Peja Krstic was born in Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia, in 1983. He learned early on that quality food is an essential ingredient for good living.  His grandfather, who was a passionate traveler and gastronome, instilled in Peja the importance of experiencing and exploring many diverse cuisines from around the globe.  In 2012, Krstic helped to open The Standard Pour. At the same time, he worked as a corporate chef for La Reve Company, overseeing Sfuzzi and Villa O.  In 2015, Krstic took an opportunity to take over Mot Hai Ba, a Vietnamese-inspired restaurant in East Dallas. Under his leadership, the tiny neighborhood restaurant has received rave reviews and recognition from food critics and, most importantly, guests. Some reviews include Four-Stars from the Dallas Morning News and Best Vietnamese Restaurants by D Magazine. Mot Hai Ba has also been recognized as one of the 38 Essential Restaurants in Dallas for four years in a row by Eater.

Chef Borges finds his personal paradise while walking through local markets. You’ll find him speaking with local purveyors, developing relationships, or deep in thought sourcing the perfect ingredients. He learned this while growing up in Brazil and perfected it in New York City after spending 10+ years with chefs Tom Colicchio, Missy Robbins, and more. In 2014, Borges was the opening Executive Chef at Uchi – earning a rare Five-Star review from The Dallas Morning News (its highest rating at the time). He went on to lead the kitchen at FT33 as Executive Chef and then moved to the Joule Hotel as Executive Chef of the property’s multiple outlets. Today, Borges helms the Meridian Restaurant and is Vice-President of Culinary for The Village. Chef Borges is a 2023 James Beard Award Semi-Finalist.

Michelin-lauded Chef Bruno Davallion is the Executive Chef and Partner of Knox Bistro. Born and raised in France, Chef Bruno worked in his first Michelin-starred kitchen at 16. After moving to the U.S., Bruno was Head Chef for Alain Ducasse’s Mix in Las Vegas. Under his leadership, the restaurant was awarded Michelin stars in 2008 and 2009. Chef Bruno then moved to Dallas. Following an exceptional six-year tenure at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek and later opening Bullion in downtown Dallas, Chef Bruno partnered with Stephan Courseau as the Executive Chef at Knox Bistro. He also became Chef Partner for all concepts moving forward for Travis Street Hospitality group, alongside Stephan Courseau and Edward Goemans. Chef Bruno has trained numerous chefs around Dallas and prides himself on leading by example. He strongly encourages his mentees to travel the world, experience different culinary cultures, and return to Dallas with their perfected craft.

Chef Flores opened Driftwood as Executive Chef in March 2012. Driftwood received a Four-Star rating from Dallas Morning News and has been featured in numerous local and national publications. Chef Flores was selected as one of the 2012 Best Chefs in DFW and named one of the 2013 Best in DFW Seafood Restaurants. Omar was nominated for Food & Wine Magazine’s People’s Choice Best New Chef 2013-2014-2015–Southwest. In 2013, Chef Flores opened Casa Rubia, which focuses on Catalan influenced seasonal tapa. Casa Rubia nabbed a spot in Texas Monthly’s Best New Restaurants and a nod from the James Beard Foundation for best new restaurant 2013. In 2015 and 2016, Chef Flores was nominated for Best Chef Southwest by the James Beard Foundation. His latest venture is Whistle Britches, a chicken, biscuit, and beer concept that opened in 2016. The restaurant opened with much anticipation and earned nominations for Best New Restaurant from D magazine and Culture Map. In 2019, Chef Flores opened Muchacho Tex-Mex in University Park, TX.

The youngest of three sons, Matt grew up planting vegetables and pruning flowers underneath the citrus trees in his family’s garden. Like many of us, Matt learned to cook from his mom, which he now enjoys doing with his children. Having never gone to culinary school, Matt has made his way through the culinary landscape by training, cooking, and leading some of the best kitchens in America. Matt finds great joy in the simple pleasures of cooking, working hand in hand with local farmers, and using his imagination to extract the most flavor from each ingredient. Matt strives to create food that is both thoughtful and delicious. When not in the kitchen, Matt spends time with his wife and kids, foraging for new ingredients and finding new (and dangerous) ways to work out.

Regino Rojas is a force in the culinary world and he’s only getting started. Regino “Gino” Rojas grew up in Yurécuaro, Mexico, where he learned to cook and find inspiration. In 2012, Rojas opened Revolver Lounge and has cultivated many faithful customers. Rojas has been building his taco empire across the DFW metroplex and has drawn the gaze of many esteemed chefs across the globe. He has been a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef in Texas in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023. In 2022, Revolver Taco was featured on Netflix’s Taco Chronicles.

John Tesar, Executive Chef and Partner at Knife Dallas, takes a classically trained chef’s approach to steakhouse cuisine. With the expansion of the Knife Steakhouse brand throughout the country and the introduction of Knife Burger and Knife Butcher Shops, Tesar relishes the enthusiastic support his concept garners from staff, guests, and critics. Before reinventing the Texas steakhouse landscape, Tesar enjoyed a lengthy career in fine dining. He is a four-time James Beard “Best Southwest Chef” semifinalist, a two-time contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef, and winner of Food Network’s Extreme Chef. Tesar’s national media presence also includes appearances on The Today Show, The Early Show and coverage in The New York Times, Food & Wine, and New York Magazine.

Chef Diana Zamora’s inspiration comes from the Mexican and Central American flavors of her childhood and culture. She is a self-taught chef that has worked with different styles of food, including Southern Comfort, Mediterranean, New American, and Western Mexican cuisine. She is currently the pastry chef at the notable East Dallas restaurant Cry Wolf and has started her concept, Nena Postreria, which will be opening later this year. Her desserts offer a combination of different textures and bold yet perfectly complimentary flavors that reflect her supplemental experience with savory food. Zamora is also an active member of Harvest Project Food Rescue, a grassroots organization that tackles food waste issues and food insecurity in underserved local communities.