The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) is thrilled to highlight the 6 talented chefs submitting recipes in the Cheese + Mac category of this year’s inaugural CA Dairy 2GO Competition.
The top two winners in this category will compete at the cook-off finals in Napa, CA, for a chance to win a $5,000 prize!
CARRIE BAIRD
- DENVER, CO
- Chef Carrie Baird has made a name for herself leading the kitchens of some of the most highly regarded restaurants in Colorado. Carrie competed on Season 15 of Bravo’s Top Chef. In the spring of 2019. She was a contestant on Food Networks “Beat Bobby Flay” and beat him with her Pork Green Chili Huevos Rancheros. Most recently she was an “All Star” judge on Top Chef Season 18, judging eight episodes of the season.
GINA REALI GENSHLEA
- SACRAMENTO, CA
- Gina Reali Genshlea is the Executive Chef and Owner of Revolution Winery & Kitchen, a Sacramento-based restaurant and winery. The story at Revolution is one that celebrates the diversity of our farms, community, and city. Gina, a first generation American with strong ties to her father’s native country, Italy, was raised on a farm in south Sacramento by her father and grandparents, which is where her culinary journey began.
HEIDI GIBSON
- OAKLAND, CA
- Heidi Gibson and her husband Nate opened The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen in San Francisco in 2010. The restaurant was born out of Heidi’s long-time hobby of competing in grilled cheese competitions and has become a beloved local institution serving breakfast and lunch. An engineer by training, Heidi is a self-taught cook and is also the author of two successful cookbooks: Grilled Cheese Kitchen and Muffins and Biscuits.
MARTI LIEBERMAN
- PHILADELPHIA, PA
- Marti Lieberman’s culinary ventures began with Mac Mart, which debuted on the streets of Drexel University’s campus in the winter of 2013. The bright pink food truck became an instant hit at private affairs, night markets, and food festivals all over the greater Philadelphia area. With a large social media presence and constantly selling out of the famous Mac and Cheese, Marti opened her flagship store, which debuted in Philly’s Rittenhouse Square neighborhood in the spring of 2016.
BRIAN MULLINS
- MIAMI, FL
- Before bringing the wildly popular Ms. Cheezious® food truck to Miami in 2010, Brian Mullins acquired over 25 years of culinary industry experience, working with some of the most prestigious brands and opening over 30 restaurants throughout North America, South America, Asia and Europe. Since Ms. Cheezious® launched, Brian has made the brand one of Miami’s most loved restaurant and food truck destinations, earning overwhelmingly rave reviews and being featured on several national television shows.
ALEX SADOWSKY
- DALLAS, TX
- Alex Sadowsky graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management. He mastered his craft in esteemed kitchens in his home state of Minnesota, as the Chef De Cuisine at Whiskey Cake in Plano, TX, and as the Regional Chef for multiple new Front Burner Restaurant brands. Alex is currently the Corporate Executive Chef at Twin Peaks Restaurants, which has 84 locations in 26 states.