Our Experts
Our culinary experts bring a wealth of knowledge and passion to every recipe and food article we share.
Chris Blatner
Chris Blatner is an Executive Bourbon Steward and the creator of the popular Instagram page @urbanbourbonist. He appears frequently as a guest whiskey expert on podcasts and is an independent consultant for whiskey and spirits brands. Chris presents educational whiskey segments on local television in Chicago, IL as well as national television. Chris also serves as the Executive Director of Bourbon Charity.
Catherine Fallis
Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis is known for her approachable and consumer-friendly wine expertise. She played a pivotal role in wine acquisition and content creation while leading the Sommelier team at Bright Cellars for 15 months. She later launched Planet Grape Wine Review, America's first female-led wine review platform. Educated at Cornell University, she became the fifth woman in the world to earn the Master Sommelier title and is the only person to also hold the Advanced Certified Wine Professional title from the Culinary Institute of America. Her latest book is "Ten Grapes to Know, the Ten and Done Wine Guide."
Cody Goldstein
Cody Goldstein is one of the most recognized and acclaimed mixologists in the industry. After years of training in Michelin-starred and highly acclaimed bars/restaurants, he was honored to be the first and only mixologist named to the celebrity-studded Food Council of City Harvest. Cody has been featured in various news outlets such as Fortune Magazine, Forbes, and Business Insider, along with television appearances on The Today Show, GMA, Bon Appétit, and more. Highly recognizable brands such as TAZO, DKNY, and Rao's Homemade Patron have partnered with Cody to be their spokesperson. Cody is also the co-author of four successful cocktail books ("Tequila Mockingbird" (10th Anniversary Extended Edition), "Gone with The Gin", "Hickory Daiquiri Dock", and "Are You There God? It's Me, Margarita."
Molly Horn
Molly Horn is the Chief Mixologist and Spirits Educator for Total Wine & More, the country's largest independent wine, spirits and beer retailer. She has over a decade of expertise in developing and managing bar programs in the Washington Metro area and was Head Bartender at Farmers Restaurant Group, one of the busiest operations on the East Coast. Molly's many responsibilities at Total Wine & More include tasting and marketing new first-to-market spirits, as well as educating sales floor team members on spirits and mixology. Molly is passionate about spirits and crafting cocktails and uses her training as a Certified Sommelier to inform her tasting and reviewing process.
Michael Lomonaco
Michael Lomonaco is one of the executive chefs of Porter House, the iconic American steakhouse and restaurant located in New York City. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Chef Lomonaco rose to fame as the chef of legendary restaurants like Le Cirque, 21 Club before opening his first restaurant Windows of the World atop the original World Trade Center. He opened Porter House in 2006, and nearly 20 years later, it's consistently named among the best steakhouses and most loved restaurants in the city. In addition to his culinary work, Lomonaco also has an established career in food media; he has hosted programs on Discovery Channel and Food Network and published writing in New York Magazine and Food & Wine.
Jessie Massie
Jessie Massie is the Executive Chef of the Taproom at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.'s location in Mills River, NC since 2016. She has a passion for fresh, high-quality locally sourced ingredients and the art of cooking with beer and other brewing ingredients. The kitchens of her mother and grandmother in the mountains of Western North Carolina were where she first discovered her love of cooking and preparing food, and she later sharpened her skills at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin, Texas. While her menu items often pay homage to her Appalachian roots, her overall culinary style is eclectic and inspired by seasonally available ingredients and a range of global cuisines. An upscale touch on each thoughtfully crafted dish pushes the boundaries of a typical taproom menu.
Jeff Tyler
Originally from New York, Jeff Tyler's fascination with beer was sparked by a work trip to Colorado Springs. He was quickly enamored with the variation and creativity of craft beers and began brewing beer at home. He furthered his beer expertise by becoming a BJCP certified beer judge and began judging beer competitions throughout New England. By 2016, Jeff decided to make brewing his full-time job and moved to Colorado to work with Yak & Yeti Brewpub. Two years later, Jeff led the rebrand of Yak & Yeti's brewery to Spice Trade Brewing and became a co-owner. He then expanded the business by opening a new flagship location, Spice Trade Brewery + Kitchen in Greenwood Village, Colorado. Today, Jeff is the owner and operator of Spice Trade Brewery + Kitchen, which prides itself on a culinary driven menu inspired by global cuisines. He is a member of the Colorado Brewers Guild and Brewers Association.
Doreen Winkler
Doreen Winkler is a natural wine sommelier, orange wine expert, and founder of Orange Glou, the world's first orange wine subscription service and only brick-and-mortar store dedicated solely to skin contact wines, as well as Orange Glou Wine Fair, North America's first fair devoted to skin contact wines. Named one of "America's Top Sommeliers" by Forbes, Doreen is one of the first sommeliers who created wine lists focused on natural, organic and biodynamic wines. She's developed wine programs for Michelin-starred restaurants, bars and wine retailers, including at Aska and Aldea in NYC, where her program received the World of Fine Wine Best Wine List Award.
Mathew Woodburn-Simmonds
Mathew Woodburn-Simmonds is the founder of Home Coffee Expert, a business that aims to provide its followers with the best possible information about every step of the coffee-making (and drinking) process. His obsession with coffee began during his college days when he worked as a barista for a coffee shop and extended well into his time as a restaurant manager and sommelier.