Felipe Donnelly is the Executive Chef and owner of James Beard nominated Colonia Verde in Fort Greene, Cosmico Wine Bar, Disco Tacos & Compartí Catering.

The Colombian chef was born in Madrid and spent his childhood living in Bogota, Sao Paulo, and Mexico City – an experience deeply imbued in his culinary style. Having lived across many Latin American countries, the act of experiencing and sharing food was the first step in calling a new place home. By producing bold, homegrown Latin flavors in all his endeavors, Donnelly is able to explore his culinary creativity through the lens of the heart of the Latin kitchen. With inimitable hospitality, dining at one of Donnelly’s restaurants is where a new restaurant quickly becomes home and new friends become family.

Colonia Verde opened its doors in 2014 and has since become a neighborhood staple frequented by visitors from across the globe. Colonia Verde is inspired by the hearth of Latin American fincas, built on the principle that food tastes better when shared, and for the vibrant community of Fort Greene.

Baz Bagel and Restaurant is a neighborhood bagel shop and lunch counter located on historic Grand Street in New York by Bari Musacchio. Bari worked as GM of Rubirosa Ristorante for over 13 years before deciding to launch her own venture with her girlfriend, Saralyn Feinberg. Baz was inspired by their 1/2 Jewish and 1/2 Italian family rooted in the the traditionally Jewish neighborhoods of LES and Italian Little Italy. Their bagels are hand-rolled, kettle boiled and baked in house using the traditional NYC method. In addition to their popular bagels, Baz offers a wide array of smoked fish, spreads and Jewish-ish diner fare like latkes, matzoh ball soup, blintzes and more.

For the past decade, Rosemary’s has been a neighborhood staple in the West Village, serving seasonal Italian cuisine. With an emphasis on sustainability and local sourcing, Rosemary’s boasts a rooftop garden which provides fresh herbs and produce throughout the year. Executive Chef Michael Han leads culinary operations and brings expertise in Italian cooking having honed his skills under chefs such as Missy Robbins and Jose Garces.

Based in Brooklyn, Michael completed his culinary training at Johnson & Wales University. He has worked as Executive Chef at New York restaurants including Extra Place & Heidi, A Voce Columbus, and Ortzi Restaurant.

The daughter of esteemed cookbook editor Maria Guarnaschelli, as a child Guarnaschelli received a global education in food as she was raised on the cuisine of whatever book her mother happened to be working on at the time.

In 2003, Guarnaschelli became the executive chef at Butter Restaurant in New York City, which provided the opportunity for her to develop a menu based on her own choices and point of view. Guarnaschelli created an American menu spotlighting local ingredients in dishes that allowed their flavors to shine. Butter Restaurant has maintained an exclusive niche restaurant scene for stylish Manhattanites since its initial inception on Lafayette Street in 2002. The American restaurant is helmed by Food Network star and Executive Chef Alex Guarnaschelli, who uses greenmarket offerings to create a seasonal menu. The dining room at Butter offers a unique atmosphere and decor. Between high arching ceilings – caped with a large format nature scape, cozy booths – perfect for a romantic night out, and an inviting bar, Butter caters to any guest, whether they are seeking either a formal dining experience or one that is more casual.

Today Guarnaschelli is recognized as one of America’s most accomplished top chefs, acclaimed for her work in the kitchen, as an author, and as a popular television personality.

Raised in Seattle with roots in California and Vietnam, Helen Nguyen has always had a passion for food. After a decade in real estate business and sales, she pursued her passion and moved to New York and attended the Institute of Culinary Education.

While at school, she started an apprenticeship at L’Appart under Chef Nicolas Abello, who led his team to their first Michelin star within the first few months of opening and then worked her way into the kitchen of Chef Daniel Boulud’s famed Restaurant Daniel. There she trained with the Feast and Fetes catering and private events team for 3 years.

Though trained in classic French, Vietnamese comfort food is where her heart resides. Helen started sharing her love for food, culture, and community via monthly popups and eventually opened Saigon Social, her first restaurant, in 2019. Saigon Social is a casual spot serving up Vietnamese comfort food with a menu rooted in the food that Helen ate as a child but plated and presented with the elegance of Helen’s fine-dining background.

Mokbar is a Korean eatery serving ramen, rice bowls and handmade dumplings, as well as a diverse selection of small plates inspired by Korean street foods.

Chef-Owner Esther Choi grew up cooking traditional Korean food with her native Korean grandmother as her greatest inspiration. For Esther, “Food is the ambassador of a culture. It expresses all the elements that define a country – its history, social customs, language, geography and art traditions. It is something passed from generation to generation.”

Esther truly believes in the simplicity of unpretentious dining, yet with complex and perfectly executed traditional Korean flavors. She serves her cooking with humility, demonstrating her commitment to the authenticity of her Korean heritage. Her mission is to broaden New Yorkers’ understanding and appreciation of Korean culture through her food.

Mokbar is not only owned by a strong female chef, but is also operated by an all-female management team! Mokbar has two Manhattan locations in the Meatpacking District’s Chelsea Market and The Hugh in Midtown, as well as a Brooklyn outpost near the Barclay Center.