Chefs

Chad White Hospitality Group Chef White a Spokane native started his culinary career when joined the United States Navy on 9/11. From cooking in the United States Navy to Top Chef to restaurateur, Chef Chad White has had an exciting career earning many accolades along the way. After his naval career, White got his taste for the real kitchen in the kitchens of Prince of Whales and 1500 OCEAN under Jason Shaeffer, as well Roseville under Amy DiBiase. White was first recognized from his work at his restaurant Sea Rocket Bistro in 2010 where he was named the “Seafood Maverick of San Diego” for his unique utilization of local seafood. His passion for turning what was scraps into stars of the plate got him featured on Bizarre Food of the Travel Channel. Later in his career, he founded La Justina in Tijuana, Mexico an eclectic Mexican gastro bar on Calle Revolucíon as well as Común Kitchen & Tavern in San Diego and Craft Pizza Company in La Jolla, California before competing on Bravo TV’s Top Chef Season 13. After competing on Top Chef finshing in the Top 10, Chef Chad returned to hometown of Spokane, Washington where he has since opened Award Wining Zona Blanca Ceviche Bar (2016) where he has received the award of Best New Restaurant and Chef of the Year now for 5 years running. Zona Blanca when opened was the only brick and mortar ceviche restaurant coast to coast north of California.  In 2019 Chad opened 3 restaurants, High Tide Lobster Bar with 2 locations, 1st one on Riverside Ave in March and the 2nd one on Post St. in November. In June Chef White partnered with Travis Thosath to open TTs Old Iron Brewery and Barbecue which was named “Best New Restaurant” and “Best Barbecue” 3 years running by the Inlander Magazine. Chef Chad received a semi-finalist nomination for a James Beard “Best Chef” – Northwest region award spring of 2020 and 2022. Chef Chad is opened a new concept called Uno Más a Campestre style taco shop featuring big bold flavors, local beers, margaritas, tacos and fun appetizers in two locations, one in the Spokane Valley and another in Downtown Spokane near riverfront park in the Wonder Bldg. He has just announced the opening of another TT’s location in Liberty Lake later this year.

Durkin’s Jarrott grew up in Spokane and attended Art School in Seattle. After starting his culinary career in Spokane he relocated to Portland Ore to dive into to the diverse food scene. There he worked with many great people and ran the kitchens at a couple of fine dining restaurants before moving to Central Oregon as th we CDC at The Suttle Lodge. Fast forward to 2022, when his hometown was calling for his return. Jarrott is now the Executive Chef at Durkins Liquor Bar, and couldn’t be happier about where he’s landed.

Cochinito Taqueria Travis first discovered the restaurant business at the age of 15, washing dishes at the Coeur d’Alene Resort in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho. He soon found himself cooking on the line, and directing their famous Sunday brunch program. He came to Portland to enroll in the Western Culinary Institute, graduating at the top of his class in 2000. Travis took a job as a sauté cook at Hall Street Grill in 1999. He soon worked his way up to become Sous Chef and was directing the dinner program. Between shifts, Travis took the time to travel, eating his way through Napa, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Europe. Along the line, he found time to work guest shifts in the kitchens of Chez Panisse in Berkley, CA and Fife, Sel Gris and Clark Lewis in Portland. After nine years at Hall Street, Travis realized it was time to further develop his craft and left to help reopen Genoa and its café, Accanto, as Sous Chef. “Accanto was a great experience, and a chance to work with a very talented crew and the best local ingredients we could find”, says Travis. After a successful opening and first four months at Accanto, Travis was given the opportunity to come back to Hall Street Grill as Executive Chef. It was one he couldn’t pass up. “Hall Street has been a huge part of my life for ten years now, and the chance to come back and recreate the menu was impossible to pass on”. Travis returned with a focus on updating the menu and taking advantage of Oregon’s bounty of local product. In 4 years as Executive Chef at Hall Street Grill, Chef Dickinson completely updated the menu, grew sales to record breaking numbers and reinvented the concept at the restaurant. In September of 2014, Travis made the move back to his roots in the Eastern Washington/North Idaho area and accepted the position as Executive Chef at Clover restaurant in Spokane, WA. He worked to bring a new style of food and focus on top quality, sustainable product to the Spokane restaurant scene. In December of 2017 Travis left Clover He worked to bring a new style of food and focus on top quality, sustainable product to the Spokane restaurant scene. In December of 2017 Travis left Clover to begin work on Cochinito Taqueria, his casual taco concept focused on using fine dining ingredients and technique in a more approachable setting. Cochinito opened in February of 2018 and has become a staple of Spokane’s growing food scene Cochinito opened in February of 2018 and has become a staple of Spokane’s growing food scene. Cochinito combines fine dining technique, product and sourcing in an approachable taqueria atmosphere. In its first year it was voted by the Spokane Culinary Arts Guild as “Best New Restaurant”, “Best Restaurant-Fast Casual”, “Best Tacos” and “Best Front of the House” as well as receiving positive reviews in The Spokesman Review, 1889 Magazine, Spokane/Coeur D Alene Living and The Inlander Magazine.

Duffified Experiences 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. Those experiences introduced him to culinary life and led him to study at Philadelphia’s The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College. Culinary school may have taught him technique, but it was those Sunday nights cooking with his family where he developed his passion. 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 a regular to judge the Food Network series Beat Bobby Flay and has appeared on The Today Show since 2006 for the St. Patrick’s Day Irish cook-off. Chef Duffy even has his own line of signature spices, “Duffified Spice” as well as a line of T-Shirts, Kitchen aprons, Hats & chef driven Hand soaps which are all available on his website www.duffified.com. Currently Duffy has collaborated with Rock Hard Media Group and created “Duffified Live” a travel show with an over the top approach to eating, drinking & traveling has taken off due to his attitude & stories from the road, the industry & his personal life & stories. When he isn’t with clients, taping or traveling he is working on his soon-to-be-released modern gastropub cookbook or hanging out with his family in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

US Foods is one of America’s great food companies and a leading foodservice distributor, partnering with approximately 300,000 restaurants and foodservice operators to help their businesses succeed. With nearly 28,000 employees and more than 70 locations, we provide our customers with a broad and innovative food offering and a comprehensive suite of e-commerce, technology, and business solutions.

Le Catering When Chris was 14, he worked at a restaurant across the street from his house. Watching the cooks there and the way they talked and acted, it was similar to a sports team. He was hooked after that. Chef Chris Sylvia has multiple years experience cooking in places such as Las Vegas NV and Boston MA. Chris started working at his first restaurant at a young age in Massachusetts and moved to Las Vegas to attend culinary school. After working at Red Rock Casino and the Cosmopolitan, Chris moved back to Massachusetts to work with Portuguese cuisine. He then moved to North Idaho and is now working with Eat Good Group. Click here to read a Spokesman-Review spotlight story about Chef.

Thai Bamboo My name is Chef Alex Santos-Cucalon. I am the Corporate Chef for Thai Bamboo Restaurants, the first person in the company to hold this title. I am a self-taught local chef born in Spokane, Wa. I thrive in the kitchen and demonstrate passion and execution for every service. I have worked in WA, ID, and CA restaurants ranging from fine dining to catering movies. In my 20 years of experience and counting, I have picked up numerous awards and recognitions along the way. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, pets, and the outdoors. I continue to support the local community and contribute to the food scene.

Eat Good Group Chef Rudy Velasquez, a Seattle native, utilizes the abundant resources of the Pacific Northwest to create seasonally inspired cuisine at Honey Eatery. Rudy thoughtfully constructs each dish to provide the community with “inventively made classics”. Rudy’s cuisine is both rustic and inviting, pairing perfectly with BaBa.

baba Spokane Mary Parker was raised in the culinary world from a young age. She grew up helping out at her parent’s small restaurant and bar in Post Falls, ID known to locals as Steve’s Sports Dugout, as a dish washer and prep cook until her early teenage years. From there, she continued to obtain new knowledge by working for a variety of different local restaurants, including the Coeur d’Alene Beach House, Sweetwater Bakery, and the Falls Club. From there, Mary went to work at the Coeur D’Alene Casino in Worley, ID at 17 years old. She worked mostly in the Red Tail Bar & Grill for 7 years, going from a prep cook to a lead line cook under Chef Adam Hegsted. Shortly after Chef Hegsted left the Casino life to start the Eat Good Group, Mary made the decision to join the team at the Gilded Unicorn in downtown Spokane, located in the basement of the Montvale hotel in September of 2017. She is currently with the Eat Good Group, and prides herself on creating a menu comprised of a high end take on comfort foods using local and sustainable ingredients.

Yards Bruncheon As a young man in Everson, WA, Cory Jackson had trouble finding his “calling.” After one shift in a restaurant, he found it. The fast pace and camaraderie of the restaurant world were intoxicating for him. Cory brings his positive attitude, tireless energy, and passion for the culinary arts to the workplace to help inspire others. He is currently in his third year with the Eat Good Group as Chef de Cuisine of The Yards Bruncheon where he hopes to continue sharpening his skills as a chef and to one day have his own location.