Deb Paquette

Chef/Owner of etch & etc.

For more than thirty years, Deb Paquette has been a fixture in Nashville’s ever-growing food scene. As a trailblazing chef, dedicated mentor and community advocate, her adventurous cuisine and tenacious personality have made their mark on the Music City. Now chef/owner of etch (Nashville and Franklin, forthcoming) and etc. (Green Hills), Paquette has won countless awards and accolades. Ranked #1 in the city by Zagat and with a long list of “best of” mentions, etch endures as one of the essential restaurants in Nashville. From her time at the Culinary Institute of America to her 13-year run at Gourmet magazine “Top 60” winning Zola to today, diners have flocked to her big, bold flavors and return time and again for her next globally-inspired dish.

Aaron Hall

Chef of Jasper's

With more than 20 years of experience in the kitchen, Chef Aaron Hall leads the culinary team at Jasper’s, a neighborhood bar and restaurant located in Nashville. After joining the opening team for Jasper’s in 2020, Hall quickly rose to Sous Chef and ultimately became Jasper’s Chef in September 2021. At Jasper’s, Hall enjoys taking simple ingredients and dishes to the next level, crafting them into an elevated favorite that guests will return for time and time again.

Joshua Peoples

Executive Chef of Deacon's

Chef Joshua Peoples, originally from Kansas City is the Executive Chef of Deacon’s New South located in the historic L&C building in Downtown Nashville. Chef Josh moved to NYC from Kansas City running fine dining kitchens streamlining delicious farm to table dishes. He has worked with great establishments including BLT Steak with David Burke, and Hudson Clearwater in West Village NY. Chef Joshua Peoples moved to Nashville five years ago and began here working in the kitchens of Nashville staples Husk, and Nada, before eventually taking the helm of Deacon’s New South. Chef enjoys focusing on the dry aged meat room and utilizing seasonal fresh produce from local purveyors throughout the menu.

Marino Bianchi

Executive Chef of Urban Grub

Marino Bianchi is an accomplished Executive Chef at Urban Grub, a popular restaurant in Nashville known for its contemporary Southern cuisine. He started his culinary journey at Virago, a sushi and Asian fusion restaurant in Nashville, and top Italian cuisine, Moto. Chef Bianchi continued his career at Chauhan under Morph Hospitality, where he gained invaluable experience in a high-pressure kitchen environment and honed his culinary techniques. During his tenure at Chauhan, Chef Bianchi worked under the mentorship of Chef Maneet Chauhan, who helped him refine his bold and flavorful dishes.

Alyssa Ganjeri

Pastry Chef / Operating Partner of Butter Milk Ranch

Chef Gangeri was the recipient of the Star Chefs, Rising Chef Award for her contributions to the greater community and talent as a chef in Nashville. On any given day in her kitchens, one can clearly identify the level of respect, and admiration exhibited by the diverse staff; young and old alike. Chef Gangeri is generous with her knowledge and time to help build success for anyone with a hunger for knowledge, and an opportunity to grow professionally. Her generosity with knowledge extends far beyond the fundamentals to impart a sense of work ethic and fairness that can sometimes be overlooked as important ingredients to the development of the next generation of industry professionals.

Jeff Bowman

Executive Chef of Stompin’ Grounds Restaurant.

Jeff is originally from Cincinnati and has been in the culinary industry for 15 years. He graduated from the New England Culinary Institute with an Associates in Culinary Arts in 2010 and began his career in kitchens such as the Woodstock Inn & Resort and Twin Farms. Prior to accepting his position with us, he was the Executive Chef of The Dutch Nashville & Executive Sous Chef of the W Nashville and held sous chef/supervisor positions in esteemed local restaurants such as Josephine, Adele’s & Husk.