The third annual Star Chefs food and beverage pairing event to benefit Momentum for Health is coming up on Sunday, Sept 20, at the Lexington Hills Estate and Winery in Los Gatos, near the Lexington Reservoir. It’s hard to match the brilliant combination of well-crafted bites paired with the perfect beverage, be it a cocktail, wine or beer. Add a magnificent backdrop, music, a live auction and the excitement of voting for one’s favorite pairing experience, and it’s sure to be an unforgettable afternoon.
This year, another slate of talented chefs will put their culinary talents to the test as they team up with local beverage providers to create an afternoon of brisk competition to benefit Momentum for Health, the 66-year-old organization that provides mental health services for Santa Clara residents.
Kathryn Williams, board chair of Momentum for Health, and her colleague Brenda Hammond have been producing the Star Chefs event for over 16 years under their Table for Three partnership. For the past three years, they have designated Momentum for Health as the event’s beneficiary.
This year’s Star Chefs are mostly veterans of the event, and some are multiple award-winners. Among those looking to defend their crowns is Chef Anthony Secviar of Palo Alto’s Michelin starred Protégé, who earned last year’s Star Chef Judges Choice Award for Best Pairing for a rich mushroom and truffle tart topped with a copious snow of shredded parm. Prior to Protégé, Secviar was chef de partie at The French Laundry, was promoted to sous chef and spent six years with Thomas Keller. He also has experience at Michelin three-star kitchens Akelare and El Bulli.
Chef Jackie Jackson of Jackie’s Place, a soul food restaurant in downtown San Jose, is back to defend her well-deserved crown as two-time consecutive winner of People’s Choice at this event. Last year’s winning dish by Jackson was a spicy smoked brisket beef and pepper jack cheese Soul Roll served in a fried wonton wrapper, along with a fried chicken version that contained mac ’n’ cheese and collard greens, drizzled with sweet potato glaze. Both were served with Old Hillside Bourbon Whiskey sweet tea, made quite sweet to beat the heat. This lady and her entourage really know how to please the crowd.
From ASA Los Gatos comes the team of Chef Marcelino Hernandez and Chef Steven Vu, who have collaborated for 20 years. Marcelino’s food reflects the rustic traditions he grew up with in Michoacán, Mexico that evoke comfort, family and home. Paired with Vu’s classical training at the former Professional Culinary Institute in Campbell, ASA’s intricate sauces, innovative vegetable preparations and beloved home-style desserts add the finishing touch. Last year’s corn croquette with tomato relish, black garlic and lemon ailoi was delightful.
Chef Andrew “Shito” Thai joined Campbell’s Be.Stéak.A as a line cook shortly after its 2021 opening. His culinary excellence and strong leadership skills advanced him to executive chef. He honed his craft under acclaimed chef Michael Mina and mentors Michael Rafidi and Mario Beabraut. During his time at Bourbon Steak Santa Clara, he rose to executive sous chef, helping lead high-profile events including Super Bowl 50, Steph Curry’s birthday celebration and 1,000-guest Levi’s Stadium tailgates. Today, he oversees the Michelin-recognized kitchen alongside Chef de Cuisine Michelle Harrouff.
A homegrown talent, Forbes Mill’s Chef Adam Bortolussi was born and raised in Los Gatos, where his love for food and hospitality was nurtured from an early age amid his large Italian family. The kitchen was the center of daily life, a place where tradition, connection and flavor came together in every meal. Adam began his culinary journey at Double D’s, sister restaurant to Forbes, where he gained early hands-on experience and a passion for the craft.
Chef Nick LaMantia of The Bywater brings the soul, flavor and energy of New Orleans to the heart of Los Gatos through a culinary experience filled with warmth, creativity and genuine hospitality. At the heart of The Bywater, LaMantia’s passion for bold flavors, thoughtful technique and bringing people together comes through in every dish.
Orchard City Kitchen has a reputation for avant garde cuisine, and Chef Michael Maydeck is carrying on founding Chef Jeffrey Stout’s mantra. With a mother in hospitality, Maydeck was inspired by the hustle and bustle of restaurants and the energy and creativity of the kitchen from an early age. He joined the team at OCK after dropping in for a snack. You never know where your next job will materialize.
Chef Sal Calisi is no stranger to those who’ve been following the Silicon Valley dining scene for decades. He earned his Michelin star at Dio Deka back in 2010 and parlayed that into a successful run at Odeum, where’s he’s been serving up his solid Mediterranean fare with a side of sauce and spicy humor since July of 2011. Odeum’s open kitchen in the old granary is the only wood-fired oven in Morgan Hill.
The dual talent of Chef Trent Lidgey and Chef Edalyn Garcia of One Fish Raw Bar in Campb ellreturns to create novel cuisine that combines Lidgey’s discipline and seafood-centricity from Michelin starred San Francisco gem Atelier Crenn, Australia’s Brae and Boston’s UNI, with the Filipino-American roots of Garcia, a U.S. Culinary Olympics team captain who’s worked at Madera, Plumed Horse and Village Pub, all Michelin starred.
Helming Goodtime Bar on Fountain Alley in San Jose, Chef Alex Whiteman tends toward natural creations, as evidenced in his excellent fresh tomato carpaccio sprinkled with queen sesame and topped with pickled shimeji mushrooms and gochugaru from last year’s Star Chefs. He’s sure to whip up something seasonally sensational for this year’s event.
At Palo Alto’s Bar Zola, Executive Chef Ben Robin has been lending his creative juices to the menu for 3½ years, plating French-inspired dishes like duck confit, steak tartare with porcini aioli, and Parisian gnocchi with summer squash, maitake and smoked corn pudding. Prior to that, Robin ran his own San Jose-based catering company, 2 Coast Catering, for four years after bartending at Dan Gordons in Palo Alto and was executive chef at SP2 Communal Bar and Restaurant for four years prior.
Chef Julian Silvera of Tasting House returns this year with his newest creation, Vicinity, a restaurant within a restaurant in Los Gatos. This chic, upscale and tastefully irreverent setting serves as the ideal backdrop for a multi-course tasting menu crafted with tweezer-level precision from the foraged adventures of this East Coast native. Silvera relocated to Florida during the pandemic, where he was sous chef at Knife & Spoon, which was subsequently awarded a Michelin star. Vicinity’s kitchen team prides itself on its “green menu” approach, an internal system that reduces waste and maximizes ingredient utilization.
Also defending his title this year will be Chef Ross Hanson of Oak & Rye, the two-year consecutive winner of Chef’s Choice. What will he make to top last year’s succulent gruyere-stuffed arancini atop celery root puree, topped with Calabrian chile aioli? Paired with the 2023 Common Thread Brut Rosé, Central Coast, a refreshing sparkler of Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay made by local winemaker David Baird, this satisfying combo was pretty popular with attendees, too.
This year’s professional judges include head judge Moe Rubenzahl (philanthropist and food blogger), Erica Lockheimer (a vice president at LinkedIn and founder of @humanizeher), Linda Zavoral (food writer for the Mercury News), Coline Le Conte of Edible: Silicon Valley and Carolyn Jung, The Food Gal.
Tickets start at $225 at https://momentumforhealth.org/starchefs2026.
Dining and Cooking