Cookies, Cocktails and Canapés – Charlotte

A 2026 James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Best Chef Southeast, Chef Robin Anthony has redefined the sushi and omakase experience across the Southeast, bringing uncompromising technique and modern sensibility to Charlotte, NC’s evolving culinary landscape.

In 2025, both PrimeFish and Omakase Experience by PrimeFish earned recognition from the Michelin Guide, becoming the only sushi restaurants in the Carolinas to receive this honor—a testament to Anthony’s unwavering commitment to excellence and his influence on the region’s modern dining culture. In 2026, his restaurants became the only to offer certified Kobe beef in the Carolinas.

Born in Indonesia, Anthony immigrated to the United States in 2013, spending a formative year in Raleigh before settling in Charlotte. There, he devoted over a decade to mastering the art of nigiri in North Carolina’s sushi kitchens—often remaining long after service to perfect every cut, press, and detail with quiet discipline and relentless precision.

In 2021, Anthony opened PrimeFish, a 40-seat New York–style sushi concept showcasing premium fish and contemporary execution. The following year, he introduced Charlotte to Omakase Experience by PrimeFish, a 6-seat counter offering 10- and 15-course tasting menus rooted in traditional Edomae methods and elevated with modern creativity. In 2024, he launched PrimeFish Cellar as a bottle shop and specialty market, reimagining it in 2025 as an intimate dining destination featuring high-quality sushi, curated wine and sake, and luxury ingredients—a reflection of his passion for pairing, craftsmanship, and connection.

A Certified Sake Adviser through the Sake School of America and Level 1 certified by the Court of Master Sommeliers, Anthony specializes in thoughtful sake and wine pairings that enhance his Japanese-inspired cuisine.

Driven by ambition, curiosity, and creative vision, Chef Anthony continues to push boundaries—elevating Charlotte’s culinary identity through integrity, innovation, and the pursuit of perfection.

Chef Jamie Barnes was born and raised in Newport News, VA. Growing up around Southern cuisine combined with a love for Food Network shows, he enrolled in Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte in 2004. Barnes would go on to work with Harpers Restaurant Group and Ballantyne Country Club among other notable places. Gaining a passion for the food truck scene, Barnes acquired a truck with college friend Greg Williams and started What The Fries food truck in 2015. Eventually opening a brick and mortar in 2021 until 2024. The business garnered a huge following and was featured virally on Tik Tok, Food Network and The Cooking Channel. He also has cooked at the prestigious James Beard House in NYC and is a frequent participant in festivals including Charleston Wine & Food and Bayhaven Food & Wine Festival. Chef Barnes is also an alumnus of the 26th James Beard Foundation Chef Bootcamp for Policy and Change. Currently, Barnes also oversees the culinary aspects of Charlotte NC based Serving The Culture, a music centered Pop-Up Dinner Series and High School Culinary Instructor for Rock Hill Schools Applied Technology Center. He also assists with food involved with NICU based non profit Lane’s Light. Chef Barnes lives in Clover, SC (right outside of Charlotte NC) with his wife Alicia, and their children, Lily, Levi & Lane (RIP)

Chicagoan, Sieger Bayer spent his early years in and around his mom’s garden, but it wasn’t until high school, that he made the decision to pursue a career as a chef. After graduating from Kendall College’s culinary school, he traveled Europe staging in kitchens across Spain, France, Germany, England, and Italy before working his way through prestigious kitchens in Chicago, including Nellcote, the James Beard Award-winning restaurant The Publican, Tortello, and his first concept The Heritage. Seeking change, Sieger traveled to Los Angeles during the pandemic, where he headed the kitchens of etta, Sqirl, and Here’s Looking at You. After consulting with Netflix and Curtis Stone. He returned to Chicago in 2024 to open his dream project, bar Berria. Featuring a contemporary American menu, the restaurant showcases Sieger’s fresh take on seasonal ingredients and techniques he has learned from around the globe. bar Berria grows its ingredients onsite with over 30 raised bed gardens. Preservation and fermentation helps bar Berria highlight local products through the city’s winter season. As proprietor and Executive Chef at bar Berria, he prides himself on supporting his community and creating intimate hospitality experiences.–––

Callan Buckles is the Executive Chef at Rada in Myers Park. Growing up in Seattle, he was involved in the restaurant industry from a young age. Entering the industry at 14 years old as a dishwasher, he never attended culinary school, opting to learn directly from his chefs and peers. At age 21, he moved to New York City and landed a job at Momofuku, eventually earning his first Sous Chef position. Over his career he has worked for lauded chefs such has Nick Curtola at The Four Horsemen, Christopher Kostow at The Charter Oak, Ignacio Mattos at Lodi, and Joshua Pinsky at Claud and Penny. When his wife Emily became pregnant, they moved to Charlotte to be closer to their family. In January 2025, Callan opened Rada as the Executive chef for his Brother-in-law, Eloy Roy.

Former tennis professional and corporate stiff turned passionate baker spreading joy through gluten free treats as well as sourdough.

Growing up in an Italian household and learning to cook and bake from a very young age I have always enjoyed my time in the kitchen.  I never imagined when I met my wife and had never had a gluten free item that I would later make it my profession/passion.  Since she and her family are gluten free I became accustomed to living that lifestyle to quickly find out the options were just not good at all.  I felt like no matter where we purchased our food or baked goods they were in short, bad!

I made it my mission to make them better by studying, reading about, and testing gluten free items.  I tested them on my wife, her family, the staff at her business, friends, strangers, you name it!  After doing this I was strongly encouraged by all to make this for a larger group of people and here we are.

Because everyone deserves good $H!T

Brittany Cochran was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, and came to Charlotte to attend Johnson & Wales University. She later moved to New York City, where she worked under Chef Marc Forgione and at the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Marea. Now back in Charlotte, Brittany is making a name for herself as the Executive Chef of Stagioni with the Moffett Restaurant Group.

Award-winning chef, entrepreneur, and advocate for Black culinary excellence, with extensive experience in hospitality leadership, restaurant development, and community engagement. Recognized by the James Beard Foundation, Esquire Magazine, and The New York Times, I bring a deep-rooted passion for Southern foodways, sustainability, and mentorship. Co-founder of BayHaven Restaurant Group, leading multiple restaurant concepts and an annual food & wine festival focused on elevating Black chefs and food artisans.

Culinary Visionary | Global Chef | Culture-Driven Leader

Born in Santiago, Chile and trained across five continents, Nicolas Daniels is a dynamic culinary leader with over 20 years of experience guiding restaurants, hospitality groups, and culinary teams through transformation and growth. His global training and diverse kitchen experience have shaped a unique culinary perspective—blending international techniques and cultural traditions into inventive, memorable dishes.

Previously, he served as Director of Culinary Standards and Supply Chain at Imagine One Hospitality, where he led training initiatives, developed culinary standards, and supported seamless integration of new restaurant concepts. He also held the role of Culinary Director, overseeing multiple restaurants and implementing systems that elevated consistency and quality across the group.

Throughout his career, Nicolas has held key leadership roles at The Capital Grille, Barcelona Wine Bar, Loft & Cellar, and others—bringing a sharp eye for detail, a collaborative approach, and a passion for culinary creativity to every kitchen he leads. As the founder of Nomad Chef Consulting, he has partnered with restaurants and hospitality groups across the Charlotte market to develop concepts, optimize operations, and inspire culinary excellence.

Nicolas holds degrees in Food Service Management (Magna Cum Laude, Johnson & Wales University) and Life Sciences (NC State University), along with certifications in low-oxygen/acidic food handling and ServSafe safety standards. His work is rooted in a deep respect for ingredients, technique, and culture—driving innovation while staying grounded in tradition.

Born and raised in Northern Virginia, Jonathan Dearden has spent more than two decades building a career in some of the country’s most respected kitchens. Having worked with James Beard Award winning chefs and led culinary teams across luxury resorts, hotels, and restaurants, he now oversees a diverse multi-unit restaurant group. A Top 4 finalist on Top Chef Season 23, Jonathan is known for combining refined technique with approachable, flavor driven cuisine while inspiring the next generation of culinary professionals.

Originally from Myrtle Beach, Diminich grew up in the restaurants of both his father and grandfather, who came to the US from Italy at age 16 – a classic immigrant story seeking
opportunity in America. After working his way up the ranks in his family’s restaurants and training with other local chefs, Diminich attended the Culinary Institute of America.

After graduating with a degree in Culinary Arts, Diminich trained under Chef and Owner Georges Perrier at Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia. He then moved back to the South, where he
was Sous Chef at BLT Steak in the Ritz-Carlton Charlotte. He later worked under Executive Chef Raffaele Dall’Erta at The Hampton’s Restaurant in Sumter, SC, and most recently was
Executive Chef of Upstream Restaurant in the SouthPark area of Charlotte. In 2020, Sam appeared on Beat Bobby Flay on the Food Network, taking down the legendary Chef in an epic ‘battle’ of Lobster Risotto.

After being laid off during the 2020 pandemic, Chef Diminich founded Your Farms Your Table (YFYT), a farm-to-table meal delivery service that has since evolved into a hospitality
group offering catering, curated events, personal chef services, and community-supported meals, all designed to celebrate the rich bounty of the Carolinas.

In 2023, he opened Restaurant Constance, a 10-table farm-to-table restaurant in Charlotte’s Wesley Heights neighborhood. Named after his daughter, the restaurant is known for its seasonal menus, thoughtful non-alcoholic beverage program, and intentional approach to hospitality inspired by Diminich’s own journey in recovery. Each dish celebrates the farmers, community partners, and team members who help bring Diminich’s vision to life.

Restaurant Constance was recognized as a MICHELIN Recommended restaurant in the 2025 MICHELIN Guide for the American South. That same year, Chef Diminich also appeared as a contestant on Chopped and was named a James Beard Foundation Semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast.

Beyond the kitchen, Chef Diminich is an advocate for sobriety and mental health in the hospitality industry. He co-leads the Charlotte chapter of Ben’s Friends, a national support
group for food and beverage professionals in recovery, and hosts weekly recovery meetings at Restaurant Constance. Since its inception, YFYT’s Community Supported Meals program has served over 183,000 meals to those in recovery.

Chef Diminich is wildly passionate about working with local ingredients. His approach to food is to honor the ingredients by using sound techniques with a balance of flavors and textures and by blending traditional and contemporary flavors. His goal is to prepare food that brings a celebratory influence to the meal experience as the centerpiece in the story of our lives with our friends and family.

Lewis Donald is the pitmaster and owner of Sweet Lew’s BBQ, one of Charlotte’s best local barbecue spots. Growing up outside Cleveland, Ohio, he learned his earliest lessons about food from his grandfather Ray. After graduating from the culinary apprenticeship at The Greenbrier, Lewis went on to work at prestigious country clubs and kitchens across six states. Today he brings those experiences to Sweet Lew’s, where he serves traditional Carolina barbecue cooked entirely over wood and honors the craft and tradition of real Southern barbecue.

Hannah is the owner/pastry chef of Honeybear Bake Shop. She studied Baking and Pastry Arts at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY and received her associates degree in 2010. After graduating, she worked at The Inn at Little Washington. She then moved to Vail, Colorado, and worked at Sweet Basil and The Sebastian Hotel. After her time in Colorado, she moved and found her home in Charlotte, NC. Since moving to Charlotte she has been the pastry chef at 5Church Restaurant Group, Big View Diner, and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel. She was furloughed from her job at The Ritz-Carlton when the pandemic hit.   

That is when Honeybear was created; during her time of being furloughed she started baking more from home. She wanted to fulfill her dream of opening her own bakery. She started baking cookies, lots and lots of cookies. She decided that Charlotte needed a fun cookie bakery with unique fun flavors! Here we are today! Honeybear Bake Shop has been in business for two years. Honeybear Bake Shop has won Best Cookies in North Carolina by Yelp in 2021 and Charlotte Magazine BOB Award for Best Cookies in 2021 and 2022++++++

Ann Marie’s culinary journey began in 2013 when she attended Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, earning multiple degrees for the hospitality and restaurant industry. While still in school, she joined the opening team at Heirloom Restaurant and spent nearly five years developing its acclaimed pastry program.

Her work earned her recognition as the 2017 NCRLA Pastry Chef of the Year, along with appearances on two Food Network competitions, the local web series Order/Fire, and Bravo’s Welcome to Waverly. In 2019, she shifted to savory cuisine at Southminster, where she rose through the ranks to become General Manager of all campus dining during the pandemic. That experience deepened her leadership skills and broadened her culinary perspective.

Now part of YFYT, Ann Marie has returned to her pastry roots with a renewed mission: to create exceptional food and help reshape kitchen culture. For her, the kitchen isn’t just a workplace-it’s where she truly belongs.