Omaha Restaurant Association is grateful for these participating chefs at the recent fundraising event held on April 31st, 2023. Take a look at the dishes these amazing chefs presented to dining guests at the event.
Chef Eddie was raised in San Antonio, Texas. He was inspired to go to cooking school by his grandfather who was a great cook. While attending Le Cordon Bleu he understood the meaning of technique and mise en place. Everything has a place and a purpose. After graduating from culinary school he met his mentor, Mark Morton, at Oceanaire Seafood Room. Chef Morton had worked under Julia Childs, and Eddie attributes his career success to him. After working at Abacus, Bolsa, Foundation Room, and Trulucks in Texas, he landed a position at Capital Grille where he really fell in love with fabricating red meat and the process of dry aged meat. Family is a big part of Eddie’s life and he, along with his son, moved to his wife’s hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, so that they could be with her nieces and nephews as they grow up. After working at Butterfish in Blackstone Eddie wanted to get back to his love of fine dining steak houses which led him to the position of Executive Chef at 801 Chophouse.
30 DAY AGED STRIPLOIN Porcini Crusted Striploin | Cold Water Lobster Thermidor
TIRAMISU Espresso | Mascarpone | Ladyfingers
801 Chophouse
Avoli Osteria | 5013 Underwood Ave | 402-933-7400
Chef Chris Furse
From an early age watching his grandmother and great grandmother cook, and smelling all the flavors coming out of their kitchens, Chef Furse knew this was where he wanted to be.
He began in fast food at age 14, and worked his way up until enlisting in the navy. After leaving the service, he decided that cooking was his path in life. He made the move from Grand Island to Omaha in 2008 and worked at bar & grills until he got an offer to work with Joel Mahr at Lot 2 and his path became clearer. After two years at Lot 2, he left to spread his wings and worked with greater Omaha chefs; John Seymour at Society 1854 and then John Engler and Dario Schicke at Avoli where he is currently.
COURSE ONE
Poached Shrimp | Colabrian Chilli | Garlic Aioli
COURSE TWO
Pea Veloute | Chilli Oil | Hazlenut Crumble
COURSE THREE
Squid Ink Ravioli | Crab | Calamari
COURSE FOUR
Short Rib | Sunchoke | Baby Carrots | Jus
COURSE FIVE
Budino | Shortbread Cookie
Boiler Room Restaurant
Chef Tim Nicholson
Tim Nicholson is an Omaha native who graduated from Metropolitan Community College’s Institute for Culinary Arts in 2008. During school, Tim started working in his first kitchen frying fish. Working his way up through the ranks he soon moved on to work for hotels and steakhouses around the area. In late 2010 Tim became the Sous Chef at The Boiler Room Restaurant and became Head Chef in 2015. Since then Tim has been a James Beard Semi- Finalist for Rising Star Chef and Best Chef: Midwest. Bringing a steady hand to the kitchen and a relentless pursuit of the refined.
Tim was assisted during the evening event by Chef Andrew Novak.
Andrew is the sous chef of the multiple time James Beard nominated Boiler Room Restaurant under Chef Tim Nicholson, and earned the status of student Culinarian of the Year in 2017 upon completion of his Metro culinary degree. His Hospitality veteran status spans many different avenues; from country clubs, hotels, corporate kitchens, to the fine dining kitchen he calls home. Despite any fatigue or demands the field may have, Andrew finds that when people have a memorable dining experience with him behind the stove, the joy he feels is ultimately worth it & serves as constant motivation. When not at the Boiler Room, you can find Andrew around live music, adding to his vinyl collection, frisbee golfing, hiking in the woods, and bringing together friends and family for a meal once a month.
NIMAN RANCH NEW YORK STRIP Carrot Puree | Local Spring Vegetables | Charred Onion | Sunchoke Soil | Sauce Bordelaise
APPLE TART TATIN Salted Caramel Sauce | Buttermilk Ice Cream
Clean Slate Food Co
Chef Dylan Thompson
Chef Dylan is a 2015 culinary grad from Metro. During his culinary journey, he has worked both front and back of house throughout Lincoln and Omaha, obtaining his certified sommelier accreditation in 2017. Currently, Dylan is growing Clean Slate Food Co., which offers a home-delivered, prepared meal set weekly. Clean Slate also caters events from in-home wine dinners to full-sized corporate lunches. They are contracted to serve lunch weekly for Hudl and WP Engine, amongst other corporations in Nebraska.
AMUSE BOUCHE Red Pepper Pillow
CRAB STUFFED FISH WITH CRISPY SKIN Creamy Salsa Verde | Escabeche Salad
Oscar Hernandez was born and raised in Mexico City, Mexico. Shortly after he arrived in Omaha at the age of 17, he was hired as a cook at Zio’s Pizza in downtown Omaha. After working in a couple different restaurants, he fell in love with food and in 2011 he enrolled in culinary school at Metropolitan Community College. While in school, Oscar worked his way up from a line cook to Sous Chef at M’s Pub. From M’s, Oscar moved to 801 Chop House and eventually was Sous Chef at Pig and Finch.
With a goal to further his knowledge and training, Oscar began cooking at The Market House until it unfortunately burned in the Old Market explosion in January 2016. Soon after he was given his opportunity as Executive Chef at 712 eat + drink in Council Bluffs, and 402 Eat+Drink for its first five years.
Having a Mexican heritage, Oscar was inspired early on by the dishes and flavors of his culture. A growing interest in different cultures and cuisines now shows through his dishes. Recently Oscar has focused on Asian flavors and combining elements of different culinary traditions on his plates.
After all his hard work and all the opportunities he was given by all the great people that he has worked with, he now had the opportunity to do his own project, Corner Kitchen, alongside his brother Ismael Hernandez. Corner Kitchen opened in April of 2022.
Oscar still considers himself a young cook, working every day to learn something new about food, technique, wine or craft cocktails. When Oscar is not working, he likes to spend time with his family, travel and to check out new restaurants.
PORK CONFIT Pork Confit-Pork Belly | Mexican Black Mole | Roasted Brussel Sprouts | Carrots | Red Chilis | Grilled Onions | Sesame Seeds Montinore Estate – Red Cap
BRAISED SHORT RIB Red Wine Braised Short Ribs | Marrow Bone Mashed Potatoes | Brocolini | Terra Fungi Mushroom | Salsa Verde Treana Cabernet
CHOCOLATE TART Tiramisu Chocolate Tart | Dulce De Leche And Whipped Cream Founders Porter Beer
Dolce
Chef Anthony Kueper
Growing up in a military family Anthony was exposed to different cultures and their cuisines at an early age. His favorite food was Pommes Frites in the Netherlands where he was born. He enjoyed delicious food with a high level of service with his father in a variety of fine dining establishments on the military bases where they were stationed.
As a teenager, he learned to love to experiment with food. After a couple of basic cooking classes during a summer in high school, he began cooking for family and friends. Gaining experience in cooking in many jobs in the fast-food industry, Anthony finally landed his first real gig at the Bistro in the Market in downtown Omaha. After learning some chops from Kenneth Hughes, he decided to go to culinary school. After his graduation, he spent nearly four years with the Ritz Carlton Company.
Moving to Aspen, he worked at Elevation, Main St. Bakery and the Caribou Club. After a year and a half, he met his girlfriend Daniela and followed her to Hamburg, Germany. There he cooked at the Claasenhof, the restaurant was rated a one-star Michelin upon his arrival and was later awarded a second star during his tenure.
Upon returning to the US, he got married back in Aspen and moved to Beaver Creek, Colorado. He opened the Beaver Creek Lodge, then moved on to positions at Red Sky Ranch, Toscanini, Café Milano and Vin 48.
With the arrival of his twins, he moved his family back to Omaha. He spent a year working with Jon Seymour at V Mertz. The owner, Gina Sterns, hired him as a Sous Chef but quickly advanced to chef status. Chef Anthony remained the chef when Gina sold the business to a new owner.
In December 2016, Chef Anthony and his family were given the opportunity to buy Dolce, closing the deal on March 1st, 2017. With his wife Daniela and his three boys Kyenne, Mace and Sage, Anthony will continue to run Dolce and serve customers with his wealth of knowledge and passion for food.
Robert Murphy is Executive Chef at The Farnam, Omaha, Nebraska, a Marriott Autograph Collection. A 20-year culinary veteran, Robert prides himself as a former key member of many 4-diamond hotels and resorts nationally, and in the Caribbean. While with Hyatt Hotels, he was responsible for the culinary planning and direction of off-premises events at the Prime Minister’s residence of Trinidad & Tobago. A student of Garde Manger, he has carried this core skill forward to other culinary disciplines, which he has added to his resume over the years. Flair is his trademark on all dishes prepared for specialty restaurants and functions under his direction.
His leadership has earned him several promotions, which include oversight of many high-volume Food & Beverage assets with Hyatt, Westin, Omni Hotels, and Troon Golf.
Robert is a firm believer in balance, as defined as equal parts of satisfaction between associates, customers, and ownership. He knows that the ultimate key to success is that happy associates will make happy customers, which in turn will make a reasonable profit for ownership. His concern for that basic leadership concept has served him well as a mentor and team builder.
When not at work, Robert still finds himself near the kitchen, as he cures his own meats and makes fresh sausage. His is very proud of his three children, who also appear to have the knack for the culinary. He relaxes by avoiding television, digital news, and electronic devices, except for those that will accept headphones where he listens to Bach. Robert is an avid supporter of The Wounded Warrior Project, based in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida.
Tony started cooking in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for Macys food service. He started working in the front of the house and worked his way to the back of the house, where he honed his skills. He realized that not only did he really like this cooking thing, but that he had what it would take to make something out of it. After two years he moved back to Omaha where he worked anywhere he could learn, whether it be a steak house or hotel. He landed his first sous chef job at Plank seafood. This is where his career developed to next level. He eventually left and moved on to Florida and New Jersey, but family called him back to Omaha. Tony moved around helping many restaurants open their doors, including the Cottonwood Hotel. Eventually he found a home at Gather as a sous chef and could not be happier being in a place that embraces creativity and lets him have the freedom to create what he believes in. His hard work has earned him the chef de cuisine position.
AMUSE BOUCHE Pickled Pear | Pistachio Dust | House Made Ricotta | Gather Arugula
Jason is an Omaha native. Growing up in a family that owned and operated restaurants, he has been around the kitchen all of his life. At the age of 16, Jason started dishwashing at La Casa Pizzaria on Leavenworth. Working his way up the line, he soon learned all the positions in the kitchen and became hungry for more. Jason finished his culinary arts degree at MCC ICA in 2011. He worked with many chefs, helped run food trucks and stayed focused on absorbing Omaha’s food scene. Omaha is home and, likewise to Jason, La Casa is home. Jason is currently the chef at La Casa Pizzaria on Leavenworth and has been with the legendary pizzeria for a combined 20 years. He understands the importance of tradition and family while focusing on fresh ingredients and putting his own spin on the classics. When not at La Casa, Jason enjoys playing music and operates his kitchen centric woodworking company, Deep Fried Woodworks—using his hands to create more long-lasting, tangible works of art.
SOUS VIDE SHORT RIB TORTELLINI Egg Yolk Pasta | Basil Pesto | Short Rib Sugo | Romano | Morel Mushroom Salt
COPPE DI CASSATA Genoise | House Ricotta Cream | Amarena Cherry | Roasted Almonds | Chocolate | Vanilla-Almond Affogato
leVoltaire Restaurant Francais
Chef Wilson Calixte
Life is a journey and right now, Chef Calixte feels blessed and optimistic.
His journey began in 1979, in Port Au Prince, Haiti. In 1990, he and his family relocated to New York City, where he spent his formative years. In his youth, He aspired to become a mechanical engineer, but due to circumstances beyond his control, the only kind of employment he was able to obtain was in a restaurant kitchen. Twenty-three years later, the hard work paid off when Wilson Calixte, became chef/owner of Le Voltaire French Bistro.
At 18 years old, he started out humbly, as a dishwasher and over several years worked his way up the line. He discovered his passion for cooking, and embarked on a career in the restaurant industry. Through hard work and perseverance, he was made manager of two restaurants in New York City. Despite working six days a week, he also found time to start a catering business, Travel Chef Catering. Despite all the successes, Omaha beckoned and he listened.
In 2010, he relocated to Omaha and quickly found work in the city’s food service industry. His first position was at V Mertz. That spring, he became a sous chef at Le Voltaire. Once again, he had the opportunity to work his way up to chef de cuisine, a position he has held for the past four years. He couldn’t have asked for a more supportive and loving group of people than the Fichepain family, the staff at LeVoltaire and Le Petite Bakeries.
Another part of Chef Calixte’s cooking journey is his work with Cooking Matters, a non-profit organization that provides elementary students with hands-on experiences cooking and preparing healthy meals. His proudest moment has been the ability to share this experience with his own eight-year-old son, Brendan.
“My journey is far from over and I would like to thank some of the people who are accompanying me. I owe a thank you to my wife of nine years, Tonya Calixte. I would also like to extend gratitude to my three children, Justin, Brendan and Brooklynn.”
SPECIALITY MENU
DUO DE TERRINES DE POULET ET FOIE GRAS Sur Brioche | Pruneaux Marinés Au Brandy
POKÉ DE THON FRAIS
POITRINE DE PORC CONFITE Purée De Maïs Et Gremolata De Pistache Confit
TROU NORMAN HAITIAN
STEAK FRITES Faux Filet De Boeuf | Frite De Yucca Et Chimichurri À La Menthe
GATEAU DE FROMAGE AUX AGRUMES Glacage D’abricot
Afrocentric Dining - Mola Yido
Chef Jamil Bah-Traore
Chef Jamil Djibril Bah-Traore is a West African immigrant from Togo. He is a tenacious chef and entrepreneur who aims to cast fresh and diversified light on Africa’s rich culinary history. Chef Jamil Bah-Traore is the founder of House of Bah Food Group and House of Bah Foundation formally known as Eat N’ Talk Africa. These organizations’ goal is to enhance equitable employment access and cultural diversity in the community through food education and credentialed culinary training. They also create learning forums that promote the intercultural exchange of BIPOC culinary heritage, sparking meaningful conversations about inclusion toward building equitable and sustainable communities for people of color.
Chef Jamil Bah-Traore spent over a decade working for corporate America in management capacities in numerous industries with organizations such as PacifiCare, AT&T, Citibank, PayPal, and TPG before pursuing his love for becoming a chef and making a career transition in 2013. Chef Jamil continued his culinary apprenticeship at Dante, Brandeis Catering, the Omaha Marriott Regency, the Hilton Omaha, and the Omaha Marriott in the Capitol District, where he held positions ranging from line cook to banquet chef, culinary supervisor, and purchasing and receiving manager. Chef Jamil Bah-Traore holds an associate’s degree in culinary arts from Metropolitan Community College, a bachelor’s degree in business from Bellevue University, a master’s degree in hospitality and restaurant management from the University of Houston’s Conrad Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, an IT project management certificate from the University of Illinois in Springfield, and a digital marketing certificate from Metropolitan Community College. When he is not hustling and bustling in the kitchen or building bridges to fill the social gap in our community, chef Jamil likes historical books and documentaries, as well as spending time with his family on road trips. You can read more about the work Chef Jamil is doing at www.houseofbah.com and www.eatntalkafrica.org.
MAIS A TROIS Mais | Black Eyed Peas | Napa Cabbage| Tuna
LE GUMBO DE GRAND MA MOLA Okra | Holy Trinity | Crawfish | Sausage | Fufu | Dende
ROOTS GRAND MERE Roots | Mushroom | Carrot | Mafe | Beef Ribs
UN POT DE JE NE SAIS QUOI Zalabia | Glace | Crème Chantilly | Candied Nuts
Monarch
Chef Shawn LaHood
Shawn works with purposeful intent. From his first restaurant jobs as a teenager Shawn felt lucky to know that this was the career for him, & would spend his time pursuing all the knowledge he could find within the industry. While developing the most at Happy Hollow Club, he successfully completed internships with the Alinea Group working at world class restaurants Next and Alinea in Chicago. In reopening Monarch, Shawn has been instrumental in developing the culinary team from the ground up, beginning as sous chef, his dedication to reviving Monarch with a new approach led to the move up to Chef de Cuisine in July of 2022, and then Executive Chef in November of 2022. He firmly believes in striving to improve every day, that we should find constant inspiration from our peers within the industry, & that we are here to embody the spirit of hospitality every day we walk into the building. When Shawn is not in the kitchen, he spends his time playing a variety of stringed instruments, swimming, reading, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Chef Brian Everman is leading the Performance Foodservice team tonight. He brings decades of experience and expertise to your table. His career reflects a keen interest in gastronomy and culinary artistry, as well as a desire to contribute to the growth and development of the foodservice industry.
Chef Everman has travelled extensively around the globe, having spent several years living in East and Southeast Asia, and several stints traveling to the European continent, always with the objective of learning about local food ways and culinary traditions. He is versed in several languages, but it is the language of food in which he is most fluent.
Chef Cariño is supported in the company with some talented Executive Sous Chefs. Executive Sous Chef James Bedha, Executive Sous Chef Felipe Cariño, Executive Sous Chef Jaime “Chino” Guzman, Executive Sous Chef Ruben Santiago, Executive Sous Chef Luis Santos, and Executive Sous Chef Alejandro Vaszquez.
The PITCH Executive Chef team has over 40 years of combined experience at PITCH alone. The talent that the Chef team brings to the table, literally, is an unbelievable culinary experience. When you come visit, you will always find one of the Executive Chef’s in the restaurant, working side by side with the team, creating some unique flavors. Chef MC and the Chef Team have elevated PITCH’s cuisine so much that a fourth location opened in North Scottsdale, Arizona, in the fall of 2022.
The Chef Teams consistently delivers PITCH cuisine at all four locations under Chef MC’s Direction.
RIBEYE CAP Black Garlic Sauce | Black Pearl Mushrooms (Flavor Country Farms)
MAPLE LEAF FARM DUCK Pipian | Baby Green Salad
IBERICO PORK TACO Blue Corn Tortilla | Salsa | Avocado | Pickled Red Onion
ANCHO CHILI MOUSSE CAKE Chantilly Cream | Ginger Anglaise
Railcar Modern American Kitchen
Chef Nick Hunt
Chef Hunt’s journey with culinary arts started at the age of 19, in 1997. He worked for a chef named Yves Menard, opening several concepts in and out of town. Yves taught him a lot about how to run a business, analyzing P and L’s, food cost, labor cost, liquor cost, etc., and Chef Hunt worked on and off with him for ten years.
He has worked at several other inspiring kitchens in Omaha, and has travelled the country with OSI opening team to open several Bonefish Grills. Recently, he was the chef at a local brunch restaurant implementing many innovative new brunch ideas.
Currently, he is the chef at Railcar Modern American Kitchen, which is a great fit. He enjoys the freedom given to him by Jared Clark to run the kitchen as he pleases and to be creative with specials, menu, staff etc.
CARBON Niman Ranch New York Strip Steak | Guajillo Chile Sauce | Black Bean | Chile Toreados
DESSERT Habanero Pineapple Upside Down Cake | Horchata Ice Cream
Sage Student Bistro
Chef Doug Chrisman
Born and raised in Columbia, Missouri, Doug Chrisman has always had a deep love for food and hospitality. That love of cooking and making people feel welcome propelled Doug into getting involved in a culinary arts program at a high school level career and technical school in his hometown. Having a great mentor who pushed him to compete in high school competitions allowed him to gain a scholarship to attend the Culinary Institute of America, in Hyde Park, New York where he earned his Bachelor in Professional Studies degree.
Upon graduation, he went on to work for The Ritz Carlton Hotel in St. Louis, MO, where he rotated through all positions in the banquet kitchen. He moved to Washington DC, where he accepted a position managing the ceviche bar at Jose Andres Mexican antojitos restaurant, Oyamel. Working for Andres and Think Food Group only fueled the desire to do more in food and experience a variety of different roles in foodservice and hospitality.
After being approached with the opportunity to begin working for another restaurant group in the DC area that was expanding and opening more locations, Doug jumped on the opportunity to open a new restaurant for Presidential Restaurant Group as the Sous Chef.
When he got the opportunity to step out of kitchen management, Doug moved into the private sector of cooking. He took up employment as a personal chef working exclusively for an executive family in Washington DC. Through this position he got to travel extensively, manage multiple kitchens, events, and daily meals for his clients, who became like family.
Doug and his wife Leah, whom he has known since the age of eight, started dating one year when he was back home in Missouri for the holidays at the bar his Mom tended. They moved to Omaha when Leah accepted a teaching position at Creighton University and Doug began working as a food operations manager for Nebraska Medicine, managing multiple food outlets and areas for the hospital throughout the pandemic.
In August of 2022 an opportunity came up to join the team of full-time faculty instructors at the ICA at MCC. At the ICA he teaches a variety of courses and has found a passion for passing on knowledge to his students just as his mentor back in high school did for him.
EVENT MENU
AMUSE: GOLDEN BEET TARTARE Little Gem Lettuce | Chive | Tarragon | Crème Fraiche | Trout Roe
Chef Glenn has been a part of the Omaha restaurant scene since 1994. Having manned the kitchens of some of Omaha’s best restaurants like Maxine’s, opening chef for both Omaha Prime and Passport restaurants and the ground breaking Bomba Dia restaurant and Chef Glenn’s namesake Wheeler’s. In 2004 Chef Wheeler participated in the opening of Liberty Tavern located in the 4 Diamond Hilton Omaha and stayed on for five years. Chef Glenn has been Executive Chef of Spencer’s for Steaks and Chops since 2010, and supports many local farmers and growers such as Plumcreek Farms , Bluff Valley Farms, Truebridge Farms, Shadow Brook Farms and Squeaky Greens Organics.
Chef Wheeler is active in many charitable organizations and lends his hand in many ways to helping the community. He is also three-time “Taste of Elegance’ winner for the Nebraska Pork Producers. Chef Wheeler has held many positions on the board of the Omaha Restaurant Association. Chef Wheeler was inducted into the Omaha Hospitality Hall of Fame in 2015. Chef Wheeler is always learning and travels to keep up on the very latest in the culinary world. Certified Angus Beef Brand Steakhouse of the Year 2021.
EVENT MENU
AMUSE BOUCHE House Made Sausage | Kraut | Mustard | Lavosh
Chef Matthew Moser was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska and developed a passion for food and cooking at a young age. After graduating in 2005 from Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon, Chef Moser moved back to Omaha where he worked at the nationally recognized French Café. It was there that Chef Moser refined his traditional French techniques and was quickly promoted to Sous Chef. To further advance his culinary knowledge, Chef Moser accepted a position at V Mertz, a contemporary fine dining restaurant in Omaha where he acquired a passion for farm-to-table ingredients that still strongly influence his menus today.
In 2009, Chef Moser joined Omaha based Flagship restaurant group as Executive Chef at Blue Sushi Sake Grill. He successfully opened two new additions to the restaurant group in Fort Worth, Texas and Denver, Colorado. In 2012, Moser became Executive Chef at Flagship’s Plank Seafood Provisions where he played a large roll in the creation and design of the menu. After spending two and a half years working at Plank, Chef Moser decided to leave Flagship and open up a concept of his own in Omaha’s Old Market called The Market House.
The Market House opened in June of 2015 and was quickly recognized as one of Omaha’s best new restaurants. The menu reflected the innovative culinary skills of Chefs Matthew Moser and Ben Maides. In January 2015, an unfortunate gas explosion caused the restaurant to catch fire which ultimately destroyed the space. Chef Moser spent the next year working on his newest concept, Stirnella.
Stirnella opened its doors in February of 2017. The restaurant’s menu and atmosphere reflect Chef Moser’s passion for his Nebraska roots and desire to create new and interesting culinary experiences for his guests. His seasonal menus are familiar but with unique ingredients and preparations that make them stand out among their more traditional counterparts.
Born and raised in Australia, Chef Andrew studied at the Australian School of Hotel Management & Tourism in culinary arts. On completion of his apprenticeship, Chef Andrew worked in various locations around Western Australia before embarking on his international culinary journey. He has worked in Canada, and throughout Europe, Vietnam, London and now Omaha!
Upon arriving in Omaha, Chef Andrew worked for Caesars entertainment at Jack Binion’s Steakhouse at the Horseshoe Casino as a Sous Chef and then went onto run 360 Steakhouse at Harrah’s Casino for 4 years. He joined the Restaurants Inc. in 2016 and created the Stokin’ Goat which is a playful and spirited concept with a modern, rustic décor and a comfortable, casual atmosphere. Chef Andrew’s scratch kitchen has a variety of affordable, delicious dishes with intense flavors and satisfying textures. It has an affordable, creative wine list, seasonal craft cocktails and food driven beer selections.
Chef Andrew is excited to be back supporting this event. He also loves to support March of Dimes and Completely Kid’s Pinot & Pigs.
Chef Aron began his career with the family business, the Lithuanian Bakery. Growing up in the bakery with his grandmother and cooking along side her and his father. Being taught how to make bread and the Napoleonas Torte. Aron’s passion for cooking started.
During High School and College years, Aron grew his experience and passion for the culinary arts. Working with a Chef in college and became his apprentice. Working with him for a couple years Aron went on to work in several kitchens throughout Omaha. Wheatfields, M’s Pub, Upstream, 7M Grill, Twisted Fork, Railcar Modern American Kitchen, and now Talus Spirits and Sustenance.
Chef Aron has participated in Too Many Cooks for several years and his passion for the event is led by his daughter Taylor Tylkowski. Taylor and Aron have participated in many fundraising events and even this very event several years ago. Taylor was a Graduate of ICA at Metro Community College but unfortunately had passed away right before graduation. Chef Aron continues to participate in this event and others to help raise money for ICA and other scholarship programs.
Timber Wood Fire Bistro | 8702 Pacific Street | 402-964-2227
Chef Jeff Everroad
Chef Jeff Everroad is a native of Omaha. He has been in the restaurant industry for almost 30 years. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 2000. Prior to going to culinary school, he worked at Jams, Upstream Brewing Co., DoubleTree Hotel downtown, Raddison Hotel, where the Monarch resides and Breckenridge Brewery. After graduating, Jeff stayed in New York for two more years and worked for James Beard Award winning Chef Giovanni Scappin at Gigi. He then moved on to San Diego, California and worked as the Executive Sous Chef at Bertrand@Mister A ‘s for Alsatian chef, Stephane Voitzwinkler. He continued to work there for four years. In 2008, he had his first son and family became more important than the beach. It was time to leave California and return to Omaha. He then got the opportunity to help develop and be the Executive chef at Pitch in Dundee. Jeff was the Chef for two years. After Pitch he moved on to the Upstream Brewing Co. He was the Executive Chef for nine years. Chef Jeff is now the current Chef at Timber Wood Fire Bistro. Outside of work he enjoys riding motorcycles, watching his two sons play their sports and he plays drums in a punk rock band called Mere Shadows.
EVENT MENU
AMUSE BOUCHE: CURED SALMON ROLL Whipped Cream Cheese | Chives | Paddle Fish Roe
John Miller is no stranger to celebrating happiness through the form of food; something he considers of utmost importance when discussing his relationship with dining. Starting in kitchens 12 years ago, he has worked with many chefs, cuisines, and culinary styles. He believes the key to being a good chef is to deliver a unique, creative experience, and most importantly, making people happy.
A Nebraska native, John got his start in the Omaha area at the age of 16. He later spent five years honing his skills in downtown Denver. John joined V. Mertz upon returning to Omaha in 2019 and took over as Executive Chef in August of 2022. He notes the change of pace and focus on the fine details of food preparation and plate presentation as pivotal in his culinary journey. John is uniquely inspired by utilizing a wide array of culinary influence and flavors, recognizing citrus, spice, and umami as key concepts he likes to work with in his own dish creation.
EVENT MENU
AMUSE Deviled Quail Egg COURSE ONE Tuna Sashimi | Cucumber | Coconut | Ginger | Garlic Chips | Cilantro COURSE TWO Rye Parisian Gnocchi | Green Chick Pea | Black Garlic | Ramps COURSE THREE Raspberry Sorbet COURSE FOUR Morgan Ranch Hanger Steak | Pomme Purée | Salsa | Harissa COURSE FIVE Rhubarb Eton Mess | Poached Rhubarb | Chantilly | Meringue
