If you were to travel to the multiple cities represented by our visiting chefs to sample their fare in one trip, you’d log a lot of frequent flier miles, spend more time than you’d care to in hub airports and on delayed planes and use up every bit of your vacation time. Not a lot of fun. Euphoria offers a setting where the chefs come to you from multiple cities and a cornucopia of restaurants to dazzle your senses and intrigue your palate. Whether you come for a single event or select from our value packages, we offer a variety of ways to reward your “inner-foodie.”
2010 Culinary
Justin Bogle - Executive Chef, GILT, New York, New York
Justin Bogle
Justin Bogle makes his own mark at GILT as Executive Chef, winning Two Michelin Stars for the restaurant in 2009, just one of six in Manhattan to do so. At just 28 years-old, Chef Bogle's star is on the rise as the youngest chef in the city to earn this coveted distinction.
A graduate of The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College in Philadelphia PA, Bogle made his start at the highly praised Alma de Cuba as the Sous Chef under Executive Chef Douglas Rodriguez in Philadelphia. He eventually moved to Striped Bass were he worked side by side with Chef Christopher Lee in developing one of the most successful restaurants in Philadelphia.
Equipped with an extensive resume, Bogle joined GILT as the Executive Sous Chef in 2006, where he continued to collaborate with Lee garnering several high profile ratings, most notably two stars from the MICHELIN Guide in 2008.
"I'm thrilled to be a part of GILT's impressive portfolio of celebrated chefs," said chef Bogle. "It is an honor and a privilege to design GILT's cuisine and create memorable experiences for our guests."
David Guas
David Guas' entrepreneurial career has taken flight with damgoodsweet consulting group, llc. After ten years as the Executive Pastry Chef of Acadiana, Ceiba, DC Coast, and TenPenh restaurants in Washington, D.C., Guas exchanged his longtime corporate role and is now a private pastry consultant to restaurants around the country, specialty caterer, tv personality and dessert cookbook author in the D.C. Metropolitan area. During his years with Passion Food Hospitality, Guas’ desserts were recognized and praised by such publications as Food & Wine, Chocolatier, Santé, Cooking Light, Food Arts, Where Washington, Restaurant Digest, Restaurant Business, National Culinary Review, and Nation’s Restaurant News. In September 2003, Bon Appétit featured Guas as one of eight “Dessert Stars” in the country. In 2004, the fourth year he was nominated, Guas was named Pastry Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. He is listed in The International Who’s Who of Chefs, and has appeared regularly on The Today Show, demonstrating his expertise on national television. Of Guas’ sweets, the restaurant critic of The Washington Post writes, “I have yet to find a single dessert I can say no to,” and the critic of Washingtonian magazine states emphatically that Guas’ desserts are “worth saving room for.” Very sweet, indeed.
Chris Hastings
Christopher and Idie Hastings are chef and co-owners of the nationally celebrated Hot and Hot Fish Club in Birmingham, Alabama. Located in a historic building on Birmingham’s Southside, the award-winning restaurant has earned a reputation for serving some of the finest, freshest dishes in the region.
Chris developed his love for and relationship with food during family vacations spent in South Carolina’s low country. He graduated from the Johnson & Wales Culinary School in Providence, Rhode Island and then returned to the South in 1984 to work at the Atlanta Ritz Carlton. After moving to Birmingham, he worked for Frank Stitt as Chef de Cuisine of Highlands Bar and Grill and helped launch the opening of Bottega. In 1989, the Hastings moved to San Francisco, where Chris helped Bradley Ogden open the Lark Creek Inn. Ogden left a tremendous influence on Chris’ culinary education; according to Chris, “Brad’s unrelenting pursuit of intense, clear flavor was never compromised. He also opened my eyes to the local farmer and how he could impact the food and help set it apart from the others.” While in California, Idie attended the California Culinary Academy and worked at Jeremiah Towers’ famed Stars Café and Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio, and honed her bakery skills at Patisserie Francaise.
In 1995, the Hastings returned to Birmingham to open the Hot and Hot Fish Club where Chris focused on the dinner menu and Idie used her pastry experience to develop the dessert menu. Today, although the menus change daily to highlight the best possible products available, several signature items remain: the Hot and Hot Shrimp and Grits made with Country Ham, Fresh Thyme, Tomatoes and Ver Jus is always a favorite among the locals; and Elton’s Chocolate Soufflé with Fresh Cream continues to be the preferred ending to many meals at the restaurant.
Chris and Idie have recently expanded their geographical, if not culinary, boundaries by adding a consulting company to their growing list of roles. They have provided operational and culinary guidance to the Standard Bistro, an independent restaurant owned and operated by EBSCO Industries in the town of Mt. Laurel, Alabama, and to The St. Joe Company where he is Culinary Advisor to their northwest Florida restaurants. Currently they are working with Russell Lands, one of the Southeast’s largest private recreational developers. Russell’s restaurant SpringHouse at Russell Crossroads opened in April 2009. Chris was hands-on with the redevelopment of The St. Joe Company’s Fish out of Water and BaitHouse restaurants, both located at the WaterColor Inn and Resort.
Hot and Hot has earned the Wine Spectator’s “Award of Excellence” 11 consecutive years. In March 2007, Chris was one of five finalists nominated for “Best Chef in the South” by the James Beard Foundation. Chris’ previous honors include: induction into Leadership Birmingham in 2005; service on the advisory board to the Chef’s Garden’s Culinary Vegetable Institute with Charlie Trotter, Alain Ducasse, Norman Van Aken, Douglas Rodriguez, Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, Ed Brown, and Bradley Ogden; 1998 winner of the Robert Mondavi Culinary Award of Excellence for “Best New Restaurant” and voted Birmingham’s best chef in Birmingham Magazine’s Readers’ Poll. In 2003, the Birmingham Business Journal listed Idie Hastings as one of the Top 10 Birmingham Women. This year she was listed in the Women’s Issue of Birmingham Weekly, which promotes women in business. Idie is passionate about the University of Alabama Birmingham’s Comprehensive Cancer Center and is committed to animal welfare causes, including the Greater Birmingham Humane Society.
The Hastings are active participants in charity events with the James Beard Foundation, and have been guest chef and speakers at other culinary events, including the International Wine & Food Society, The Culinary Vegetable Institute, the Institute of Culinary Education, the Charleston Food and Wine Festival and the Southern Foodways Alliance.
Chris also serves as a consultant and Culinary Advisor to restaurants and restaurant groups across the country and is an Alabama spokesperson for Wild American Shrimp. Idie and Chris live in Birmingham with their two sons, Zeb and Vincent.
Michael Kramer
Outside the kitchen, the Los Angeles native maintains a frenetic pace. An athlete at heart, Kramer competed as a semi-professional cyclist for many years, and continues to ride extensively as a hobby. He can often be seen enjoying the outdoors with his loyal dogs, Buddy and Roxy. It is within the walls of a kitchen, however, that the chef pursues his true passion, emerging as a leader and an innovator of exciting and cerebral cuisine. Dubbing his style Modern American, Kramer’s dishes meld classic French techniques with a distinctly regional focus, looking no further than The Tasting Room’s own backyard, including South Texas, the Gulf Coast and neighborhood farmer’s markets, to source premium meats, seafood and produce.
Mike Lata
Lata is a self-taught chef and New England native. He began his culinary career traveling along the East Coast, working in various kitchens in Boston, Martha’s Vineyard, New Orleans and Atlanta, where he was Chef de Cuisine at Jean Banchet’s Ciboulette.
While at Cibolette, Lata made a conscious decision about what type of chef he wanted to become. He made a determined effort to work with local farmers, ranchers and suppliers whose dedication to natural, sustainable agriculture was evident. He launched an unprecedented campaign to integrate mostly local product into his cooking and became a self-appointed spokesperson for the Georgia Organic Growers Association. This farm-to-table philosophy and European style of cooking based on the highest quality seasonal ingredients would become cornerstones of his career to follow.
Lata joined the Charleston dining scene in 1998 as Executive Chef at Anson, where he held the reigns for four years.While there, Lata hosted the first out-of-house James Beard event in the state of South Carolina. It was also during these years that Lata’s active endorsement of local farmers helped guide the conscience of the Charleston culinary scene toward the appreciation of locally grown, seasonal foods.
In 2001, Lata fulfilled a life-long dream to travel and cook in France, where he worked and studied French cuisine at Michelin Star restaurants in Burgundy and Southern France. His travels abroad helped shape his philosophy and style of cooking, and many of his dishes on the menu nightly at FIG are directly inspired by his experiences in France.
A James Beard Award winner in 2009 for Best Chef in the Southeast, Lata enthusiastically supports several Charleston organizations, is an active member of the Southern Fo0odways Alliance, and co-found the local Charleston convivium of Slow Food in 2004. Those who have the opportunity to enjoy Lata’s simple and delicious cuisine agree with the legendary late New York Times food editor, R.W. Apple, who said, “There is much to like about FIG.”
Kevin Rathbun
Opened in 2004 in Atlanta, Rathbun’s pays homage to the big league steakhouses – as well as Kevin’s hometown, Kansas City. He brings to the table a passion for friends and family, as well as the best steak money can buy.
With over 31 years of experience, Kevin credits his success to what he calls a mutual fund which maintains an upward mobility of hospitality, education and an unprecedented thirst for knowledge. He has worked with celebrity chefs and restaurateurs such as Bradley Ogden, Emeril Lagasse, Stephan Pyles, Ella Brennan and Pano Karratossos and has honed not only his technique in the kitchen, but his passion for owning and operating his own businesses.
While Kevin was chef at Baby Routh in Dallas, it received the DiRona award for dining excellence. His drive and passion landed him the chef’s position at Nava in Atlanta, which became an instant hit and has been consistently voted one of the top five restaurants in the city. Similarly, Rathbun’s has enjoyed wide acclaim since its inception and was voted by Esquire Magazine as one of the “Top New Restaurants in the Country.”
Bryan Voltaggio
Highly accomplished, innovative, and talented 32-year old Chef Bryan Voltaggio is among the new generation of young chefs that are reinventing American cooking. Classically trained at one of America's most prestigious culinary schools and a pedigree of a celebrated Chef, Voltaggio now calls upon the full breadth of his talents this summer with the opening of VOLT, a fine dining establishment in his native Frederick, Maryland.
Voltaggio's passion for cooking was fostered during childhood in Frederick County where meals often included produce harvested from the family garden. Committed to a career in cooking early on in his teens, Voltaggio had already served as Sous Chef and Executive Chef at two regional hotel restaurants by the age of 20. Aware of his need for more formal training, Voltaggio was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, during which time he also cooked at the highly acclaimed Hamilton Inn in nearby Millerton. Upon graduation, Voltaggio staged at several restaurants in Manhattan before being introduced to Chef Charlie Palmer.
"Charlie Palmer provided me with the professional and practical experiences that fast tracked my career," says Voltaggio of his mentor. Engaged at Aureole in Manhattan, Voltaggio's dedication was soon rewarded when Palmer named him to the position of Sous Chef. Several years later, the decision that came to open Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington, DC, included Voltaggio as the Executive Chef. Before launching the DC enterprise, Voltaggio was granted the opportunity to expand his cooking knowledge at Pic, the world-class, three-star Michelin restaurant in Valence, France.
Upon his return, Voltaggio oversaw the construction and opening of Charlie Palmer Steak. Voltaggio's menu and attention to service soon made it the "Hill favorite" among patrons. Food critics agreed and accolades soon followed with three-star reviews from The Washington Post and Washingtonian, along with national praise from publications such as Gourmet and Bon Appetit.
Following nine successful years with Palmer, including a partnership, Voltaggio embarked upon his long-term professional goal of restaurant ownership with VOLT. Voltaggio now has the opportunity to fully exercise his cooking philosophies and signature preparation of Modern American cuisine - which he characterizes as "sophisticated dishes offering classic flavor combinations that are created using fundamental and innovative cooking techniques."
Voltaggio's menus are driven by the fresh, seasonal offerings of local farmers. "I want to strengthen the relationship between chef and grower," says Voltaggio, who has become an advocate for meats, seafood, and produce that are local, sustainable and organic. "Through our choice of ingredients, we become engaged in more than creating a great dining experience, but in supporting local agriculture."
Driven by the love and support of his family, wife Jennifer and son Thacher, Chef Voltaggio seeks to bring historic Frederick a piece of his culinary upbringing to a place that built his foundation.
Joe Clarke
A native of Spartanburg, South Carolina, and a graduate of the University of South Carolina, Joe spent his early career working in foodservice in both front and back of house positions. After graduation, Joe followed his degree to Los Angeles where he worked in Film and Television production for 14 years managing crews and filming some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Tinseltown, however, never fully satisfied his true calling...cooking. While on hiatus between movie and television gigs, he expanded his culinary education at Epicurean Culinary Institute and worked at Chef Govind Armstrong's famed, 3 star restaurant, Table 8. Joe and Darlene left Hollywood on a mission to pursue their dream of opening their own restaurant. Joe attended the French Culinary Institute in New York graduating with Honors and receiving the Grand Award for Best Menu, as well as completing the Restaurant Business Course.
Joe's inspiration and passion for fresh food grew from watching his grandmother use the bounty of her garden and farm to provide food for the table. This initial introduction to the quality of fresh farm food, from fresh tomatoes and cantaloupes to fresh eggs and fresh pork have sustained and brought him to the cornerstone of his cooking. To Joe, it's a Chef's responsibility to know where their products come from. It's about discovering and understanding where the food we eat originates, how it was grown, even watching it grow; how the animal was raised, fed and even harvested. He believes it just makes sense to seek ingredients from folks that are putting as much love and passion into their work as he does into preparing it.
Spencer Thomson
Spencer Thomson is a native of Virginia who worked in restaurants around the Roanoke area before moving to Charleston, South Carolina to attend Johnson and Wales University. After receiving his associate’s degree in 2001, he honed his culinary skills at such legendary area restaurants as 82 Queen and The Woodlands Inn and Resort.
One of the most influential experiences of Spencer's career has been working for celebrated chef Michael Kramer at McCrady's from 1999 to 2003. He found himself part of a talented and inspiring culinary team that produced such renowned alumni as David Breeden, who went on to New York’s Per Se; and Christopher Edwards, who moved on to take the executive chef position at Virginia's Patowmack Farm. Spencer was one of the first employees at McCrady’s to start on garde manger and work through every station of the kitchen, accumulating the full experience along the way.
Spencer began working for Devereaux's prior to its opening in 2005 and was instrumental in establishing the restaurant’s concept. He has a deep respect for traditional culinary techniques, particularly that of French convention, but combines these time-honored foundations with new, innovative practices and ingredients like sous vide and compressed fruits. Seasonal, regional ingredients always have a place on his menu, and he has cultivated relationships with producers like Greenbrier Farms, Terry Goldenstar and Jeff Isbell to assure that his dishes shine with the best heirloom flavors.
Spencer stands apart from the typical chef in that he likes to create both sweet and savory cuisine. With his passion for pastry, he creates all the desserts for the restaurant, including house-made sorbet and ice cream. He prefers to coax the natural sweetness from berries and fruits and use those flavors as the base for his sweet dishes, but he also has an affinity for chocolate.
In his spare time, Spencer takes full advantage of Greenville's natural beauty by hiking and camping in the company of his wife and two dogs.
Anthony Gray
Originally from Macon, Georgia Anthony Gray's choice of a career in the culinary industry was a natural one. He was raised in a large Italian family whose passion for cooking has always been a focus and source of pride.
Anthony moved to Charleston, South Carolina in 1997 and entered the culinary arts program at Johnson and Wales University. While still in school he began working in local restaurants, and was hired as a line cook at Slightly North of Broad in 1998. Under the direction of Executive Chef Frank Lee, Anthony steadily proved himself and was promoted to several positions within the Maverick Southern Kitchens family.
Upon the opening of Charleston's High Cotton Maverick Bar & Grill in November of 1999, Anthony was promoted to Sous Chef at the new restaurant. There he continued to hone his culinary expertise as the chef's right hand man. In November 2006, Anthony became High Cotton's chef, taking over when the previous chef moved to open a second High Cotton location in Greenville, South Carolina.
In May 2008, Gray was selected as Executive Chef for High Cotton Maverick Bar & Grill, with responsibility for Charleston and Greenville locations. He directs all culinary operations, maintaining the commitment to brand excellence that has made High Cotton Maverick Bar & Grill nationally acclaimed for fine cuisine and warm hospitality.
Gray's passion for meats can be noted with his hand-made sausages and charcuteries, and his excellence in creating sauces and marinades that enhance the flavors of the meats he works with. Anthony is a proud supporter of local farmers and vendors, and he has become a sought-after spokesperson for his knowledge of animal products, raw ingredients, and respect for the bounty of product available in the Lowcountry and the South.
Jason McCarthy
Executive Chef Jason McCarthy was born and raised in Greenville, SC and graduated from Johnson and Wales in Charleston, SC in 2002.
Following graduation, Jason worked in England at the De Vere Hotel. After returning to the United States, he worked in Richmond, Virginia, at Chef Max under Alan Lecomte, French Master Chef.
With Jason’s past experience, he adds new and exciting creations of both traditional and contemporary dishes to the restaurant’s offerings.
Shaun Garcia
Originally from Spartanburg, South Carolina, Shaun’s interest in food began early; he practically grew up in the kitchen of his grandmother’s restaurant. The family-owned establishment was famous for its fried chicken and peach cobbler, and Shaun spent his early years learning about the techniques that made these beloved dishes community favorites. Today as chef de cuisine at Soby’s, Shaun takes that heartfelt flavor of authentic Southern cooking and adds fresh style for an unexpected dining experience.
Shaun honed his culinary skills at such restaurants as Ellis, An American Bistro in South Carolina and Wild Saffron Café in North Carolina. He joined Table 301 Restaurant Group in August of 2003 as a line cook, and his innate talent for Southern cooking secured him a promotion to Chef de Cuisine in January of 2007.
One of Shaun’s primary goals in dish development is to use seasonal ingredients and local products whenever possible in order to support local food producers and provide the best flavor for his guests. He draws on his profound experience with Southern food traditions to bring time-honored recipes with modern flair to the table. In addition to taking inspiration from his family heritage of Southern cuisine, he uses techniques like a French slow braise to bring out the potential in lesser cuts of meat and uses traditionally African ingredients like okra and yams that have historically brought wonderful flavor to Southern food.
One of Shaun’s favorite responsibilities is the development of the features that are offered each night to compliment the Soby’s dinner menu – a task that allows him to really exercise his culinary creativity. He also enjoys working with bourbon, a spirit that he says lends itself well to the hearty, earthy flavors of Southern cuisine and matches his recipes in heritage and history. Shaun’s cuisine is a study in culinary history, updated for the modern palate.
Victoria Moore
Victoria (Vicky) Ann Moore is a self-described “food geek” who loves to explore the culinary cultures of different areas of the world. By acting as a food anthropologist and getting to the roots of why different communities eat the way they do, Vicky finds inspiration for the kitchen and takes her guests on a virtual tour of the world.
Originally from Alabama, Vicky learned how to cook from her grandmother and spent lots of time on the family cattle farm. She developed an early passion for fresh ingredients and helped grow a variety of seasonal produce in the garden.
Vicky earned both an associate and a bachelor degree in culinary arts from Johnson and Wales in North Miami, Florida. She graduated in the top 10 percent of her class with a concentration in chef supervisory/management. During her time at Johnson and Wales, she completed a line cook internship at Bay Harbor Inn and Suites in North Miami and cooked at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. Prior to joining The Lazy Goat team, she worked as a corporate trainer at The Capital Grille in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Jack Ryuichi
Chef Jack, (Ryuichi), is grateful for his early exposure the Art of Sushi at Sapporo, Hokkaido, where he was born. A Paradise to Sushi and Seafood lovers’ world wide, this small city is also the home for many top Sushi chefs to further polish their knowledge and skills. As a third generation chef, his family instilled their own passion for food in the young Ryuichi, and at the age of 11 he left home to attend school here in the United States. Both his parents and grand parents wanted Ryuichi to receive a better education instead of the harsh restaurant lifestyle. But the passion for food burns deep with in him. Ryuichi continues to find ways to extend his culinary knowledge. Having to realize young’s passion, his parents made it possible for him to come home every summer to further his training. At 17, he became the youngest executive chef for a Japanese restaurant called August Moon (formally owned by his Karate instructor). With abundance of youthful energy and fresh approach, Ryuichi guided this flag ship to an impressive rating in a short period of time and earned his recognition as Chef Jack.
In 1993, Mr. Inoko (his former Karate instructor) invited Chef Jack to Athens, Georgia for a new business venture. With Chef Jack’s help, Inoko’s Japanese Steak house gained value in a very rapid time. Being the only Japanese establishment in town, Inoko’s was compared to other Asian restaurants in town and stay on top. It was also in 1993 when Chef Jack introduced the Sushi culture to the city of Athens.
In 1995, Chef Jack returned to Atlanta and worked at Kobe Steak where he had the pleasure to entertain the elite dinners. Among them were celebrities and the president of Panasonic in 1996 Olympic game. But his restless heart continues to take him places across the United States and to help him gain more experiences.
In 1997, Chef Jack returned to Atlanta once again and took on a position as a Chief Executive Chef and physically helped build a restaurant from ground up. Two years later, Chef Jack seized the opportunity to work under Chef Tom Catherall as a Sushi chef at Prime, Tom Tom Bistro and Goldfish. It was then Chef Jack met a very special friend and helped him on his way to open his own establishment.
In 2000, at just 32 years old, Chef Jack opened his first Sushi restaurant in Alpharetta, Georgia. In 2006, Chef Jack returned to work under his former employer’s new restaurant in Decatur, Georgia and then on forward to Rome, Georgia. In 2007, He and his partners opened up BlueFin Sushi & Grill and put his vision to the test. It was a very successful test run for Chef Jack’s new project.
In 2008, Chef Jack relocated to Greenville, South Carolina. In the West end of Downtown, where he sought after a location to build his new restaurant called Purple International Bistro & Sushi. Alongside of him is his wife Jacque, who also shares his vision, “Power, Passion and Pride”.
Jason Scholz
Jason grew up in Louisville, KY. As a child, he helped his mother with her catering business & soup kitchen volunteering. Helping Mom out at a young age got him interested in food & cooking. He then started working in restaurants in high school, and realized he had a real enthusiasm for the restaurant business. After gaining a wide range of experience in various restaurants in Louisville, Jason made the move to Charleston, SC to further his culinary career. In 1994 he joined Maverick Southern Kitchens at Slightly North of Broad under the direction of Executive Chef Frank Lee. There, Jason worked his way up and was promoted to Sous Chef. When Maverick Southern Kitchens expanded and opened High Cotton Restaurant in Charleston in 1999, Jason was named Executive Chef. During his tenure there, Jason was nationally recognized in numerous publications including, The New York Times, Bon Appetit, Southern Living, The Washington Post & The Food Network. After seven successful years at High Cotton in Charleston, he was relocated to Greenville, SC to open the High Cotton Restaurant downtown as the Executive Chef.
With his wife, Julia, the vision for their own restaurant was friendly service & excellent cuisine served in a relaxed atmosphere. This vision became a reality in August of 2008, when they opened Stella’s Southern Bistro in Simpsonville, SC. They are enthusiastic about sourcing as many local ingredients as they can find, and supporting local farmers. Stella’s cuisine is inspired by the coastal Carolinas' and the American south. Stella’s is the ideal place for a unique dining experience.
When not at the restaurant, Jason & Julia enjoy exploring the upstate, dining out, and playing with their black lab, Stella.
Curtis Wolf
Curtis Wolf was born in Westminster, MD, lived in Madagascar, Africa, and then was raised on the Gulf Coast of Florida. He began cooking at the age of 11 in a small local pub on Longboat Key and completed an apprenticeship program with the American Culinary Federation at the Longboat Key Club in 1987.
Upon learning the craft of Artisan bread baking and pastries at a French bakery in Sarasota, FL, he opened a French Bistro called Café of the Arts as head chef. While driving through the Carolinas on vacation, he fell in love with the mountain views and moved to Greenville in 1994. He was able to utilize both culinary and pastry talents working for Stax’s Restaurants and Bakery.
The next step of his success led him back to Florida when he accepted an Executive Sous Chef position at the famous historic hotel, The Don CeSar at St Petersburg Beach, FL. Every evening he exhibited his culinary talents over the first ever chefs table in Florida at the Maritana Grille.
His promotion in 2000 to Executive Chef placed him in Orlando at the Airport Marriott Hotel where he showcased his versatility to take charge of the transformation of one of its restaurants to one with South Pacific flair. In 2004, Chef Curtis found his way back to the ever-loving Carolinas at the Westin Poinsett Hotel where he continues to broaden his career taking southern cuisine to a higher level with his introduction of reverse Shrimp and Grits, which are a guest favorite at the hotel.