Gold Apron Chef Competitors

Cathy McKnight
Team Green

MaxLove Project
Orange, CA

“Cathy’s love for making delicious food started while binge-watching Julia Child’s public cooking show at age seven. It stayed with her through college, and after completing a pre-law degree at U.C. Davis, she knew she had to swap the business suit for a chef coat. She spent the next few years working in restaurants, cafes, and taking any course work she could afford from The California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. And the industry was changing.” ~ Bio from Eilo’s Kitchen

Azmin Ghahreman
Team Hope

Sapphire Culinary Group
Orange, CA

Born in Iran and educated in Switzerland, Chef Azmin has lived and worked all over the world. His international-oriented cooking styles and avid interest in the best ingredients available have solidly placed him on the culinary map. Chef Azmin’s talent and worldly experiences have given him the prestigious opportunity to cook for more than 30 kings, presidents, and heads of state, among them President George W. Bush, President Bill Clinton, and past prime ministers of Singapore, Thailand and Pakistan. A true Renaissance Man, his culinary interests have no bounds: he is a chef, sommelier, master mixologist and expert in global spices and cooking techniques. Chef Azmin’s motto: “When you travel through the world’s markets with your palate, you don’t need a passport.”

Shachi Mehra
Team Love

ADYA
Anaheim, CA

Chef Shachi has a passion for creating innovative and thoughtful menus that tastefully balance a variety of flavors and make cuisines appealing to a range of tastes. An ardent supporter of local farmers and sustainable practices, she takes great care in sourcing her ingredients. Born in India, her early family experiences helped to develop and shape her love of food and appreciation for balance, in flavors and in life. Chef Shachi blends Western and Indian cultures to create artful dishes that successfully marry tradition with modernity.

Michael Puglisi
Team Ohana

Electric City Butcher
Southern California - Online

Chef Michael started cooking at a local restaurant in Upstate New York when he became fascinated with butchery, reading every book he could on the subject. Soon, his curiosity got him the opportunity to work at Barbara Lynch’s The Butcher Shop in Boston. He went on to butcher at Fountaine Bleu Hotel and Resort Miami Beach for their nine restaurants. He was soon noticed by Thomas Keller’s Bouchon, Los Angeles. There, Puglisi climbed the ranks once again to Executive Sous Chef.

Ask Puglisi when the idea of Electric City Butcher began, and he’ll mention a five-week stint in Sicily, exploring the macellerias, restaurants, and local farms of the island villages from which his ancestors came. It’s that Old World nostalgia with the most cutting edge culinary techniques that make Electric City Butcher so special.