Press Release August 2018 Master Chefs Wolfgang Puck, Nancy Silverton, Eric Werner, Burt Bakman, Megan and Colby Garrelts, Jean Imbert, Michael Voltaggio, Tim Hollingsworth and Hugo Bolanos come together to create a sizzling end-of-summer barbecue event at Hotel Bel-Air The 2018 Visiting Chef Series at Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air continues on September 5 with an incredible evening of al fresco family-style dining on the hotel’s front lawn The end-of-summer barbecue extravaganza at Hotel Bel-Air ushers out the festive summer season in style. Master Chef Wolfgang Puck and executive chef Hugo Bolanos, are joined by returning chefs Nancy Silverton (Mozza Restaurant Group, Los Angeles, CA) and Eric Werner (Hartwood, Tulum), and welcomes newcomers Burt Bakman (Trudy’s Underground Barbecue, Los Angeles), Megan and Colby Garrelts (Bluestem & Rye, Kansas City), Jean Imbert (L'ACAJOU, Paris), Michael Voltaggio (ink.well, Los Angeles) and Tim Hollingsworth (Otium, Los Angeles) for the ultimate barbecue party on the hotel’s front lawn. This collaborative culinary event will take place on Wednesday, September 5th at 6pm – 9:30pm, with guests dining at communal tables amidst lush hotel grounds and colorful gardens. The dinner, priced at $350 per person, includes select wine pairings from local California wineries, Lanson Champagne and Clase Azul Tequila. Each chef will showcase their individual approach to barbecue preparation, allowing for a diverse sampling of tastes and cooking techniques. All excess prepared food will be redistributed to those in need through the Chefs to End Hunger initiative, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Habitat for Humanity Guatemala. The visiting chef series at Hotel Bel-Air continues on October 4th with acclaimed 2 Michelin star chef Yusuke Takada of Osaka’s La Cime. For reservations, please visit: https://www.exploretock.com/wolfgangpuckbelair/experience/22266/ About Chef Wolfgang Puck Master Chef Wolfgang Puck is acclaimed for his bold, innovative school of cooking that redefined fine dining in America. From the introduction of Spago, known as one of the world’s most iconic restaurants, to the creation of Chinois and CUT, and winning three James Beard awards and an Emmy, Wolfgang Puck has long set the standard for cuisine, service and style. His popular, namesake restaurant, Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air, represents one of his best restaurant experiences for Los Angeles and is a hotel restaurant like no other, featuring a spectacular garden setting and two distinct dining venues offering the best of indoor and outdoor California cuisine. About Nancy Silverton With partners Mario Batali & Joe Bastianich, Nancy Silverton is the co-owner of Pizzeria and Osteria Mozza in LA, Newport Beach and Singapore, as well as Mozza2Go and Chi Spacca in LA. Silverton also founded the world-renowned La Brea Bakery and Campanile Restaurant, an institution that Angelenos cherished for decades. Silverton has worked with some of the nation’s most notable chefs including in the kitchens of Jonathan Waxman at Michael’s Restaurant and Wolfgang Puck at Spago. In 1990, Silverton was named one of Food and Wine Magazine’s “Best New Chefs”. Also that year, she was named “Pastry Chef of the Year” and “Who’s Who of Cooking” by the James Beard Foundation. In 2014, she received the highest honor given by the James Beard Foundation for “Outstanding Chef” as well as listed as one of the Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink by Fortune and Food and Wine Magazine. In early 2015, Nancy launched Nancy's Fancy, a line of premium gelato and sorbetto which will be sold in supermarkets nationwide. About Eric Werner and Mya Henry Eric Werner and Mya Henry own and operate Hartwood in Tulum, Mexico, where they live with their daughter, Charlie. Werner, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, began his career as a pastry chef at Payard in New York City. He has also cooked at Wylie Dufresne’s 71 Clinton Fresh Food, Peasant, and Vinegar Hill House. Follow them at hartwoodtulum.com or @HartwoodTulum on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. About Megan and Colby Garrelts Megan and Colby Garrelts are the chef-owners of rye (Leawood, KS & Kansas City, MO), and Bluestem, a 2015, 2016, and 2017 James Beard Semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant, in Kansas City. Chef Colby is a 2013 James Beard Foundation Best Chef Midwest award winner, 2005 Food & Wine Top 10 Best New Chef and has had his cuisine showcased in the Wall Street Journal and on the August 2013 cover of Saveur Magazine. Chef Megan is a James Beard Semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef and her recipes have been featured in numerous national publications including Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Wall Street Journal and Saveur. About Burt Bakman Burt Bakman, is the epitome of a renaissance man with his love for the arts, architecture and cooking. Bakman is the pit-master-in-chief behind the instagram sensation and critically acclaimed @Trudy’s Underground Barbecue. Born in Zimbabwe and raised in Israel, Bakman immigrated to the United States as a teenager where he started developing his love for cooking and barbecuing. After one trip to Austin, Texas where Bakman visited the legendary Franklin's Barbecue and he was instantly hooked on trying to re-create and master the culinary masterpiece that is Texas style BBQ. You can find him these days laboring for about 18 hours—tending his fire every 30 minutes—over each batch of brisket smoked with red or white oak in his own back yard in Los Angeles’s Studio City. His patrons can get their hands on the finger-licking-good barbecue via DM on Instagram. About Jean Imbert Jean Imbert got a taste for cooking at an early age and made it a way to express himself. After years of concocting dishes for friends and family whilst on holiday in Sables-D’or-les-Pins in Brittany, the young man enrolled at the famous Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyon after passing his baccalaureate exams. He had several placements working with top chefs during his course such as Michel Rostang in Paris and Antoine Westermann (Le Buerehiesel restaurant) in Strasbourg. Five years after beginning his culinary journey, Jean Imbert left the large teams behind to open his own restaurant, l’Acajou (Paris 16). He became a chef-owner at the tender age of 22. He won Top Chef, a cooking programme on M6, in 2012 and grabbed the public’s attention. Popular for his cheery nature and creativity, he is now one of France’s favourite chefs and guests love joining him to try his bold local dishes. About Michael Voltaggio Michael Voltaggio has been living and cooking in Los Angeles for almost a decade. He made his mark as the owner and chef of restaurants ink. and the artisanal sandwich shop Sack Sandwiches. Alongside his brother, chef Bryan Voltaggio, Michael is the chef and partner for the Voltaggio Brothers Steak House at MGM National Harbor. The brothers have also created the fast-casual concept, STRFSH, showcasing grilled sustainable fish sandwiches in Santa Monica, CA. Beginning his career at the age of 15 Michael would go on to graduate from the prestigious Greenbrier apprenticeship program at age 21. He then spent several years as a chef within The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company. His passion for restaurants led him to go on to helm the kitchens of Charlie Palmers Dry Creek Kitchen and The Bazaar by José Andrés. Celebrated for having reinterpreted, a new class of finer dining at ink. – which received the title of GQ’s “Best New Restaurant in America” 2011 – Michael has been recognized as one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs 2013, winner of Bravo’s Top Chef, and hosted the Travel Channel series Breaking Borders. In early 2019, The Voltaggio brothers will debut a new project together, located at the Conrad Hotel of downtown's CityCenterDC, in Washington, D.C. Follow Michael Voltaggio on Twitter and Instagram: @mvoltaggio. About Tim Hollingsworth Chef Timothy Hollingsworth is the chef and owner of Otium, an ambitious contemporary restaurant adjacent to The Broad. Prior to opening Otium, Hollingsworth spent 13 years at Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry, including four years as chef de cuisine. Beginning as a commis in 2001, Hollingsworth learned from former chefs de cuisine Eric Ziebold and Corey Lee, internalizing the intricacies and heritage of the restaurant’s French inspirations. In 2004, Keller selected Hollingsworth to join a core team that traveled to New York City to train and prepare for the opening of Per Se, Keller’s second three-Michelin-starred restaurant. Hollingsworth returned to Yountville in 2005, where he continued his tenure at The French Laundry before moving to Los Angeles in 2012. Throughout his career, Hollingsworth has won multiple awards, including the Rising Star Chef Award from The San Francisco Chronicle and the Rising Star Chef of the Year Award, presented by the James Beard Foundation. About Hugo Bolanos Named Executive Chef of Hotel Bel-Air in 2013, Hugo Bolanos, is responsible for overseeing the entire food and beverage operation of the iconic hotel, including signature restaurant Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air, the popular bar and lounge, in-room dining, and banquets and events. As a veteran team member of the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group since 2000, Bolanos has extensive experience in Los Angeles and has established himself as a significant presence in the local market and beyond. Most recently, he was the chef de cuisine at Puck’s CUT, awarded one star by Michelin and three stars in the LA Times, and the adjacent Sidebar lounge. Prior to this, Bolanos was the executive sous chef at the world-renowned and flagship two-star Michelin rated Wolfgang Puck restaurant, Spago.