A highlighted feature of the California Restuarant Show - the Culinary Innovation Theater is an educational, interactive, and entertaining area for restaurant and foodservice professionals who want to stay up to date in the industry. Come see our featured chefs, watch their cooking demonstrations and taste their samples.
THE 2025 CULINARY INNOVATION THEATER HEADLINERS INCLUDED:
NYESHA ARRINGTON
CHEF/OWNER, NATIVE BY NYESHA
Monday, August 4th
Nyesha Arrington is the co-star of FOX’s hit culinary competition show Next Level Chef. She is also the host and producer of the digital series Plateworthy on Eater. Nyesha started her culinary career at Michelin starred restaurants Mélisse in Santa Monica and L’Atelier and The Mansion in Las Vegas. She went on to open restaurants Leona and Native in Los Angeles, where she was celebrated for using farm fresh, locally and responsibly sourced ingredients. She has been named to Zagat’s Best Chef 30 Under 30 List as well as Eater’s LA Chef of the Year. Nyesha hit the national stage as a fan favorite on Bravo’s Top Chef season 9 and has been a household name ever since.
Her credits include FOX’s MasterChef and Hell’s Kitchen, Food Network’s Tournament of Champions, Guy’s Grocery Games and Diners, Drive Ins and Dives and ITV’s Next Level Chef U.K.
Nyesha draws inspiration from cooking through the seasons, traveling the globe and contemporary art. When she’s not in a kitchen, she can be found connecting with others over functional fitness and wellness practices. She lives in Los Angeles with her French bulldog, Bleu-Ginger and tuxedo cat, Mr. Robert Marley.
JOHN STATE
CULINARY DIRECTOR, DISNEYLAND RESORTS
Tuesday, August 5th
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John State is the Culinary Director of Food & Beverage for Commercial Business Transformation at Disneyland Resort.
State's return is a homecoming of sorts, as he started his Disney career in 1995 at the Flying Fish Cafe at Disney's BoardWalk at Walt Disney World Resort, where he was tapped to join the opening team to plan and design the restaurant.
From Flying Fish Cafe, State was at the helm at California Grill at Disney's Contemporary Resort from 2002 until 2006. He left Walt Disney World Resort in 2006 to open a JW Marriott hotel in Grand Rapids, Mich., then headed to Chicago in 2009 to work as an executive chef with Darden Restaurants. His new post brought him back to Disney in 2015 just in time to launch the 60th Anniversary celebration of the Disneyland Resort.
SIERRA JEPSEN
OWNER, BUTCHER SOLUTIONS
Sunday, August 3rd
Sierra Jepsen is the owner, meat scientist, and lead butcher for Butcher Solutions, LLC –a traveling butcher school that visits individual facilities and trains personnel in-house. Butcher Solutions, LLC strives to build skills and confidence for meat cutters while saving meat processors valuable production time, turning out higher quality products, and retaining a skilled labor force. Sierra grew up on a grain and cattle farm in Amanda, OH, where she attended The Ohio State University and was introduced to meat science. She has been directly involved in the meat industry for 10 years, first competing on the 2016 Ohio State Meat Judging Team, followed by four years of coaching meat judging teams at the University of Wyoming. In 2022, Sierra received a master’s degree in meat science from the University of Idaho and now resides in Three Forks, MT. For 2024, Sierra has been competitively selected for three unique team programs including Butchers of America, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Trailblazer program, and Cowgirl magazine’s Wrangler COWGIRL 30 Under 30.
CHRISTOPHER SEBASTIAN
WHISKEY CURATOR, BLIND BARRELS
Sunday, August 3rd
Christopher "Seabass" Sebastian has been a whiskey enthusiast for over a decade, and has worked in the beverage industry for the last 3 years as a bartender and whiskey curator. Passionate about hospitality, education, and literature, he loves to share his whiskey knowledge with beginners and seasoned whiskey veterans alike. As a curator for the Blind Barrels whiskey-tasting experience, Chris works to spread the news of the amazing American Craft Distillers who are a part of the current Whiskey Renaissance. At the end of the day, whiskey is about community, and Chris is so excited to sip along with you and share the stories of these brands!
GLENN CYBULSKI
EXECUTIVE CHEF, FOUNDING MEMBER OF CHEFS FEEDING KIDS
Monday, August 4th
Join Chef Glenn Cybulski, a founding member of Chefs Feeding Kids – a non- profit group made up of professional chefs and restaurant owners dedicated to feeding the undernourished and promoting healthy eating habits. Glenn will demonstrate Detroit Style Pizza while discussing Chefs Feeding Kids Recipe Calculator and teach a little “prime cost” as he builds, bakes and answer questions from the audience. For more information, visit https://www.chefsfeedingkids.org/recipe-cost-calculator.
DAVID GLANCY
FOUNDER & CHIEF EDUCATION OFFICER, SAN FRANCISCO WINE SCHOOL
Monday & Tuesday, August 3rd and 4th
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David Glancy is one of only 273 Master Sommeliers in the world and one of only 12 Master Sommeliers who has also earned the Certified Wine Educator Credential, Society of Wine Educators’ highest certification. David is also a certified French Wine Scholar, Italian Wine Professional, and Certified Specialist of Spirits. He has earned the credential for every program he teaches, and more.
David has been a Master Sommelier and active member of the Court of Master Sommeliers (the Court) for over 20 years. In 2006, while working for Professional Culinary Institute (now International Culinary Center), he created the only Certified Sommelier Program ever approved by the Court. In just 5 years, he helped more than 400 students to pass the Court of Master Sommelier's rigorous Certified Sommelier exam. This was 10% of the world's supply of Certified Sommeliers at that time.
Soon after, in 2011, David founded San Francisco Wine School to create the ideal educational setting from the ground up.
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