PCG Member Chef Matthew Krenz, Executive Chef of The Asbury at The Dunhill Hotel, learned how to cook at a very young age, so he’s always had a strong relationship with food. Krenz grew up all over the South: born in a small suburb of Charlotte, NC. He then made his rounds through Atlanta, Tampa, Houston, and eventually looped his way back to the Queen City.
If you owned and ran one of Charlotte’s most beloved restaurants for nearly three decades, you’d probably exude a good dose of confidence. But there’s depth to the quiet ease with which PCG Member Bonnie Warford sits down at the table in the sun-infused dining room of Carpe Diem.
Growing up, PCG Member and Charlotte Observer Food Editor Kathleen Purvis knew she wanted to be a writer, but she didn’t know there was a paying job for that skill. At the age of 10, she learned “newspapers would pay you to write” …
If you’re looking for a real-life unicorn to make your next drink, head over to Soul Gastrolounge and ask for PCG Member Kel Minton. That’s the term commonly used for Charlotte, NC natives. Minton was born and raised right here in the Queen City, and although he’s ventured out a bit, he can’t seem to stay away.
Over 300 people gathered at CPCC’s Philip L. Van Every Culinary Arts Building in a celebration of North Carolina food and wine (and some select “outside” NC vintages) – as well as learn more about wine, wine products, and wine appreciation.
An Army medical platoon leader, investment banker, and distiller, may seem to have little in common. Yet the co-owner and Spirit Guide of TOPO Organic Distillery in Chapel Hill, Esteban McMahan has been all three.
Piedmont Culinary Guild, in collaboration with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, have initiated “PCG Chefs for Change” – a program pairing local PCG chefs with school cafeteria staff and culinary-arts educators to provide additional staffing, professional development, and expanded menus for school cafeterias in eight CMS middle and high schools.
For a girl who grew up in San Francisco, went to culinary school in Hawaii, and lived all over before moving to North Carolina, PCG Member Thea Pisa has finally settled into where she’s supposed to be. Pisa, the baker and owner behind Lil Rebel Bakery, and the new Director of Baking at Summit Coffee Company, believes that good food holds the connection between people and experiences.
With experience ranging from working in a swanky Michelin Star restaurant to teaching chef-driven college courses, Chef David Quintana faced all facets of the cooking world. Currently, Quintana leads the kitchen as Executive Chef at distinguished Charlotte speakeasy Dot Dot Dot.
Not only does Rochelle Baxter’s family ties stretch overseas, but her childhood and school years moved her through Chapel Hill, Durham, and Winston-Salem, before landing in Charlotte. Still, while her culinary inspirations may be far-flung, the food she stocks at Vin Master celebrates the Carolinas’ own variety of flavors.