Chef Brian Duffy and his team of ‘misfit toy’ chefs are back at Bar & Restaurant Expo this year. And the 2022 show promises to be bigger, and more immersive than ever, with a few new faces. Inside the Restaurant Zone, designed by Specifi Global, you’ll find the Food & Beverage Innovation Center (FBIC), and a brand-new feature: The Bistro. The Bistro is a fully functioning, 50-person restaurant open to VIP Pass holders on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The FBIC is open to everyone and is one of the most popular areas of the show. Here, Chef Duffy and his team host live, interactive demonstrations that showcase cost-effective and easy to execute dishes (regardless of kitchen size). You can find out more about the FBIC here.
The FBIC chefs are leaders in their field, hand chosen by Chef Duffy. “We look at a series of chefs that we know will be able to work with us and educate the student volunteers,” he explains. “We choose people that can offer a tremendous amount of information that is both cooking relevant and business relevant. All of these chefs are creative and aware of the newest trends and flavors.”
“The FBIC is a place to ask questions, learn from others, be inspired by food, and meet people! I have made connections through this event that has drastically improved me as a chef and my restaurant,” says Chef Kayla Robison, a long-time member of the FBIC crew.
Read on to learn more about this year’s FBIC chefs, and what they’ll be presenting at the show.
Chad Rosenthal
Chad Rosenthal is known around for the country for three things: barbecue, fried chicken, and great hair. You’ve seen him on the Food Network Star, Chopped Grill Masters, Beat Bobby Flay and Good Morning America, and now you can watch him again at the FBIC, where he’ll be presenting the ‘Motel Fried TiNDLE’. People constantly beg Rosenthal for a plant-based version of his virtual kitchen, ‘Motel Fried Chicken’, so he partnered up with TiNDLE to make it happen. “Plant-based is not going away,” he says, “If you’re going to make it happen, make sure it’s great – not just an afterthought.” Stop by the FBIC to get inspired by his buttermilk fried TiNDLE (chicken, made from plants), served with Japanese mayo, dill pickles and Martin’s potato buns.
Kayla Robison
Cincinnati’s own Kayla Robison returns to the FBIC for her fifth year. Robison, aka the Commander in Beef, is the chef of Arnold’s Bar & Grill, the city’s oldest tavern with a 150-year history. This Guy’s Grocery Games champion is a regular on the screen, appearing on The Today Show, Man Vs. Food, and the Cooking Channel. This year Robison is reinventing the pot pie and showing how you can get creative with classic dishes. “Even though I’m the one teaching up there, I always go back home with so much more knowledge, thanks to the fellow chefs I work with, the incredible people who put on great workshops, and even the attendees who I talk to,” she says. “In some way, we’re all helping each other out, because that’s what we do in this industry!”
Barbie Marshall
Chef Barbie Marshall joins the FBIC for the first time this year. “I’m excited for everything the show has to offer this year, since it will be my first time attending!” Marshall has worked with some of the other FBIC chefs previously and is excited to collaborate with them again. For her demonstration, she’s making Meatball Pinchos. Pinchos, or skewered meats, are a Puerto Rican favorite often made with chicken thighs or pork tenderloin. Marshall is making hers with meatballs and serving them in a lettuce wrap with pickled vegetables and cashew vinaigrette. It’s a sophisticated, but simple, snack that would pair perfectly with a cocktail or beer. “I want people to see how versatile and flexible you can be with food. Recipes are a guideline, and you should always let your tastes guide you.”
Jennifer Behm Lazzarini
The FBIC’s power couple is back again this year! Celebrity chefs Jennifer Behm Lazzarini and Julio Lazzarini, will be cooking up a storm throughout the Restaurant Zone. The Food Network darlings—you’ve seen them on Chopped, Masterchef (Jennifer was crowned champion in season two!), Beat Bobbly Flay and more— are dividing and conquering this year. While Julio helms the new onsite restaurant, ‘The Bistro’, Jennifer will be on the FBIC stage introducing the audience to chicken curry poutine (and a few extra surprises). “My inspiration was to fuse together a well-known item with something unique, all while thinking of the bottom line. I want encourage people to think outside their comfort zone, that’s where growth really begins!”
Tori Lubecki
Chef Tori Lubecki is no stranger to the FBIC. She’s participated a few times as a student volunteer, and this year she’s ready to take the stage as a presenter. A master of many disciplines, Lubecki is not only a private chef, but also a 10-year veteran of Cirque du Soleil, a yoga teacher, model, and vegan. Though she admits packaged tempeh can be challenging, she’s going to be teaching attendees how they can use it to make delicious, revenue-boosting (and meatless) meals, like her vegan Cuban pressed sandwich with fried plantains. “Plant-based doesn’t mean bland or boring!”
Russ Zito
Chef Russ Zito, associate professor at the College of Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University, has been a core member of the FBIC team for so long, he doesn’t even remember. “It’s six or seven years now, I think, they’re all starting to run together!” This year he’s going to be providing support, helping each chef prepare their dishes. “Whatever each demo chef is doing, my hands will be in it- with food handler’s gloves, of course,” he jokes. While he’s excited to check out the new restaurant, The Bistro, and all the new equipment (“the crazy auto fry drawer thing – you know, the one where you ‘load it and forget it?”), he’s most excited to connect with operators. “I want to encourage people to leverage their local food service and culinary training programs and schools. And of course, try to be more conscious of sustainable practices, fair pay, good working conditions and proper incentives.”
Kevin Des Chenes
"I'm always excited to see my chef friends from all over the country, as well as the newest, cutting-edge equipment, and industry trends," says celebrity chef Kevin Des Chenes, who returns to the FBIC for his fourth year. Chef Kevin, a culinary expert for Gordon Ramsay, author of Beyond My CHef Coat, and frequent guest on the Food Network and Today Show, will be preparing an elevated Scotch Egg, served with a maple bourbon drizzle. "It's a new spin on an old classic. Once prepped, it's an easy pick up and pairs amazingly with Scotch, bourbon or beer. I really want people to realize that you can simplify a high-end dish to make it fit in any scenario. Whether you have a full industrial kitchen, or a small electric space, there are ways to customize each dish."
‘Panini Pete’ Blohme
Serial restaurateur and two time Guy's Grocery Games winner, 'Panini Pete' Blohme is joining the FBIC for the fifth year. Find him on the demonstration stage whipping up his latest signature, 'Kamakazie Chicken'. "They're savoriy umami bomb fried chicken bites," he explains. "I was playing around with sauces in the kitchen, and found a great combo. It's a big seller now!"
Chef Nick Liberato will also be returning to the FBIC this year.
Download the full event brochure here to access even more information about the show, and an exclusive promo code.
Bar & Restaurant Expo (formerly Nightclub & Bar Show) is a live, in-person event held March 21-23, 2022 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Early bird registration is open now. Click here get your tickets now!
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