Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer

2025 Featured Chefs

• Chef Gavin Fine (Bin22, Jackson Hole, WY)
• Chef Chris Massad (Kampai, Jackson Hole, WY)
• Chef Paul Kahan (Avec, Chicago, IL)
• Chef Dylan Patel (The Publican, Chicago, IL)

Gavin Fine

Il Villaggio Osteria, The Kitchen, Bin22, Roadhouse Pub & Eatery, The Bistro, Bodega, Bistro Catering, Bovine + Swine, Cream + Sugar, Roadhouse Brewing Co.

Gavin Fine developed a passion for the culinary world as a young boy growing up in Chicago. After working for Richard Melman’s restaurant group, Lettuce Entertain You, in his home town, he followed his passion to Cornell University's Hotel and Restaurant Management School and then to Jackson Hole. While his visions of becoming a ski bum never fully materialized, Fine worked nearly every job between the front- and back-of-house, where he met his soon-to-be business partner Roger Freedman, working side-by-side in one of the area’s top restaurant kitchens. Fine and Freedman forged a friendship and opened their first restaurant, Rendezvous Bistro, in 2001, when Fine was just 26-years-old. After a number of years, Fine opened his second business in 2003 (Bistro Catering). Many years later, several restaurants (Il Villaggio Osteria, The Kitchen, Bin22, The Bistro), a specialty grocer (Bodega) and retail brands (Cream + Sugar artisan ice cream and Bovine & Swine craft meats) added to what is now Fine Dining Restaurant Group, Fine continues to be considered a premier restauranteur of the Rocky Mountain region. In addition to FDRG, Fine is also the co-owner and founder of Roadhouse Brewing Co.

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Chris Massad

Kampai, Akiko’s Restaurant and Sushi Bar

Chris Massad is the sushi chef at Jackson Hole’s new sushi restaurant, Kampai. He also served as the head chef of Akiko's Restaurant and Sushi Bar. He was born in Colorado; however, he grew up all over the world — from Texas to the Middle East and finally to Tokyo. He spent middle and high school in Tokyo, and upon returning, he wanted to remain connected to Japan in a creative way. Cooking gave him the ability to do so. 

Chris originally focused on sushi and still holds it as his specialty. However, training in Japan made him realize how much more there was.  As a chef, he’s worked to connect with American diners to see what they enjoy. He also has been studying sake and visiting breweries for many years, which has led to an interest in wine. 

He worked at Nobu in Colorado, then relocated to San Francisco to work as head chef at Akikos, and finally moved onto training at a kaiseki restaurant in Kyoto and making sushi in Tokyo.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chef Massad relocated to Jackson Hole to open Kampai after traveling in Japan to fish farms and markets to learn more about the systems. Kampai features a modern take on traditional Japanese cuisine and featuring local products when possible.

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Paul Kahan

Avec

Widely recognized as the face of Chicago’s dining scene, Executive Chef and Partner Paul Kahan has earned international acclaim for his hand in helping to pioneer the chef-driven farm-to-table movement, which subsequently swept across the country in the years to follow. His restaurants, now considered institutions, are all part of the renowned One Off Hospitality collective and have included community pillars like Blackbird, avec, The Publican, Big Star, Publican Quality Meats, Dove’s Luncheonette, and Publican Quality Bread. Each establishment reflects Kahan’s commitment to working with Midwestern farmers—which helped him earn the James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Chef in 2013, Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America in 2014, Best Chefs in America in 2004, and retain a Michelin star at Blackbird for all nine years stars were offered by the tire company in Chicago while the restaurant was operating. Kahan has garnered the praise of many who claim him to be one of America’s most influential working chefs. In 2018, his cookbook “Cheers to the Publican, Repast and Present: Recipes and Ramblings from an American Beer Hall," won the IACP award in the “Chefs and Restaurants” category. In 2019, Kahan released his second book, ‘Cooking For Good Times,” which was named ‘One of The Best Cookbooks Of The Year’ by the New York Times Book Review. Despite numerous accolades, Kahan’s biggest accomplishment remains his work as a mentor for young chefs. Kahan is a co-founder of Pilot Light, an organization dedicated to enhancing school children’s perception of food through hands-on education, and he is a passionate supporter of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for pediatric cancer research.

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Dylan Patel

The Publican

Raised in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Dylan Patel became interested in food as a child when his uncle moved in with him and his family. Often cooking traditional Indian food or lighting up the grill to barbeque, Patel found himself drawn to watching his uncle cook. This spark would eventually lead him to enroll at Kendall College after high school to pursue a career in culinary arts. While attending Kendall, he was recommended by his professor to intern at the James Beard award-winning restaurant avec by acclaimed Chef-Partner Paul Kahan and One Off Hospitality in Chicago’s West Loop. Under the guidance of then Chef de Cuisine Perry Hendrix, Patel expanded his culinary knowledge to all corners of the Mediterranean, learning to cook the popular shared dishes at the intimate restaurant. His internship ultimately led to a place on the avec team, and after a year or so, he was promoted to kitchen supervisor before becoming sous chef in 2017. In 2020, Hendrix gave over the reins and title of chef de cuisine to Patel, allowing him to introduce the familiar flavors and portfolio of spices from his personal background to expand upon avec’s portfolio of creative, wine-friendly fare. At the age of 27, Patel was promoted to Executive Chef of avec River North and bar avec, the sister rooftop of avec’s second location, and was recognized by Nation’s Restaurant News on their 2022 Chefs “Power List” as well as being named a “Top Innovator” by CS Magazine for the culture he’s cultivated for the avec brand through the years.

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