Bee Khang
Sushi Muramoto
225 King St • 608.441.1090 • Website
Building a foundation for his personal palate, Chef Bee Khang first trained in a professional kitchen at the Edgewater Hotel in Madison. He has taken that experience and mastered his culinary skills at Sushi Muramoto. Chef Khang admits his most important tool is his knife and would make his kitchen bigger if he had the chance. He has proven that no matter the size of the kitchen, he will be sure to serve a mouthwatering dish. Come see if the 2010 Dueling Chef Culinary Conqueror will hold on to his title!

Tim Van Doren
The Blue Marlin
101 N Hamilton St • 608.255.2255 •  Website
With the attitude “do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life,” Chef Tim Van Doren has pursued his passion of culinary arts and has barely worked a day! His favorite kitchen item is his cast iron pot. Off duty, Chef Van Doren enjoys his favorite cooking show, Bravo’s Top Chef. Participating in the Dueling Chefs Competition will be sure to make him feel like he is on his favorite show! Will Chef Van Doren be this year’s Culinary Conqueror?

Rob Grisham
Brasserie V
1923 Monroe St • 608.255.8500 •  Website 
Though Chef Rob Grisham started his culinary journey in some less-than-spectacular fried food restaurants, he made a break through when he went to work at Kestrel Ridge Country Club. Here he would show up two hours before his shift started to learn the fundamentals of cooking. Chef Grisham has worked at Brasserie V for four years and has no plans to leave any time soon! Luckily for the Madison Food & Wine Show, he will be able to leave Brasserie V for the weekend to compete in the Dueling Chefs Competition.

Nicholas Johnson
43 North
108 King St • 608.255.4343 • Website
Chef Nicholas Johnson’s mom inspired him to pursue a career as a chef. He attended Madison College for Culinary Arts then traveled to New York City to work at Café Boulud. Taking his talents abroad, he spent time interning at Ristorante Norman in Torino, Italy. Luckily for Madison, he returned home and to Restaurant Magnus, workimg his way up as the Executive Chef. Now at 43 North, Chef Johnson’s worldly experience will definitely give him an exciting edge at the competition.

David Heide
Liliana's Restaurant
2951 Triverton Pike  • 608-442-4444 • Website
Chef David Heide has expressed a love for cooking since the age of seven, when his uncle taught him to make jambalaya. Chef Heide now has the pleasure of instructing his own children on how to work in a kitchen. There is nothing more fun for the Heide family than bringing out the pasta roller and making a mess together! Chef Heide is always up for a challenge, whether it involves teaching his own kids a new recipe, experimenting with a new dish, or competing in the Madison Food & Wine Show.

Jesse Matz
Bunky's Café
2425 Atwood Ave • 608.204.7004 • Website
Chef Jesse Matz enjoys making applewood smoked duck with oyster mushroom risotto and his favorite item in the kitchen is a mandolin slicer. As if he does not serve enough delicious Italian food at Bunky’s Café, his family insists he make them chicken alfredo at home. Although they request a simple pasta, he has concocted more exotic dishes such as a jellyfish salad! Surely he will create something exciting for the Dueling Chefs Competition even if jellyfish is not the mystery ingredient.

Thony Clarke
Café Costa Rica
141 S Butler St • 608-256-9830 • Website
Chef Thony Clarke loves the idea of creation, especially in the kitchen! Gaining all of his culinary experience from owning his own business, Chef Clarke has developed his own style of cooking that he calls Latin soul food. Chef Clarke enjoys cooking up Tico pork chops for his family at home…they request it over and over again! With his love for spices, Chef Clarke will be sure to spice up this year’s competition as one of the new Dueling Chef contestants.