Epicurean Expeditions
by Atlas™

Anne Steele is a multi-award-winning singer/songwriter from New York City and a dynamic performer who has sold out concerts and dazzled audiences for over 20 years. She has toured internationally and shared the stage with musical legends like Cyndi Lauper, Sandra Bernhard, Boy George, Liza Minnelli and many more.

British-born and based in New York, William TN Hall is an award-winning composer and musical director. His musicals include Methtacular! (Off-Broadway, Time Out New York Critic’s Pick) and Songs for a More Funnier World(NYMF Award Winner). He co-wrote and arranged BUSTED: The Musical for Bianca Leigh and has composed commissioned work for Tony winner Nikki M. James. A three-time MAC Award and BroadwayWorld Award winner, and a proud alumnus of the BMI Advanced Musical Theatre Workshop, William tours worldwide with singer Anne Steele.

Ippy Aiona is a chef, cookbook author, and Emmy Award–winning television host whose passion for food began at a young age, working in his dad’s Hawaiian restaurant and his mom’s Italian restaurant. After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in San Francisco, he went on to earn numerous accolades, including being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Food & Wine and winning the International Iron Chef competition. He is the owner of two restaurants in his hometown on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi and recently released his newest cookbook, Growing Up Hapa, alongside the second season of his award-winning series, Eating Our Roots. With a classic foundation in French cuisine and deep roots in Hawaiian and Italian food, Ippy’s diverse culinary background allows him to push boundaries while honoring tradition.

Luciana Berry, “Top Chef Brazil 2020,” showcases the exotic flavors and ingredients that are integral to Brazilian cuisine. She is an ambassador of Brazilian cuisine and culture in UK. Mixing modern and classic cooking techniques to deliver impressive yet subtle tastes from a country which until now few other chefs have successfully exploited. Luciana travels to many countries with Brazilian Fruit Association to the biggest Fruit Shows in the world to showcase the best Brazilian tropical fruits.

Canadian celebrity Chef Massimo Capra is best known for his roles as host on his own television series “Gourmet Escapes,” judge on “Chopped Canada” and chef-host of “Restaurant Makeover” – the last two both popular on the Food Network. He is the owner of Massimo’s Italian at the Sheraton on the Falls Hotel and Boccone at the Toronto Pearson International Airport, as well as his namesake restaurant, Capra’s Kitchen, in his hometown of Mississauga, Ontario. Chef Capra is the author of “One Pot Italian” and “3 Chefs: The Kitchen Men,” which received the gold Canadian Culinary Book Award in 2011.

Martin Gimenez Castro is a chef celebrated for his refined seafood cuisine and creative use of top-quality, local ingredients inspired by global culinary traditions. An ambassador for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), he champions sustainable fishing and is recognized as a seafood expert, mentor, and trainer.
He is the founder of acclaimed Warsaw restaurants Ceviche Bar and Tuna, both recommended by the Michelin Guide. He also created and led Salto at the Rialto Hotel, another Michelin-recognized venue.
Winner of Poland’s first Top Chef, Martin is also a familiar TV personality, appearing on popular shows like Chef Swap, Profession: Chef, Hell’s Kitchen, and Halo tu Polsat.
He studied at Escuela Internacional Islas Malvinas in Mendoza and honed his craft with Italian masters at Sale & Pepe in Florida, known for exceptional seafood.
Martin’s cooking blends global flavors — from foie gras to shimeji mushrooms — into distinctive seafood dishes like sturgeon rillettes, corvina mortadella, and sea bass jerky. His precise technique and artistic plating turn each dish into a sensory experience.
Guests enjoy his culinary artistry live in open kitchens, where refined cuisine meets a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Originally from Mendoza, Argentina, Martin has called Poland home since 2007.

Known as Mamá Cacao, Juliet Davey is a bean-to-bar chocolate maker, internationally recognized cacao educator, and social entrepreneur who blends fine flavor with storytelling, artistry, culture, and sustainability. UK-born and shaped by decades of living and working in the lush cacao-growing regions of Costa Rica, Juliet has worked hands-on in cacao farming and chocolate-making since 2009. Transforming her passion into expertise, she handcrafts each small batch of chocolate from ethically sourced, organically grown cacao beans, and even paints her own labels. A certified flavor specialist and cacao evaluator, Juliet is dedicated to sharing her knowledge with others. She is also the founder of Mama Cacao Collective CIC, a not-for-profit committed to empowering women cacao farmers, advancing climate resilience, and preserving cacao heritage.

Crista Luedtke is a visionary chef, hotelier, and serial creator known for shaping the modern Russian River food and hospitality scene. After leaving a successful corporate career, she launched boon hotel + spa, followed by a collection of beloved restaurants and culinary concepts inspired by her Midwestern roots, global travels, and Sonoma county’s seasonal bounty. A Food Network Triple G Grand Champion and GGG/DDD Super Teams winner, Crista is a celebrated competitor and judge known for creativity under pressure. She stars in the food-and-travel docuseries Lost in Taste and Taste Buds and appears in the award-winning documentary Empire on Main Street. On screen and on the plate, Crista brings fire, humor, grit, and heart—proving you can be serious about food and impossible to ignore.

Chef Bobby Marcotte is the creator of the award-winning Hop + Grind restaurant, as well as the Rise + Grind and Barn at Merry Hill. His restaurants have been featured multiple times on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” Chef Marcotte has also competed on “Tournament of Champions” and “Fire Masters Canada.” He became Executive Chef of The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery in 2013 and under his leadership, the restaurant has earned several accolades from New Hampshire Magazine, Spoon University and Yankee Magazine. It has also been named one of the Food Network’s “Best Steakhouses in America.” He started in restaurants at 14 years old as a dishwasher and in just three years moved up to sous chef, eventually becoming head chef by 21 years old.

Christian Orner is a distinguished private chef and chocolatier based in Poole, Dorset, UK, and the founder of SALT Co. With nearly 20 years of experience, Christian has honed his culinary craft in Michelin-starred restaurants and brings a refined yet imaginative style to his work. A graduate of Bournemouth and Poole College with diplomas in Professional Catering, he launched SALT Co. in 2017 to offer bespoke tasting menus and handcrafted desserts. Of Norwegian and English heritage, Christian draws on Northern European, French, and Italian influences to create bold, inventive cuisine. He has been recognized with multiple culinary awards, including a GOLD at the Destination Awards 2020 and accolades for Best Chef and Best New Business.

Pastry Chef Anna Wilamowska is a talented French pastry chef, chocolatier and has trained in Michelin-starred restaurants and French pastry boutiques. Her passion for pastry is evident in every bite of her delectable creations. Chef Wilamowska collaborates with local artists and sculptors, bringing an artistic flair to her desserts. Her commitment to quality is unwavering, and she only uses the finest ingredients and caters to those with dietary restrictions, offering delicious vegan and gluten-free desserts.

Chef Plum is a three-time Emmy Nominee and graduate of The Culinary Institute of America with over 30 years of culinary experience. He was born in Richmond, Virginia and has worked all over the East Coast in everything from five-star hotels to small neighborhood restaurants. He has over 20 Food Network appearances with wins on Chopped, Guy’s Grocery Games and more. He is also the host and executive producer of the popular PBS series Restaurant Road Trip, nominated for three New England Emmys. Chef Plum is the host and producer of the acclaimed video series with Edible Magazine “On the Road,” focusing on where food comes from in an informative and comedic way that culminates with a recipe to end each episode. He hosts “Plumluvfoods Live,” a favorite among the culinary community on Itunes’ top 200 in the food category with over 300 episodes. He is also a contributor and regular on Fox Business, Great Day CT and more.

Master Foodie™ Mara Papatheodorou is a nationally established entertaining specialist. As a culinary specialist and historian, she highlights the diverse stories and connections of cuisine and culture worldwide through facts, flavors, flair and folklore. As a 12-year editor at Bon Appétit Magazine, Mara scouted and produced the “Entertaining with Style” section that highlighted how real people entertain around the world. She was the producer of their award-winning annual international Special Collector’s Editions that highlight Italy, France, Greece, Spain, Mediterranean Islands and the British Isles. She works as a Tastes & Traditions expert with food companies and Master Chefs developing recipes, menus and promotional consumer campaigns.

Jonathan Ward is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory Solar System Ambassador. He is the author of four award-winning space history books. His most recent book was co-written with astronaut Eileen Collins, the first American woman to pilot and command a space mission. It is the basis for the new documentary, “Spacewoman,” which is available on major streaming services. Jonathan has delivered more than 500 lectures and educational sessions aboard cruise ships in the past five years, has spoken at national astronomy conferences in the US, and is a frequent guest on podcasts for the American Space Museum and the National Space Society. Jonathan has also appeared as a singer on two GRAMMY-winning albums with The Washington Chorus and the National Symphony Orchestra. Asteroid 47785 Jonathan Ward is named in his honor.