FSR September 2022

RI S ING S TARS

Brad Wise AGE: 37 OWNER, CHEF TRUST RESTAURANT GROUP SAN DIEGO

THE CULTURE CULTIVATOR Brad Wise’s five con cepts specialize in a cul ture of hospitality. The chef’s humble beginnings mopping floors in a pizza joint eventually led to his first solo venture, Trust, which opened in 2016 and offers shareable, rustic fare cooked via traditional Santa Maria–style grilling. While Wise’s restaurants are distinct, all share Trust’s comfortable atmosphere and rich, smoky flavors. And in hopes of extending hospitality beyond dining rooms and into kitchens, Wise also works to redefine labor conditions, offering his staff livable wages and other financial benefits.

Shota Nakajima AGE: 33 CHEF, OWNER TAKU SEATTLE

AUSTIN QUACH

THE FAN FAVORITE Three-time James Beard semifinalist and “Top Chef” fan favorite Shota Nakajima has wowed diners and audiences alike with his modern take on Japanese fare. Off-camera he’s also been a serial entrepreneur, first with a catering business and then kaiseki restaurant Naka in 2015. The chef even tually transformed Naka into a more casual concept, Adana, which was named Best New Restaurant by The Seattle Times and a Top 10 Restaurant by Seattle Magazine . Pandemic pressures led to the restaurant’s closure in 2020 but not before Nakajima had launched fast casual/kushikatsu bar Taku, which has received fanfare in its own right. THE SEASONED SOMMELIER Alexandria Brashears began her restaurant career as a server and bartender before becoming a certified sommelier in 2017. Within two years she was working at none other than Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park in New York. She also curated a beverage program at Lyla Lila that made it to the semifinalist round of the James Beard Awards. In her new role at Andros Taverna in Chicago, Brashears works with chef Doug Psaltis to build a beverage menu and pairing recom mendations reflective of the Greek islands.

MATT FURMAN

Alexandria Brashears AGE: 30 BEVERAGE DIRECTOR AND SOMMELIER

ANDROS TAVERNA CHICAGO

ANDROS TAVERNA

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FSRMAGAZINE .COM

SEPTEMBER 2022