2025 FEATURED CHEFS

Brendan & Haley Byer, Alea Bakery

BRENDAN Born and raised in Michigan, Brendan began helping his mom in the kitchen at a young age. He ventured West to pursue cooking, attending the California Culinary Academy by Le Cordon Bleu. He went on to work at Spruce, Madrona Manor, and Bouchon Bistro, immediately taking to fine dining and continuing to hone his craft. He became a sous chef at Del Dotto Vineyards where he helped to create and execute their tasting menu. From there, Byer joined the team at Single Thread, a 3 Michelin starred restaurant in Healdsburg. This experience allowed for growth and after two years of promotions, Brendan left to open a cottage bakery with his wife, focusing on local, organic ingredients and crafting sourdough bread and pastries. Brendan was next hired to be opening Chef de Cuisine at Ōkta in McMinnville, where Brendan’s passion, management skills, work ethic, and creativity helped the restaurant obtain accolades including: Relais & Châteaux, James Beard Nominated, and noted in NY Times and Esquire. Chef Byer blends his passion and curiosity to conceptualize every detail. He is a chef’s Chef and will always want to be on the line cooking. Brendan is in constant pursuit of learning new skills and a multitude of different cultures through culinary traditions.

HALEY A California native, Haley grew up creating Dutch sweets alongside her mom and Oma. She fully immersed herself in the world of bread and pastries, honing her technique first at Oenotri, one of Napa Valley’s highly acclaimed institutions, then at Farm at the Caneros Inn (Michelin recommended), where she quikly assumed the full responsibilities of pastry chef. Haley furthered her experience at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery, where she found her true love in the discipline of bread. She became captivated with the sensory experience and magical process of transforming humble ingredients. She continued to make her mark as head baker at the historic wood-fired, naturally leavened Della Fattoria. With experience and confidence, Haley started an acclaimed sourdough cottage bakery, Deer Park Bread Project, along with her husband. The two made the move to Oregon’s wine country to open Okta and Tributary Hotel, which earned a James Beard nomination, and made the NY Times and Esquire’s 2023 Best New Restaurants list. There Haley developed a wood-fired bread and pastry program with the intention of galvanizing the relationship of baker to farmer. Alea Bakery is a culmination of both Haley and Brendan’s more-than decade long tenure in an ever-evolving industry, coupled with inspiration from travels and an unrelenting thirst to honor various cultures.

Michael Martin, Humble Spirit

MICHAEL  Born and raised in Northern California, Michael’s love for food began in his family’s wine shop and deli. His career spans top kitchens like Pebble Beach Lodge, SPQR, and Angler, with a focus on Mediterranean and wood-fired cooking. Inspired by Humble Spirit’s mission, he loves to bring people together through food and crafting memorable dining experiences.

Jack Strong, JORY

Oregon-born Chef Jack Strong comes to The Allison Inn & Spa with over 30 years of culinary experience under his belt and most recently held the position as Executive Chef at the 453-room JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa. During his tenure, he was awarded the coveted Culinary Excellence of the Americas by Marriott. Chef Strong previously held positions at Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel and the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa where he was honored with a James Beard nomination for Best Chef Southwest and co-authored the cookbook, The New Native American Cuisine. He began his career in the Culinary Arts Program at Lane Community College in Eugene, OR.

Paul Bachand, pinch

Paul Bachand retains a humble yet spirited approach to his 35 plus years in the culinary world. Growing up under the watchful eye of his mentor, Chef Michael Philippi from The Hobbit restaurant in Orange, California he learned the fundamentals of classical French cooking from the age of 7 through high school. Graduating from Western Culinary Institute in 1995, he worked throughout the state of Oregon defining his style of cooking while working as a winery chef for WillaKenzie Estate, Executive chef at Farm to Fork in Dundee as well as Bernard and Martine Morillon in Beaune, France. He achieved the goal of opening his own restaurant, Recipe Neighborhood Kitchen in 2011. He and his wife’s new venture in the neighboring town of McMinnville replace the fine dining white tablecloth service for a hip upbeat and flirty restaurant and bar simply called “pinch”.

Jose “Lalo” Camarena, República

Jose “Lalo” Camarena is the executive chef of República, a Mexico-forward restaurant recognized as one of Bon Appétit’s “Top 10 Restaurants of 2022” and a James Beard Award nominee for “Best New Restaurant” in 2022. Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley and spending a significant amount of his upbringing with his family in Mazatlán, Mexico, Camarena moved to Portland when he was 15 years old. After working in a variety of kitchens, he attended Oregon Culinary Institute and was drawn to República soon after graduation, interested in the restaurant’s commitment to honoring the rich culinary heritage of Mexico. At just 24 years old, this young chef is leading one of the top kitchens in the country, also the recipient of the 2023 StarChefs Award for Rising Star Chef in the Pacific Northwest. Now, Camarena creates new tasting menus daily, each night bringing with him a passion for his people, his culture, and their stories, using the abundance of the Pacific Northwest to redefine Mexican cuisine.