Raised in both Los Angeles and Costa Rica, chef Govind Armstrong is as unique a personality as he is a culinary talent.  He is executive chef and partner of Table 8 and 8 oz. Burger Bar in Los Angeles and Miami Beach. With his newest restaurant, Table 8 at The Cooper Square Hotel, Govind brings his fresh, vibrant cooking to New York City.  Govind has been a participant in L.A.'s culinary history and the evolution of California cuisine for two decades. He has worked with L.A culinary luminaries such as Wolfgang Puck and Nancy Silverton, and trained in highly regarded European kitchens, including Spain’s Arzak restaurant.  Govind has appeared in media outlets including, People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful Issue, Bon Appetit, Gourmet, O Magazine, Iron Chef America/Food Network, The Today Show/NBC, Bravo’s Top Chef, Extra, Style Network, Fine Living, OPRAH and WE. In 2007, Govind released “Small Bites, Big Nights: Seductive Little Plates for Intimate Occasions and Lavish Parties,” his first cookbook from Clarkson Potter.

Burke’s first executive chef post was at the River Café in New York City, where he earned three stars from The New York Times. Since then, he’s opened several restaurants: the acclaimed davidburke & donatella; David Burke at Bloomingdale’s; David Burke’s Primehouse, his first Chicago steakhouse; David Burke Fromagerie in Rumson, New Jersey; and most recently, David Burke Las Vegas, in the Venetian Resort Casino, Las Vegas. He’s also the inventor of many groundbreaking products and techniques including Pastrami Salmon™, flavored oils, tuna tartare, GourmetPops™ (gourmetpops.com), and Flavor Sprays—named one of the top 100 inventions of the year by Time Magazine. Burke’s first cookbook, Cooking with David Burke was published in 1995, and his second, David Burke’s New American Classics launched in 2006. David Burke Prime and Burke in the Box opened at the Grand Pequot Tower at Foxwoods in Summer 2008.

After graduating college, Alexandra Guarnaschelli embarked on a culinary journey in France and ended up working in some of the country's top restaurants including esteemed chef Guy Savoy's eponymous three-star kitchen. As host of the Food Network’s The Cooking Loft, she takes some of the considerable knowledge gleaned from her years in the restaurants and shares it with her guests on the show and viewers, showing them how to incorporate classic techniques into recipes they can make at home.  She has also appeared on Iron Chef America as both a challenger and a judge.  Since 2003, Alexandra has been the executive chef at Butter Restaurant, where she creates her own eclectic American and green market-inspired menu. In addition to her restaurant work, Alexandra inspires budding chefs as a Chef-Instructor at New York City's Institute of Culinary Education.

New York Times bestselling author and registered dietician, Ellie Krieger, helps people of all ages achieve balance in food, health and life, while obtaining joy right at their fingertips. Krieger is the host of the hit show, “Healthy Appetite,” on Food Network as well as a contributing editor and columnist with Fine Cooking magazine and Food Network magazine, among others.  Krieger’s warmth and charisma have made her the nutritionist of choice, with an emphasis on lifestyle, for today’s media. After receiving her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in nutrition from Cornell and Columbia University, Krieger began educating others on eating healthy.  Krieger’s 2005 book Small Changes Big Results is a how-to on easy-to-live-with habit changes. Her second book, The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life, was an immediate New York Times bestseller. In 2009, The Food You Crave won the IACP Cookbook award and this past May, the prestigious James Beard Foundation Award. Krieger’s third book, “So Easy”, will be released in November, 2009.

A son of displaced farmers, Michel Nischan grew up with a deep appreciation for sustainable agriculture and those who work the land. As a professional chef and  advocate for a more healthful, organic and sustainable food future, he has built on those childhood values and become a catalyst for change and new initiatives in local and regional food systems.  A two time James Beard Foundation award winner, Michel is Chef/Owner of Dressing Room: A Homegrown Restaurant, located at Westport (CT) Country Playhouse, and President /CEO of Wholesome Wave Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on making locally and sustainably grown foods available to all.

Michael Schlow is one of the leading chefs in America and is considered by many to be Boston’s best chef and restaurateur. He is the chef and co-owner of four wildly popular and successful restaurants, Radius, Via Matta, Alta Strada, and Great Bay, and is the recipient of the James Beard Foundation Award for “Best Chef: Northeast,” the prestigious Robert Mondavi Culinary Award of Excellence and Santé Magazine’s, “Chef of the Year”. He makes numerous national TV appearances and is the author of It’s About Time. Schlow opened his second Alta Strada, an authentic, exciting Italian restaurant and wine bar at MGM Grand at Foxwoods in May of 2008.