MEET THE CHEFS
BIO
FOUNDING DIRECTOR & HONORARY CHAIRMAN, SOUTHERN SMOKE FOUNDATION
Midwest-raised, James Beard Award-winning Chef Chris Shepherd has helped change the landscape of the Houston culinary scene since opening Underbelly in 2012. He built the restaurant to support the Houston food community and its suppliers by buying local and drawing inspiration from the people and cultures that live in the city. Thanks to Chris’ vision and passion, Underbelly was a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best New Restaurant, was named one of the best new restaurants in the country by Bon Appetit and Esquire and was named one of 38 essential restaurants in America by Eater. Chris was named one of the 10 Best New Chefs in America by Food & Wine in 2013 and was then awarded the 2014 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest.
Chris was a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef in 2019 and was named Robb Report‘s Chef of the Year the same year. Chris’ first cookbook, Cook Like a Local: Flavors that Will Change the Way You Cook—and See the World, was published by Clarkson Potter in September 2019 and was nominated for a 2020 James Beard Foundation Book Award. In 2023, Chris launched a TV show Eat Like a Local on Houston’s KPRC-TV, where he tells the stories of Houston’s rich and diverse food and beverage scene. He also hosts an onstage conversation series, Table to Stage, with the biggest names in food and beverage.
Chris began his fine dining career at Brennan’s of Houston, where he spent seven years in the kitchen and then ran the wine program for two. He left Brennan’s in 2006 to open Catalan Food & Wine, which was named one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America that same year.
Chris’ foundation Southern Smoke has distributed more than $11 million directly to people in the food and beverage industry in need via the Emergency Relief Fund.
Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch
BIO
Award-winning chef Stephen Barber leans on his Southern roots in his ingredient-driven approach to our restaurant at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch. Barber brings over 20 years of experience from all over the US, including John Currence’s City Grocery, Norman Van Aken’s Norman’s in Miami and the former MECCA in San Francisco. In 2007, Stephen opened Barbers Q in Napa to critical acclaim. He lives in Napa with his wife and son.
PRESS Restaurant & Under-Study – St. Helena
BIO
Philip Tessier, an acclaimed chef, author, and mentor, serves as the Chef/Partner at PRESS Restaurant in St. Helena, California. Best known for its modern, refined American cuisine, PRESS has earned a Michelin star and the distinction of being a World’s 50 Best Discovery restaurant. Along with Owner Samantha Rudd and Director of Operations Justin Williams, they are getting ready to launch Under-Study, a vibrant new marketplace with a modern patisserie, an ingredient-inspired counter service restaurant, and butcher shop in St. Helena, CA, slated to open later this fall. Philip was the first American chef to ever place on the podium at the biennial Bocuse d’Or Competition in Lyon, France. In 2017, he coached the U.S. Team to victory. He recounted this journey in his book “Chasing Bocuse” published in October that same year.
Philip is quick to recognize the efforts of his hard working team and emphasizes his ongoing commitment to his industry, “There’s nothing more gratifying than to encourage someone to grow from a starting point and transition into a better person, both personally and professionally, and to succeed in their own way. Mentorship lives way beyond just one’s own success. We want PRESS to become the restaurant where young cooks come to learn how to become great chefs.”
Guantonio’s Wood Fired – Lodi
BIO
Nick Guantone is the chef/owner of Guantonios Wood Fired in Lodi, CA. Working in the food industry for over 20 years, his passion for hospitality, quality, and community come together to create a memorable experience for locals & tourists alike. Nick has built Guantonios with his wife & parents, combining authentic flavor, welcoming service, and a strong local connection. His approach emphasizes attention to detail, consistency, and creating an environment where customers feel like family. Under his guidance, Guantonios has grown into a brand recognized for its dedication to great taste, reliability, and community engagement.
Holy Basil – Los Angeles
BIO
Chef Wedchayan “Deau” Arpapornnopparat of Holy Basil in Los Angeles hails from Bangkok, bringing a rich heritage from his Thai-Chinese family. Motivated by a craving for authentic Thai street food, Deau and his partner, Tongkamal “Joy” Yuon, decided to focus on recreating the favorite dishes they missed, while leveraging the exceptional produce from local farmers markets and high-quality meat and fish purveyors.
Holy Basil, which specializes in Bangkok and Central Thai street food, has received critical acclaim from
outlets like the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Eater, and Infatuation. Recognized as one of Food Wine’s Best New Chefs in 2024, Deau is celebrated for blending classics with genre-bending dishes that signal the future of Thai cuisine. He now focuses on expanding Holy Basil and exploring new projects ahead. Most recently, Chef Wedchayan was included in Food & Wine’s Best New Chef Class of 2025.
Quarter Sheets – Los Angeles
BIO
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Hannah Ziskin is the pastry chef and co-owner of Quarter Sheets alongside partner Aaron Lindell. The restaurant has earned national recognition for the cult-favorite combination of crispy-edged pizza and specialty cakes. In 2023, Ziskin was named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs, and is a 2025 James Beard Semifinalist.
BIO
Thomas McNaughton, founding partner, co-chef and CEO of Flour + Water Hospitality Group, grew up in Southern New Jersey. He started working in local kitchens at the age of 15. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, then gained valuable experience working for Bay Area restaurants La Folie, Gary Danko and Quince. On his culinary journey, he also worked at a number of Michelin-rated restaurants in France, Germany and Italy, falling head over heels in love with the hand-rolled pastas of Bologna and the nonne that produce them.
Thomas is relentlessly driven by the community of farmers, craftsmen and “creatives” that call the Bay Area home. Always collaborative in nature, Thomas feels his number one job at FWHG is to nurture a culture where all team members feel heard, inspired and work in an environment that allows their individual talents to excel.
BIO
Ryan Pollnow, co-chef and vice president of the Flour + Water Hospitality Group, discovered a love for cooking and the micro seasons of the Bay Area while growing up in Northern California. Ryan completed culinary school in Sonoma County while working at restaurants and wineries to further develop his acumen in the field. He continued his education abroad at renowned restaurant Mugaritz in northern Spain before returning to the Bay Area. Traveling for culinary inspiration has always been an important part of his growth, and his time in Italy left a significant imprint on his love for seasonal cooking. Ryan led each FWHG kitchen individually as Chef de Cuisine before transitioning into his current role overseeing all culinary operations as co-executive chef.
Na Na Thai – Buellton
BIO
Born in Maui, Nik Ramirez had a passion for cooking and sport from a young age. At 18, the pursuit of a professional soccer career led him to Romania, where he played for FC Petrolul Ploiești. Then he moved into the restaurant industry, where he attended the culinary arts program at Santa Barbara City College and started his career at Santa Barbara’s iconic Wine Cask in 2008.
Nik continued to hone his skills, cooking and staging at 108 in Copenhagen, Gaggan in Bangkok, and a seasonal izakaya restaurant in Japan’s remote Iya Valley. But it was Thailand that felt like home. He lived in Bangkok for four years, and both of his children were born there.
Nik served as chef de cuisine at the Dusit Thani Hotel’s 22 Kitchen & Bar and the Hotel Indigo’s Char Restaurant & Bar. In 2019, Nik decided to move closer to family and accepted a position at Acme Hospitality in Santa Barbara. A few years later, while searching for a new home in the Santa Ynez Valley, he met Greg and Daisy Ryan of Companion Hospitality.
In June of 2022, Nik and his wife Ashley began a series of weekly Na Na Thai pop-ups at Companion’s Bar Le Côte in Los Olivos, CA and a year later in June of 2023, they opened Na Na Thai’s own brick and mortar in Buellton, CA serving authentic Thai street food classics in a lively setting.
WINERY PARTNERS
