2024 Colonial Culinary Classic Stars
Our celebrity chefs will showcase the surge in Fort Worth and Dallas culinary excellence. Here’s our stars that will be showcased in our cocktail party, dinner and dessert.
Jon Bonnell
Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine • Fort Worth
Wine Spectator Award of Excellence
James Beard House Guest Chef
Bonnell pairs his Texas heritage with classic culinary training to create inventive dishes to inspire the palate. His namesake restaurant, Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine, has won the Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator each year since 2004. His second fine dining restaurant concept, Waters, opened in March 2013. He also owns and operates Buffalo Bros Pizza, Wings & Subs, as well as the brand-new ranch-to-table concept, Jon’s Grille. He’s also been featured as a James Beard House chef and known as one of DFW’s favorite culinary stars.
Rodrigo Cárdenas
Don Artemio • Fort Worth
James Beard National Finalist
Rodrigo Cardenas has an Engineer degree in Food Science and Technology in Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education. He studied Culinary Arts at the International Culinary Center School in New York City, where he worked in the Dinex group owned by Michelin Star Daniel Boulud. He also worked at Nicos, one of the 50 Best Latin American restaurants. Chef Rodrigo has been working in Mexico at Don Artemio Saltillo for the past six years and Villa Ferré Catering with high profile events. Don Artemio was named to the 2023 James Beard Award final slate of nominees.
Jenny Castor
Luckybee Kitchen • Fort Worth
‘Best Of’ Winner Fort Worth Magazine
Culturemap Chef of the Year
Jenny Castor is the founder of Luckybee Kitchen, a boutique food truck and luxe catering company, established in 2016. She has won Fort Worth Magazine’s coveted ‘Best Of’ awards in 2017 and 2019 for both Food Truck and Catering categories. She was awarded Culturemap Fort Worth’s Chef of the Year for 2022. Castor has been featured in Fort Worth Magazine, D Magazine, 360 West Magazine and Culturemap. Her fast-growing following, flair, talent and artistry are garnering attention nationwide. With her husband Jon, they also own Castor Vintage Homes in Fort Worth.
Jeremy Lamb
Club Somm./Dir. Ala Carte Dining, Colonial CC • Fort Worth
Member of James Beard Award Winning Team
Two-time Best Sommelier in Kansas City
Jeremy Lamb is the Club Sommelier and Director of Ala Carte Dining at Colonial Country Club. He has traveled around the world learning about the relationship between cuisine and wine. In 2004, Jeremy joined a young team of chefs to transform the food and beverage scene, forming Bluestem in Kansas City, and became the general manager and sommelier there. He was named Best Sommelier in Kansas City in 2011 and 2012 by Kansas City Magazine. The Bluestem team won the James Beard award for Best Chef Midwest in 2012. Lamb is the sommelier and libation director for this event pairing each offering.
Naveesh Laul
Director, Food & Beverage • Omni Fort Worth Hotel • Fort Worth
International Chef in Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata and U.S.
Executive Chef at the award-winning Omni Fort Worth Hotel, Naveesh Laul brings over 16 years of culinary expertise spanning top avant-garde modern European restaurants to handling presidential delegations across the continents. Recognized for achieving synchronization of culinary tradition and adept at conveying complex menu concepts in a simple yet compelling manner, Laul’s always focused on the revival of his heritage fine cooking. He’s created world-class menus and offerings at Fort Worth’s Omni, which is the host hotel of the Colonial Culinary Classic.
Hector Marquez
Reata Restaurant • Fort Worth
Fort Worth Chef with deep roots in culinary community
Chef Hector Marquez from a young age he was fascinated with his grandmothers cooking. He began working in his mother’s restaurant as a teen at Beto Hernandez Foods in Northside Fort Worth, graduating from North Side High School and the culinary program as an intern at The Worthington Hotel. He received his formal training from Johnson and Wales in Rhode Island. After returning home he has been mentored by great chefs starting at The Chisolm Club, from there moving to Trece and later Olenjack’s Grille. He joined Reata Restaurant in 2011 and became Executive Chef in 2021.
Martin Meadows
Director of Culinary Operations , Colonial CC • Fort Worth
Event Host Chef
Global experience in Mexico, Bahamas and Le Cordon Bleu
Tonight’s event Host Chef has led and helped craft one of the finest cocktail parties and dinners DFW has ever seen. Martin Meadows graduated from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in 2002 and his international career has led him to Mexico, Bahamas, Houston, Minneapolis, San Diego, Dallas and Fort Worth. He began his private club leadership career in 2006 as the executive sous chef of El Dorado Golf and Beach Club in Cabo San Lucas. Martin was promoted to Executive Chef in 2011. After 10 years living and cooking abroad, he returned to the U.S. and eventually back to DFW. In August 2019, he joined Colonial Country Club as Executive Chef and quickly won over the palates of the CCC membership.
Amy McNutt
Spiral Diner & Bakery and Maiden • Fort Worth
Best Chef and Critic’s Choice, Fort Worth Weekly Best of 2023
Spiral Diner was opened in 2002 out of her love for animals and the environment. On her 21st birthday, Amy had an epiphany to open a vegan restaurant. The idea was that if people could see that vegan food is delicious, then what excuses would they have not to give it a try? Her most recent venture with husband James M. Johnston, is named Maiden, which offers fully vegan tasting menus and Tea Time at Maiden” Trailblazers, from their inception, the Spiral team has infused compassion, passion, and collaborative leadership to develop something entirely its own. Maiden is devoted to showcasing the plentiful possibilities of vegan ingredients and leads with the idea that vegan dining is limitless.
Grant Morgan
Chopped Thyme Culinary Innovation • Dallas
Guest Chef at James Beard House and seasoned executive chef
Chef Grant Morgan began his career in Sedona, Ariz., where he completed an apprenticeship after which he moved to Vail, Colo., where he assisted AAA 4-Diamond-rated restaurant, Sweet Basil. Morgan also was a key chef at Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa in, Colo., then moved to the Bellagio in Las Vegas, where he worked as a Sous Chef for three years in the acclaimed AAA 5-Diamond-rated Le Cirque. After relocating to Dallas, Morgan served as Executive Chef of Dragonfly and Hotel ZaZa. He was invited by the James Beard Foundation to prepare dinner as Guest Chef at the James Beard House in New York City. Other professional stops along his journey include: Front Burner Restaurants for 8 years, corporate chef for Twin Peaks, concept chef at The Ranch at Las Colinas, Whisky Cake, Sixty Vines and Velvet Taco. Chef Morgan concepted the original 97 West menu and continues to innovate at the acclaimed Hotel Drover in the Fort Worth Stockyards. He serves as the Executive Concept Chef for the hotel, the Stockyards Hotel and H3 Restaurant.
Roman Murphy
Dea • Dallas
Zagat Austin 30 Under 30 Award Winner
Chef Roman Murphy is Executive Chef of the restaurant, Dea, and the Culinary Director for the team behind Shinsei and Lover’s Seafood and Market. He hails from Austin, where he was a chef for 10 years and worked at some of the city’s best restaurants such as Congress, 2nd Bar + Kitchen, Peche, and Jeffrey’s. In 2015 he was named one of Zagat Austin’s 30 Under 30: Rockstars Redefining the Industry while at the helm of Sandra Bullock’s Bess Bistro. As a recent transplant to Dallas, Chef Murphy has over 5 years of experience making fresh pasta and pizzas as the former Executive Chef of North Italia in both of its Austin locations.
Juan Rodriguez
Chef / Owner, Magdelena’s • Fort Worth
On TV’s Iron Chef America and Modern Hispanic Gentleman by Texas Monthly
Born in Chicago and raised in Monterrey, Mexico. Chef Juan’s culinary career began early. Having cooked with his grandmother, Magdalena, Juan enrolled at the Art Institute of Dallas. Upon graduating in 2001, Juan embarked on a culinary journey through many of the top restaurants in DFW. The list includes restaurant such as Classic Café, Angeluna, Rough Creek Lodge, Lonesome Dove Western Bistro and Reata. In 2015, Juan and Paige, launched their own catering business called Magdalena’s Catering and Events, paying tribute to his grandmother. With many accolades from CultureMap Chef of the Year, Best a chef and Best Caterer from Fort Worth Texas magazine, Magdalena’s has grown to a local staple, bringing our community together through food.
Cynthia Romstadt
Executive Chef, Colonial CC • Fort Worth
Member of National Pastry Chef of the Year team 2011
Cynthia was born and raised in Asheville, N.C. In 2009, she received an Associates in Culinary Technology from AB-Tech. After culinary school she moved to Atlanta to work at Cherokee Town and Country Club under the guidance of master chef Kevin Walker. During her three years there she competed as the apprentice to Kyongran “Alex” Hwang who won a national title as Pastry Chef of the Year in 2011. She’s been Executive Chef at The Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Country Club, chef of German restaurant The Ox Yoke Inn and Banquet Chef of Wilson’s Ciderhouse and Venue. Cynthia is currently the Executive Sous Chef of Colonial Country Club.
Patrick Ru
Teddy Wong’s Dumpling’s & Wine • Fort Worth
Nationally recognized Asian dumpling chef in DFW and NYC
An exciting addition to the Colonial Culinary Classic star lineup of chefs is Teddy Wong’s Dumplings & Wine Patrick Ru. The new Fort Worth restaurant followed the success of Bushi Bushi Dim Sum in Addison, opened by chef Ru in 2020, after coming to DFW from New York. In the Big Apple, Ru perfected his techniques for making dumplings. He’s nationally known for his spin on his wrapper and Teddy Wong’s is the talk of Fort Worth today. Ru is a native of Hong Kong and he led the leading Brooklyn eatery Mr. Bun, before making his way to Texas.
Graham Shockley
Ocean Beauty Seafoods • Dallas / Fort Worth
Event seafood sponsor chef and brand ambassador
Graham is a seasoned chef to the Texas culinary scene. A native of the Houston area, where he was exposed to a wide variety of cuisines while growing up, he graduated from Baylor, and started learning the ropes by working at a food truck in Waco. When he relocated to Dallas, it was serendipitous that he would move practically next-door to Nova, which won Best New Restaurant the 2018 Tastemaker Awards, where he’s worked with chef Eric Spigner for three years. He’s submerged himself into the Oak Cliff dining world, doing pop-up dinners at neighborhood restaurants such as Taco Y Vino. He now plays an important role as a leader with Ocean Beauty Seafoods. (Thanks to CultureMap).
Blaine Staniford
61 Osteria • Fort Worth
Top Chef Fort Worth Magazine, Four Stars Dallas Morning News
Chef Staniford gained notice at the age of 19 as one of the youngest graduates of the Culinary Institute of America. He spent two with James Beard award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson at Aquavit Restaurant in New York. In 1998, he joined San Francisco based Aqua and Pisces Restaurant under acclaimed Chef Michael Mina, and in 2003 returned to his hometown of Dallas as the Sous Chef at Lola—The Restaurant. Staniford then moved on to Fuse. In October of 2008 Blaine became Executive Chef of the new restaurant in downtown Fort Worth, Grace. He’s been named Young Gun by D Magazine, received Four Stars for Food from the Dallas Morning News, and appeared on Good Morning Texas. In addition, the Dallas Morning News named him Rising Star Chef in 2001. In 2012, Blaine earned the title of Top Chef, Fort Worth by Fort Worth Magazine.
Maricsa Trejo and Alex Henderson
La Casita Bakeshop • Richardson
James Beard Award Semifinalist
Food Network Halloween Championship
La Casita Bakeshop in Richardson wholesales Maricsa Trejo’s and Alex Henderson’s creations to over 150 local restaurants and coffee shops all over DFW. They are open to the public only Saturdays and Sundays with lines around the block. The duo grew from the back of a tiny kitchen to a team of more than 50 baking professionals. Maricsa was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2022, named Star Chef’s Rising Star and was on Food Network’s 2022 Halloween Baking Championship. Their skill has taken them to Portland, San Juan, Thailand and everywhere in between. Marisca and Alex are the only Colonial Culinary Classic chefs that have offerings on the menus for the cocktail party, dinner and dessert.
Kate Weiser
Kate Wiser Chocolate • Dallas and Houston
Top Chocolatiers in North America
Named to Oprah’s Favorite Things List
Kate Weiser Chocolate began in Trinity Groves in 2014 and quickly became a Dallas staple of luxury, artistic chocolates. Expansion through store locations in Texas and a partnership with Neiman Marcus has put her brand on the map as one of North America’s top chocolatiers. In her home state of Kansas, she worked in various restaurants including Pachamama’s of Lawrence and Kansas City’s four-star restaurant Bluestem under pastry chef Megan Garrelts and James Beard Award winner Colby Garrelts. She was on the coveted Oprah’s Favorite Things List for 2018. Weiser is making a special bespoke chocolate for this event.
Sponsor chef bite stations will also be featured during our cocktail party featuring top area restaurants, kitchens and bars from Fort Worth and Dallas.
