Contestant and third place finisher on the 2013 season of The Next Food Network Star and a one time competitor on Iron Chef America. He has launched four restaurants between Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York and is the face behind SubCulture Dining, an underground dining club.
His first culinary experiment came at the age of 3 when he attempted to make applesauce. He left for the prestigious California Culinary Academy in San Francisco when he was 17 years old.
His first restaurant was Los Angeles-based Russell's. He worked as a head chef at the James Beard-nominated Black Cat in San Francisco before opening his San Francisco establishment Lafitte.
He watched his mother prepare family dinners, developing an early interest in the craft of cooking.
He competed in front of judges Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis on The Next Food Network Star.
