good Barbecue, Wicked Good Burgers, Grill to Perfection and a new project in the works), and advocates tirelessly for area charities, most notably Share our Strength and Rodman Celebration. Chef Husbands lends his expertise as a Massachusetts Restaurant Association board member, a honorary chair of Share Our Strength’s annual Taste of the Nation and restaurant chair of the Rodman Celebration.
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BETTY FRASER
Co-owner of Hollywood restaurant Grub, this native of San Francisco has appeared on Bravo's Top Chef and Top Chef Masters as well as Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels. Grub's signature cuisine, "California Comfort Food," has won a broad range of awards from “Best Breakfast in LA” to “Best Brunch Spot,” is famous for its tuna melt and was featured on The Travel Channel's Bacon Paradise with her "Crack Bacon." She made her famous "Ba-Da-Bing Betty's Grilled Cheese Sandwich" for Al Roker on Today. Betty also operates the highly successful As You Like It Catering with her partner Denise DeCarlo.
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BRIAN DUFFY
Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, Chef Brian Duffy had his first experiences in the kitchen as a young child with his big Irish-Italian Family, which led him to study at Philadelphia's The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College. Duffy is perhaps most recognized from his abundant television appearances on the wildly popular Spike TV series Bar Rescue, where he tours the country (sometimes on his Harley Davidson) reforming failing bars and restaurants with his "tell it like it is" style. He made his on-camera debut on the Food Network series Date Plate and has appeared on countless segments on the DIY Network, HGTV, NBC and Fine Living Network. Chef Duffy is also returning for his second time to judge the Food Network series Beat Bobby Flay and has appeared on Today since 2006 for the St. Patrick's Day Irish cook-off. Chef Duffy even has his own signature spice, "Duffified Spice," which is available on his website.
Celebrity Chef Dine Around
Grand Tasting Chef Demonstration - 2:30pm – 3:00pm
CHEF PLUM
Born in Richmond, VA, Chef Plum is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America with over 18 years of culinary experience. Chef Plum has worked all over the East Coast in everything from five-star hotels to great small neighborhood restaurants. Since 2006, Chef Plum has been focused on bringing great, whole, farm foods to families, small parties, celebrities and executives. Chef Plum has been featured on Food Network, ABC's The Taste, Ehow.com, Jamie Oliver’s Foodtube, Hallmark, The New York Times, national commercials and many other media outlets.
Chef Plum's latest brainchild, the award-winning Dinner Underground, has brought a series of pop-up restaurants to Connecticut. Chef Plum is the first chef to ever host a pop-up restaurant inside the walls of mall kitchen giant Williams-Sonoma.
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CHIP MILLER
Executive Chef Chip Miller’s love for the hospitality industry began with his first restaurant job in high school. After graduating, Miller attended Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island where he earned his Associate’s in Culinary Arts and Bachelor’s in Restaurant Management. In 1996, Miller followed his first boss to Mohegan Sun, one of the largest casinos in the United States, located in Uncasville, CT – where he worked in several of the casino’s restaurants, including opening Atlantis in Paradise Island in the Bahamas.
Miller spent 14 years at Mohegan Sun and nine of those years as Executive Sous Chef, overseeing several outlets, from the steak house to Italian cuisine, as well as numerous lounges. From there, Chef Miller spent time as the Executive Chef of Aetna in Hartford, Connecticut as well as Executive Chef of The Hartford Society Room and Riverhouse Catering before returning to Mohegan Sun to take the helm as Executive Chef of Michael Jordan’s Steak House and 23.sportcafe in 2015.
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CHRIS COOMBS
The young and talented Christopher Coombs pursued an education at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in New York, and got his first taste of upscale dining while working at Blue Ginger under award-winning Chef Ming Tsai upon graduation. In August of 2006, Coombs came in contact with Brian Piccini and the duo joined forces to start Boston Urban Hospitality Inc., with a focus on fresh, local, seasonally-inspired menus. In 2010, Coombs opened his first restaurant with Piccini, Deuxave, located in Boston’s Back Bay.
Since then, Coombs’ success has been grabbing the attention of both local and national media, including an appearance on Food Network’s Chopped, and being recognized by Forbes Magazine for their 30 Under 30 Awards in the food & wine industry. In early 2013, Coombs opened Boston Chops, located in the heart of Boston’s South End. Chops is Boston’s first urban steak bistro studded with the panache that steakhouses are known for, but tailored with a refined, casual twist.
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GOVIND ARMSTRONG
Govind Armstrong’s acclaimed California cuisine has evolved from his passionate commitment to sustainability and locality, and straightforward seasonal approach to cooking. Armstrong made a heralded mark with his Table 8 restaurants in Los Angeles and Miami, followed by the highly popular 8oz Burger Bar currently located in several cities nationwide. His new Post and Beam and Willie Jane restaurants in California offer a wide range of inventive, southern style dishes. Armstrong has been a guest chef aboard the Queen Mary 2, and was featured in People's "50 Most Beautiful" issue, Bon Appétite, Gourmet and O. He has numerous television appearances including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Iron Chef America, Today, Top Chef and Top Chef Masters. Armstrong is also the author of Small Bites, Big Nights: Seductive Little Plates for Intimate Occasions and Lavish Parties.
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IHSAN GURDAL
Ihsan was born and raised in Istanbul, surrounded by bazaars full of varied flavors and fragrances. Ihsan studied at UC Berkeley and played volleyball for the Golden Bears. In 1982, Ihsan moved to Cambridge, MA where he became head volleyball coach at Harvard. Ihsan followed his passion for food working at a local specialty grocer called Formaggio Kitchen. Following retirement from Harvard volleyball, Ihsan put all of his energy into Formaggio Kitchen and, in 1992, took over ownership of the shop. Since then, he has established Formaggio Kitchen as one of the leading retailers of gourmet foods in the country.
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JAMIE MCDONALD
Born and raised in "The BBQ capital of the world" Kansas City, Missouri, McDonald spent his high school years working for one of the best barbecue restaurants in the city. Upon graduating from school, he joined the Navy and, in his travels across the U.S. and abroad, was always on the lookout for great BBQ. Much to his dismay, nothing lived up to the barbecue he grew up eating back home. This forced him to rely on his skills he picked up while working in high school. From wood and meat selection to his homemade sauces and rubs, he has nearly perfected his craft. Always being told by his friends and family that his BBQ should and could be sold, he decided to take the next step and with that, Bear's Smokehouse BBQ was born in June 2013. Bear's Smokehouse BBQ now has two locations. One is in Windsor on Route 75 near Bradley International Airport, and its second location opened in Hartford. They have received numerous awards as the “Best BBQ in CT” and an excellent rating by The New York Times.
Bourbon Tasting | Celebrity Chef Dine Around
JASON SANTOS
One of Boston’s most creative and charismatic chefs, the blue haired Jason Santos has wowed guests with is innovative cuisine and his larger than life personality at his three bustling restaurants, Buttermilk & Bourbon, Citrus & Salt and Abby Lane.
Santos competed on Season 7 of Fox's hit television show Hell's Kitchen. His successful run on the show concluded with a runner-up finish and a newfound national recognition.
Santos now divides his time as owner and executive chef at Abby Lane, a sleek, two-floor restaurant located in the heart of Boston's Theater District, Buttermilk & Bourbon, a New Orleans-inspired restaurant and at Citrus & Salt, a Mexican concept in the Back Bay. Santos is also a recurring guest on the Today Show, the CBS Early Show, the CBS television show The Talk, and subsequent seasons of Hell's Kitchen. Santos also appears regularly on the popular Spike TV’s Bar Rescue - rehabilitating failing restaurants and bars as a restaurant consultant alongside John Taffer.
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JASPER WHITE
He is a chef, restaurateur and cookbook author who is recognized as one of the leading authorities on New England food and its history; in particular, seafood. In 1983, he opened Jasper's, a restaurant on Boston's waterfront. It was here that he carved out a niche in the local food scene deconstructing classics on his haute cuisine menu. Jasper's more casual Summer Shack restaurants are located at Mohegan Sun, Boston, Cambridge and Dedham, Massachusetts. He has four cookbooks - Jasper White's Cooking from New England, Lobster at Home, Fifty Chowders and The Summer Shack Cookbook: The Complete Guide to Shore Food.
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KATHY WAKILE
Kathy Wakile, Italian-American New Jersey mother, sister, daughter and wife, has been busy developing her hobbies into a career while still keeping her family the priority. Juggling home, work and family she manages to find time for other activities that are close to her heart, which is supporting The Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation to help raise brain tumor awareness.
Kathy’s national best-selling dessert cookbook Indulge: Delicious Little Desserts That Keep Life Real Sweet has inspired her dessert line, Indulge By Kathy Wakile, to expand from the cannoli kit to gluten-free desserts, specialty coffees and more! Recently Kathy has opened Pizza Love Restaurant with her husband and their two longtime friends and is enjoying every minute of food, family and fun!
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KIM CANTEENWALLA
Chef Canteenwalla is a visionary artist whose hands-on familiarity with restaurant operations, attention to detail, wealth of culinary knowledge and vast global experience characterize his many accomplishments. His ambition to perfect the art of dining reflects his sincere love of food and genuine dedication to exceptional service. The former executive chef of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, MS, Canteenwalla has helmed restaurants and resorts around the world, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Dubai and Thailand. He is a four-time participant in the Best Hotel Chefs in America series at the James House and, along with Chef Kerry Simon, co-champion of Iron Chef American battle hamburger. His restaurant, Society Café at Encore, was named one of the “Best New Restaurants of 2009” by celebrated food critic John Mariani.
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LYNN MANSEL
Currently, Chef Mansel is the Pastry Chef of all Mohegan Sun-owned restaurants. In this position, he approves all pastry menu decisions, oversees the entire pastry staff and continues to cook up unique pastries for holidays and special occasions.
Celebrity Chef Dine Around | Divine Delights
MANEET CHAUHAN
Chef Maneet Chauhan is the executive chef and co-owner of Chauhan Ale & Masala House in Nashville, Tennessee. She is a recipient of the 2012 James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Award for her role as a judge on Food Network’s Chopped, and sits on the show’s permanent panel of judges. She has also written her own cookbook, Flavors of My World. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Chauhan worked in some of the finest hotels in India before the start of her professional career in the United States.
Celebrity Chef Dine Around
Grand Tasting Chef Demonstration - 1:45pm – 2:15pm
MANOUSCHKA GUERRIER
A former model turned Hollywood celebrity chef, Manoushcka leaned all she knows at the knee of her mother, Jacqueline, and her professionally trained Haitian grandmother, Olga. Often described as the “Carrie Bradshaw" of cooking, Manoushcka brings fashion and personality to food and is equally at home in her Louboutins as she is in her apron and cooking mitts. Featured on Food Network's Private Chefs of Beverly Hills and on OWN Network's My OWN Time, Manoushcka has also been seen on E's Giuliana and Bill show. Her focus on teaching singles how to serve up chic, easy and affordable meals makes her one of the most sought-after chefs in L.A.
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MARTHA STEWART
Stay tuned for more information!
Sunday Brunch
MICHAEL GINOR
Michael Aeyal Ginor is Co-founder and Chef of Hudson Valley Foie Gras. HVFG has received the 1996 Award for Excellence from the James Beard Foundation. He was honored with the 1997 Angel Award from the James Beard Foundation for dedication, contribution and foresight and in 1998 Michael received the American Master Taster Award from the American Tasting Institute.
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MICHELE RAGUSSIS
Michele Ragussis is a New England chef with Greek and Italian heritage. Michele uses Mediterranean accents in her food which make it very unique. Michele loves the cuisine and people of New England, has been cooking for 18 years and loves to do food television. Some shows include Chopped, Food Network Star, NBC's Food Fighters, Beat Bobby Flay and Midnight Feast.
Celebrity Chef Dine Around
Grand Tasting Chef Demonstration - 12:15pm – 12:45pm
ROBLÉ ALI
Roblé Ali has quickly become one of the most recognizable chefs and one of the very few young African-Americans in the culinary world with national notoriety. The influential and charismatic chef has provided his services to some of today's most notable individuals including President Obama, Leonardo DiCaprio, John Legend, Jack Nicholson, Michael Jackson, Vanessa Williams, the Olsen Twins and Rhianna to name a few. Roblé is also currently the traveling food corespondent for ABC's The Chew.
JEFF
Assistant General Manager
Jeff has risen up the ranks quickly and has recently been promoted to Assistant General Manager. He loves the people, the employees, most of all. He thrives on the excitement of seeing how a team comes together to go from mayhem to accomplishing almost anything. With an extremely demanding and very serious leadership role, Jeff still values family time and giving back to his community.
ERICA
Director of Consumer Promotions
From a small town in Connecticut, Erica started out selling jewelry to the high rollers of a local casino, a job which blossomed into her now 20-year-long, successful career at Mohegan Sun. She is marvelously vibrant and fun as the Director of Consumer Promotions at the resort. Erica handles the execution of casino promotions for guests on-site, as well as managing the Player's Club rewards program.
LINDSAY
Creative Events
Confident, fun and caring, Lindsay prides herself on a "family first" lifestyle that always puts her daughters and husband first. Even with a challenging schedule, she excels in her nightlife duties, planning and executing events with both artists and celebrities. The nightlife marketing business was the perfect way to combine her BS degree from Drexel University with her Music Industry minor.
DERRICK
Director of Transportation
This affable father of three girls enjoys singing, acting and DJing. He received his Master's in Education from Sacred Heart University which instilled in him an extremely motivated persona that truly permeates the whole resort. Derrick believes a guest's experience is entirely contingent on providing great guest service. A day 1 employee, he could be the most liked employee around. That is, if Erica doesn’t beat him out for the title.
LYNN
Director of Culinary
& Executive Pastry Chef
Since 1969, at the age of 15, Lynn has been a big part of both the culinary and hospitality industries, working with chefs from every corner of the world. With a firecracker of a personality and 20 years at Mohegan Sun, he serves proudly and passionately as its Director of Culinary and Executive Pastry Chef. Chef Lynn spent his childhood on his parent's dairy farm in the South of Wales, charting a big life course of food and art.
JENNIFER
Director of Corporate Communications
Sometimes it's all laughs and other times it's pure madness, but Jennifer says she always enjoys the ride. As Director of Corporate Communications, she has an illustrious 20 year career. Although the nature of her position can conflict with family time, it doesn't stop her from attending to the schedules of her husband and two kids, a boy and a girl. She credits her rise up the PR ladder to working alongside great teams.
GREG
Corporate Entertainment Manager
Greg loves seeing the look on guests’ faces when their favorite artist takes the stage. He takes solace in knowing that he is part of a team effort that creates moments of pure joy for hundreds of thousands of excited fans. From Publicist to Nightlife Manager to Corporate Entertainment Manager, Greg has worn many hats in his 10 year career at Mohegan Sun. He graduated from Johnson & Wales with a bachelor’s degree in Sports/Event & Entertainment Management.
SUSANNE
VP of New Markets
Although free time is a rarity, Susanne does her best to balance work, family and a passion for acting. She finds theatre as a way to escape, and has squeezed in some plays and the occasional indie film in the past few years. Susanne is celebrating 20 years at Mohegan Sun. Her skills are put to the test on a daily basis while assisting high-end slot and table game players. She meets people from all walks of life and delivers one-of-a-kind entertainment experiences in a one-of-a-kind facility.
MELISSA
Special Events
Melissa embraces her role as the quintessential soccer mom in her free time, but of course, must balance work and family being in the hospitality business. Melissa began her career in social services working with kids in the foster care system. Eventually she would find her true calling in entertainment, putting on one-of-a-kind events for the casino. She deals with celebrities of all kinds, and says there is no thrill like running a successful event and showing fans a good time.
DON
Director of Table Games
Don left culinary school to become a casino dealer and now serves as Director of Table Games where he oversees all casino operations from dealers to high rollers. He is no stranger to the casino industry. His grandfather was a head engineer at Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, the first casino to open on the East Coast. It was at the grand opening of Resorts where he, a culinary student at the time, fell in love with the casino environment.
KIMBERLY
Communications Manager
Kim logs way too many steps on her Fitbit, but the most important accessory in her position is a comfortable pair of shoes. A recent newlywed, her free time is spent checking out new restaurants and breweries, traveling and attending fun sporting events with her husband. When first earning her role in a management position, she became the youngest employee to hold the title, an accolade that she is very proud of and she has never looked back.
