An acclaimed lineup of chefs, television personalities, and culinary innovators is coming together in support of GENYOUth's mission to help end student hunger, including participation in Taste of the NFL during Super Bowl weekend. Below, meet the chefs and the stories, restaurants, and honors that define their careers.

Carla Hall

Carla Hall won over audiences when she competed on Bravo's "Top Chef" and "Top Chef: All Stars" and shared her philosophy of cooking with love. She is a trained chef who has worked in professional restaurant kitchens in and around Washington, D.C. and believes food connects us all. Carla spent 7 years co-hosting ABC's Emmy-award-winning lifestyle series "The Chew," and is currently featured as the Host of the Emmy-nominated "Chasing Flavors" on Max, and on the Food Network as a judge on competition shows such as "Harry Potter: The Wizards of Baking" and the "Halloween Baking Championship." Her book, Carla Hall's Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration landed on annual "Best Cookbook" lists and received an NAACP Image Awards nomination. A member of national nonprofit GENYOUth's Board of Directors, Carla is currently being honored by Les Dames d'Escoffier as Grande Dame, a lifetime achievement honor given in recognition of contributions within the fields of food, beverage, and hospitality.

Cat Cora

Cat Cora is a chef, television personality, business person, and cookbook author. She is known for her role as an "Iron Chef" on Iron Chef America and as co-host of Around the World in 80 Plates. Cora made television history in 2005 as the first female Iron Chef, joining Bobby Flay, Mario Batali and Masaharu Morimoto on the first of ten seasons of Food Network's Iron Chef America. Among her restaurants have been Cat Cora's Que (CCQ) in Costa Mesa, California; and The Ocean Restaurant, inside the world's largest oceanarium, in Singapore. Her first cookbook, Cat Cora's Kitchen (2004), was inspired by her Greek heritage and Southern roots, and contains recipes that were her family's favorites while she was growing up. This restaurateur, author, lifestyle entrepreneur, TV personality, mother of six, and Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award recipient was also the first female inducted into the Culinary Hall of Fame.

Tyler Florence

Twenty-nine-year Food Network veteran Tyler Florence has captivated millions of viewers on both his Emmy-nominated "Tyler's Ultimate," and "The Great Food Truck Race." Tyler's reach extends far beyond his cooking shows, as he has authored 17 cookbooks, including his newest, American Grill (Abrams) released in May 2024, and he has built an ever-expanding business empire across many platforms. A two-time James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef/West Coast, Tyler launched his flagship restaurant, Wayfare Tavern, over a decade ago. His acclaimed San Francisco restaurant Miller & Lux was recently named Best Steakhouse in the Bay Area by San Francisco Magazine. In 2023, he opened the second popular outpost of Miller & Lux in Hawaii, at the Four Seasons Hualalai resort. In June 2024, San Francisco Magazine bestowed on Tyler the coveted title of "Chef of the Year." His quest for what's current has gained him a large and engaged social media following.

Eric Adjepong

Host of Alex Vs America and Wild Card Kitchen on Food Network, Eric Adjepong is a network favorite. First-generation Ghanaian-American, Chef Eric Adjepong was born and raised in New York. He is passionate about introducing West African cuisine to the global culinary conversation. After graduating with degrees in Culinary Arts & Nutrition from Johnson & Wales, Eric obtained his Master of Public Health in International Public Health & Nutrition from the University of Westminster in London. From there, he cooked in several Michelin-starred restaurants before taking his talents to Top Chef. He was a finalist on Season 16 and competed on Top Chef All-Stars. Eric's first children's book, Sankofa: A Culinary Story of Resilience and Belonging, was published in 2023, and his debut cookbook with Clarkson Potter was released in spring 2025. Elmina, Eric's contemporary Ghanaian restaurant, opened in Washington D.C. in 2025.

Antonio Inguscio — Doppio Zero

Antonio Inguscio is Executive Chef of the Doppio Zero restaurant group, overseeing five acclaimed Bay Area locations known for contemporary Italian cuisine. Born in the Puglia region, his passion for cooking began in his mother's kitchen and led him to attend the Istituto Professionale per I Servizi e la Ristorazione. He went on to refine his craft at respected Italian hotels, including the Majestic Grand Hotel di Cortina, gaining experience that deepened his attention to detail. In 2013, Chef Antonio moved to California to immerse himself in new culinary cultures. He contributed to Bay Area restaurants such as Figo in Palo Alto and Donato Enoteca in Redwood City, refining his expertise in cuisine and wine pairings. Joining Doppio Zero in 2017, he rose to lead the restaurant group's culinary vision, developing seasonal menus and driving innovation. Doppio Zero is one of the restaurants spotlighted by Pepsi Local Eats in 2025, an initiative that highlights and supports local gems that make our neighborhoods special.

Miguel Escobedo — Al Pastor Papi

Chef Miguel was born in Mexico City and moved with his family to the Bay Area when he was 9 years old. At 14, he began helping out at his uncle's restaurant, Celia's Mexican Food, a San Francisco institution. Later, in Santa Barbara, he managed and contributed to establishments such as Santa Barbara Roasting Co. and Coffee Kat, and later Puerto Vallarta restaurants in Washington. In 1999, he opened Papalote Mexican Grill with his brother in San Francisco. After defeating Bobby Flay in a burrito throwdown in 2010 and making appearances on the Food Network, Cooking Channel, and Travel Channel, he set out to introduce San Francisco to the Mexico City-style dishes he had loved since childhood. He studied al pastor cooking at the Instituto Gastronómico in Mexico City and shadowed a local street vendor to immerse himself in the craft. In 2018, Al Pastor Papi followed – first as a food truck and now as a restaurant in San Francisco's Union Square.

Steven Dominguez

Steven is a Lead Research Chef at PepsiCo, blending culinary creativity with a nutrition-forward point of view. A Johnson & Wales University graduate with a B.S. in Culinary Nutrition (Clinical Dietetics and Food Science), he's earned recognition for community-based food education and sustainability work, including the Dean's Award and induction as a Newman Civic Fellow. Steven has cooked in bistros and fine-dining kitchens and now focuses on Better-For-You brands and breakthrough innovation across PepsiCo's portfolio. He's honored to join Taste of the NFL in support of GENYOUth's mission to help end student hunger.

Alex Dooley

Alex is a Senior Research Chef at PepsiCo, known for pairing hands-on kitchen experience with a clear eye for what works at scale. Raised in a small Texas town and shaped by long days in his mother's restaurant, he built his career across independent restaurants, quick-service brands, fine dining, and the global food chain. Today, Alex brings that full-spectrum perspective to foodservice innovation—balancing crowd-pleasing flavors, practicality, and consistency. He's excited to join Taste of the NFL during Super Bowl weekend to support GENYOUth's mission to end student hunger.

Wiley Bates III

Chef Wiley Bates III is Executive Chef for Food Service & Away From Home at PepsiCo, bringing more than 25 years of experience across five-star dining, quick service, and high-volume entertainment. His career includes leadership roles with Pizza Hut, Dave & Buster's, and Starwood Hotels, as well as founding WEBIII Culinary Provisions. A gold medalist with the United States Culinary Olympic Team, Wiley pairs culinary excellence with service-first leadership, including scholarship and mentorship support for young culinary talent and the expansion of food education in underprivileged communities. He's proud to join Taste of the NFL to help raise critical support for GENYOUth's work to end student hunger.

John Kett

John is a Head Research Chef at PepsiCo, where he leads product and menu innovation across the Away From Home portfolio. Raised at the crossroads of Filipino home cooking and classic kitchen training through his parents, he brings equal parts cultural fluency and technical curiosity to every concept. After earning a B.S. in Hospitality Management with a Culinary Arts minor from Florida International University—and later a Master of Business and Science in Global Food Technology and Innovation from Rutgers—John has helped shape experiences across Frito-Lay brands, including building the menu from Doritos After Dark at the Crypto Arena and additional partnerships with menus across entertainment and QSR. He's proud to join Taste of the NFL in support of GENYOUth's mission to help end student hunger.

Paul Feybesse and Monique Lopez Feybesse — Tarts de Feybesse

Paul and Monique Feybesse are the founders of Tarts de Feybesse, a top patisserie in the Bay Area, showcasing their love of French and Filipino cuisine and pastries. Over the past 18 years, they've worked at some of the most prestigious restaurants in the world and have now planted their roots in Oakland, California. Classically trained, they specialize in both the sweet and savory sides of the kitchen, which makes not only their bakery, but also their special events and pop-up dinners, unique. Paul and Monique have had television exposure as "cheftestants" on Spring Baking Championship on the Food Network and Bravo's Top Chef, Season 19. They have recently been nominated as semifinalists in the James Beard Awards 2025 in the category of "Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker," and are known for blending their French and Filipino roots in creative ways.

Nelson German — Meski

Chef Nelson German is Executive Chef and Owner of Oakland's acclaimed Alamar Dominican Kitchen & Bar and Sobre Mesa, as well as Executive Chef and Partner at Meski, the new Afro-Ethiopian-Latin restaurant in San Francisco. Known for telling the story of the African and Caribbean diasporas through food and drink, Chef Nelson blends bold, ancestral flavors with modern techniques, delivering menus that are as soulful as they are inventive. Born in Manhattan's Washington Heights to Dominican parents, Chef Nelson draws deep inspiration from his family's recipes — especially those passed down by his mother and grandmother — layered with global influence from his travels and training. He began his culinary career in New York at renowned restaurants that included the Gramercy Park Hotel and later became Executive Chef at Absinthe Wine Bar and Jerry's Café.

Srijith "Sri" Gopinathan — Eylan

Born in Kerala, India and raised in Tamil Nadu, Chef Srijith "Sri" Gopinathan grew up amid rice paddies and coconut trees, where large-scale cooking was an everyday endeavor. He is known for developing the Cal-Indian culinary genre, initially presented in a fine-dining format during his tenure as executive chef at Campton Place at the Taj San Francisco. There, his cooking gained the attention of the culinary world, and he earned his first Michelin star in 2011, and a second in 2019. Sri then partnered with restaurateur Ayesha Thapar to bring the modern Cal-Indian restaurant Ettan to Palo Alto in 2020; the duo's fast-casual Indian street food concept, Little Blue Door, followed. They opened Copra in San Francisco in 2023, serving a personal menu that pays homage to the coastal cuisines of India's southernmost states, while highlighting influences from Sri Lanka. Their most recent project, Eylan, opened in Menlo Park in 2025, emphasizes live fire cooking.

Brad Kilgore — Ama, Cafe Sebastian, Brava

Chef Brad Kilgore was raised in Kansas City, Kansas, but launched his culinary career in Chicago, where he worked at the 3-star Michelin-rated Alinea, and the 3-star Michelin-rated L2O. As Executive Sous Chef, Kilgore opened EPIC in Chicago, named one of Esquire Magazine's Best New Restaurants of 2010. His ascent continued in Miami at Azul in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, at the St. Regis Bal Harbour under Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and at his own restaurant Alter in the Wynwood district of Miami. Other successes followed: Brava by Brad Kilgore, a contemporary Italian restaurant, and then the first two eateries in partnership with Craig Robins -- Kaido, a Japanese-inspired cocktail lounge, and Ember, a wood-fired American bistro. In 2024 Kilgore Culinary Group began its international expansion with properties in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and Puerto Escondido Mexico.

Intu-on Kornnawong — Shoji

Chef Intu Kornnawong's innovative Isaan (northeastern Thailand) Thai-California cuisine is as much a destination as a culinary experience. Raised in the town of Udon Thani in Thailand, Intu's California journey started with degrees in environmental science; but it was her passion for cooking, nurtured in her parents' Isaan kitchen, which found her excelling at The International Culinary Center in San Francisco. After graduating, Kornnawong started at the Michelin-starred The Range, where she was mentored by Chef Rachel Silcock, and then at Outerlands, working with Chef Yoni Levy, refining her knowledge of Californian and French cuisine. From there, Intu moved to Los Angeles to work at Rustic Canyon, under Chef Jeremy Fox. Now back in the Bay Area, she has worked as Sous Chef at Kin Khao, San Francisco's Michelin-starred Thai restaurant, with Chef Pim Techamuanvivt, and is currently leading the kitchen at Shoji.

Fernay McPherson — Minnie Bell's Soul Movement

Fernay McPherson, a native of San Francisco's historic Fillmore district, is the Chef-Owner of Minnie Bell's Soul Movement. Since 2010, she has been serving delicious home-style Southern cuisine in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Fillmore district was historically populated by immigrants and African Americans who migrated from the Deep South. Minnie Bell's has garnered significant recognition, being listed among The San Francisco Chronicle's "Top 100 Restaurants" and Eater SF's "Essential 38 Restaurants." In 2024, it was named "Best New Restaurant" by The San Francisco Chronicle, The LA Times, and The New York Times. This year, Bon Appetit also recognized Minnie Bell's as one of the "Top 20 Best New Restaurants" in the country.