Meet Our Participating Chefs
Our Chef Co-Chairs
Chef Kevin Rathbun, Kevin Rathbun Steak
Chef Kevin Rathbun’s passion for food and hospitality started in Kansas City as a dishwasher. Following culinary school, Rathbun went on to New Orleans, Dallas, Houston and Atlanta to work with celebrity chefs and restaurateurs including Bradley Ogden, Emeril Lagasse, Stephen Pyles, Ella Brennan and Pano Karatassos. In 1994, he was nominated for the James Beard Awards “Rising Star Chef” for his work at Baby Ruth. By 1996, he opened two different flagship restaurants with Buckhead Life Restaurant Group and served as the Corporate Executive Chef, overseeing several restaurants for the group. Rathbun ventured out on his own in 2004 to open Rathbun’s. Krog Bar, Kevin Rathbun Steak and KR Steakbar followed. Rathbun has graciously chaired Party in the Kitchen for 10 years and contributed much more to Open Hand.
Chef Peter Kaiser, Kaiser's Chophouse
Kaiser’s first real job in the kitchen was at the elite resort restaurant Alpine Rose in Gstaad Switzerland where he was a line cook. He took this experience to his next opportunity, the Michelin Guide restaurant Chez Max in Zurich. Kaiser spent two years at Chez Max, including traveling around the world with owner Max Kell, before settling in the United States. Between 1986 and 2016, Kaiser would travel to Atlanta and work at restaurants in the Buckhead Life group. He went on to become Executive Chef at two different restaurants in the Here to Serve Restaurant Group. In 2017, Kaiser opened Kaiser’s Chophouse in collaboration with Chef Kevin Rathbun. Since its opening, Kaiser has become a frequent supporter of Open Hand, chairing Party in the Kitchen for the second year in a row.
Participating Chefs
Chef Joey Vazquez – Chicheria MX Kitchen
Joey Vazquez is the executive chef at Chichería Mexican Kitchen, where he brings authenticity to life with a modern Baja-style twist. His career spans leadership roles at notable restaurants including Old Town Athletic Club, Barcelona Wine Bar, Flower Child, Maison Mathis, Atelier Florian, Rudy’s Bar & Grill and Bulla Gastrobar. Along the way, he has collaborated with acclaimed restaurateur Sam Fox and drawn inspiration from culinary travels and chef partnerships worldwide. Educated at Connecticut Culinary Institute and Trinity College, Joey’s love for food started at home, rooted in family traditions of cooking everything from scratch. Today, he fosters a fun yet disciplined kitchen culture where his team can grow, learn and create outstanding plates.
Chef Terry Koval – The Deer and The Dove
Chef Terry Koval moved from South Carolina to Atlanta in 200 and worked at the famed Buckhead Diner before moving to work under Chef Gary Mennie at Canoe. There, he rose to the position of Executive Sous Chef. He then went to join Concentrics Restaurants as the Executive Sous Chef of Lobby at TWELVE and was promoted to Executive Chef at the sister restaurant Room at TWELVE. He was offered the position to conceptualize burgers for Farm Burger in 2010, eventually earning awards from Food and Wine Magazine. By 2013, Koval moved to Wrecking Bar Brewpub as the Executive Chef. In 2019, Chef Terry and his wife opened their own dream restaurants, The Deer and the Dove and B-Side. Koval has since been nominated as a finalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast.
Anthony DiNardo – Henri’s Bakery & Deli
Anthony DiNardo, through his family, learned the art of baking and the importance of keeping family traditions. His great-grandfather, Henri Fiscus, started the original Henri’s Bakery in 1929. DiNardo took over the business from his aunt, Madeline Leonard. Leonard ran Henri’s for 43 years and truly helped to show DiNardo the ropes. Now, Anthony DiNardo taking charge of the family business has brought a modern spin, while still focusing on the traditions passed through multiple generations. The stories of DiNardo’s great-grandfather continue to influence his decisions for the business.
Chef Jessica Gamble – KR SteakBar
Chef Jessica Gamble was born and raised in the Atlanta area. Recognizing her love for the food industry, she started working in restaurants as a dishwasher at 16 and grew from there. She has worked her way up to be Chef de Cuisine for Chef Kevin Rathbun at KR SteakBar in Buckhead. She was Rathbun’s first female Chef de Cuisine and one of the youngest. Chef Gamble draws on her experience from traveling and trying different food from a myriad of cultures. She builds her menu at KR SteakBar with a focus on Italian food, local and seasonal products, and prime steak. Outside of work she enjoys hanging out with her giant dog, Dudley, and aggressively playing trivia.
Chef Cedrick Simpson – Legendary Events
Chef Cedrick Simpson began his culinary journey in Minneapolis. With a passion for the finer things in life, he relocated to Atlanta to join the Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead which refined his skills and passion for the arts of pastry. His talents have been featured on Food Network’s “Holiday Baking Championship" & “Next Baking Master: Paris!”; as well as Netflix’s “School of Chocolate”. Chef Cedrick has had the opportunity to assist in creating cakes for Jane Fonda, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Atlanta legend Cee-Lo Green, Swizz Beats & Alicia Keys and many more. With 15 years in the industry, Legendary Events is the perfect home to display his passion for all of Atlanta to enjoy.
Chef Diana Watkins – Legendary Events
Chef Diana Watkins joined Legendary Events in 2010 and became Executive Chef in 2019, bringing more than 20 years of culinary expertise to the team. Her experience has brought her into one of the largest event planning businesses in the country, producing over 700 events each year. She has cooked for some of Atlanta’s most iconic moments, from President Obama’s fundraiser with Oprah Winfrey to the Super Bowl NFL Owner’s Dinner. For Diana, being a chef is more than a career — it’s a passion lived out daily.
Chef Chris Hall – Local Three Kitchen & Bar
Chris Hall’s story begins right around the corner from Local Three at the Pizza Hut on Collier Road, where he worked as a teenager. After leaving Atlanta for college in Philadelphia, Hall landed at Lec Bec Fin. Hall eventually headed home to Atlanta and found work at Canoe, working at the restaurant until he finally opened Local Three in 2010 with the help of Ryan Turner and Todd Musman. His main role now is as partner in charge of day-to-day operations of Unsukay Partners restaurants, Local Three, Roshambo, Muss & Turner’s and MTH Pizza.
Chef Matt McCarthy – Murphy’s
Matt McCarthy grew up in Atlanta watching his father, Gregg McCarthy, helm the kitchen at Atlanta’s iconic Murphy’s Restaurant. Over 20 years later, he has returned to Atlanta and Murphy’s to usher in the next generation of cuisine and dining to this 43-year-old institution. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Matt honed his skills under restauranteur Danny Meyer in New York, as a Sous Chef at Union Square Café and North End Grill. He rose to Executive Sous Chef at Charlie Bird and then made the move to Washington DC where he worked as the Chef de Cuisine for Michelin-starred Tail Up Goat. He is now bringing his love of seasonal local produce, southern flavors, and his culinary style to Atlanta at Murphy’s.
Chef Arnaldo Castillo – Tio Lucho’s
Arnaldo Castillo is an enigma; born in Peru, raised in the South, and with one foot planted firmly in both cultures. Inspired by his father, Luis, Castillo has been a part of the restaurant industry since the age of 16. Castillo has been recognized as a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef in the Southeast. Having worked in a variety of roles along his culinary journey, he has learned the industry ropes as a server, dishwasher, cook, sous chef, and chef de cuisine in the kitchens of esteemed Atlanta restaurants including Minero, Pura Vida, Empire State South and Little Trouble, which he also helped open. Castillo set out on the venture to open Tio Lucho’s after the pandemic, taking developing a full Peruvian experience for Atlantans to enjoy.
Mixologists
Matthew Watkins, The Deer and The Dove
A former lawyer, Matthew Watkins found joy in homebrewing. Watkins eventually decided he needed a change and stepped away from the court room and decided to pick up a cocktail shaker and barspoons instead. In 2015, he joined Octane Coffee Company as a bartender and built out a beverage menu including specialty coffee and espresso drinks and alcoholic beverages. Now the Beverage Director of The Deer and The Dove and B-Side, Matthew Watkins is continuing to find joy in creating and recreating extensive cocktail lists.
