CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2025 RECIPIENTS!

Zachary Brass

Houmas House & Gardens
Darrow, LA

 

Bruno Enciso

Lutèce
Washington DC

 

Haley Garabato

Restaurant Nisei
San Francisco, CA

 

Yunghoon (Allen) Kim

Centurion
New York, NY

 

John Reilly

Le B
New York, NY

 

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2023 RECIPIENTS!

Shir Avinadav

The Noortwyck
New York, NY

 

Kaylen Colpitts

Milkjam Creamery
Minneapolis, MN

 

Chainey Kuykendall

VA Museum of Fine Art
Richmond, VA

 

Jillian Onstad

Daily Provisions
New York, NY

 

Jordan Vining

Bowood by Niche
St. Louis, MO

 

Dr. Tim Ryan is the Culinary Institute of America’s first chancellor and was the longest-serving president of CIA, holding that role for 23 years. Dr. Ryan graduated from CIA in 1977 and received bachelor’s and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees from the University of New Haven. He earned his doctorate degree in education from The University of Pennsylvania. With the unique background of being a Certified Master Chef and Culinary Olympic champion with an Ivy League doctoral degree, he is the first alumnus and faculty member to rise through CIA to become president.

During his 30+ years at CIA, Dr. Ryan drove the institution’s growth and excellence, shaping its focus on health and wellness, global cuisines, food ethics, and sustainability. His leadership in culinary education and the foodservice industry includes founding the American Bounty Restaurant and leading the U.S. Culinary Team to victories at the Culinary World Cup and Culinary Olympics. Dr. Ryan’s tenure also led to major innovations, including the world’s first bachelor’s degrees in culinary arts and baking/pastry arts management, as well as expanded continuing education programs. 

A notable figure in the hospitality world, Dr. Ryan was the youngest national president of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) and the youngest chef to receive Master Chef Certification. He has served as ACF president and along with our Ment’or Foundation board, he also serves on the boards of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and the National Restaurant Association. He lives in Hyde Park, NY with his wife Lynne and their children, Jackson, Sawyer, and Mutala.

We hope that everyone is staying safe and healthy during these uncertain times.  We recognize with the growing evolution of the COVID-19 virus, the next few weeks will continue to be filled with new updates, challenges and emotions. We want you to know that we are here to support you in whatever ways we can. Each day we are receiving new details and information and our hope is that we continue to comfort and support each other throughout this crisis.  

The coming weeks will continue to be difficult and the impact of this situation will keep unfolding and growing.  As our focus is on the culinary world, we are feeling and seeing the impact deeply and it is difficult to witness.  Hospitality is about welcoming guests and taking care of people and those in this profession are often the first to step in to help and support in whatever capacity they can and to help make a difference.  This culinary community always comes together, but the current atmosphere has created a particularly challenging time for our community.  These chefs, restaurants, and bars have all been there to support Ment’or as they care about people and giving back.  Ment’or has always focused on supporting those in this profession and we will continue to focus on our young chef programs, but we also need your help now to help these individuals that always give back but need our help now. This community is a large family and has always had our backs, so we hope that we can all do our part to take care of our family. 

We urge you to support the hospitality and restaurant businesses as it is now more important than ever and can help keep their businesses alive.  We encourage you to also explore these other initiatives:  

• • Donate to a relief fund. These funds are targeted to assist affected employees.  Some examples include:
    • Keller Restaurant Relief Fund
    • Hand in Hand 
    • Heart of the House 
    • Food & Beverage Industry Relief Fund
    • USHG HUGS
    • Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation
    • World Central Kitchen
    • BIG
    • Small Farm Provisions Pack
    • Southern Smoke Emergency Relief Fund
    • CORE
    • The Lee Initiative
    • Restaurant Employee Relief Fund
    • Restaurant Strong
  • Purchase a gift certificate for a future meal or as a gift. This will help keep the restaurants afloat during this time. 
  • Order pickup or delivery from your favorite local spot. Although the doors are not open, some restaurants are still able to serve you.
  • Sign a petition and speak up for the hospitality industry. Reach out to your elected officials urging them to pass legislation to help aid the hospitality industry. Click here to learn more about ways in which you can advocate. #saverestaurants #saveamericanhospitality

 We are greatly appreciative of all those who are already showing support for their local restaurants and we thank you for giving back. As we have updates on other ways in which you can support, we will continue to share them with you. 

We know this is a tough time for everyone, and we are here for you if you have any questions, concerns or suggestions. We thank you for your support and we hope that you will continue to stay safe and healthy.

Cangshan has been an incredible partner of Ment’or over the years. From their support for Team USA for the Bocuse d’Or, to their creation of beautiful limited edition cutlery; Cangshan always shows exemplary support and craftsmanship. We are honored to once again partner with Cangshan on this limited edition knife series inspired by Team USA. These knives are not only stunning, but are also incredible tools in the kitchen. Each knife is forged and handcrafted from high alloy Swedish Sandvik® 14C28N Steel creating an incredibly sharp knife with phenomenal durability and edge retention. These hand sharpened blades feature a keen 16° Asian style edge making the knife both precise and nimble. A bolster free design accommodates a firm and natural pinch grip while also ensuring the knife is easy to sharpen and maintain. A distinct star rivet compliments the unique handle design which is inspired by the historic American flag.

When you purchase a set of the United Series by Cangshan, all net proceeds are donated towards Team USA for the Bocuse d’Or and other Ment’or initiatives. Ment’or’s programs include offering Grants to culinary professionals looking to expand their education and skill sets and also supporting the “Young Chef & Commis Competitions” which identify and promote young chefs in America via an annual competition. 

Thank you, Cangshan, for your continuous support and generosity to the culinary community!

For more information on Ment’or’s programs, click here.

Set of 5 knives: $345.95. (Does not include shipping or tax)  

Email info@mentorbkb.org to purchase.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2019-20 GRANT RECIPIENTS!

Juliet Auld

Bar Boulud
New York, NY

 

Ashley Drum

Per Se
New York, NY

 

Andres Giraldo

Verjus Cave
San Fransisco, CA

 

Daniel Le

Estuary
New York, NY

 

Patrick Lobbes

Blackberry Mountain
Walland,TN

 

Duy Nguyen

Roses Luxury
Washington, DC

 

Raymond Rodriguez

Jérôme Bocuse Inc.
Orlando, FL

 

Allison Tschida

Good Life
Park Rapids, MN

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2018-19 GRANT RECIPIENTS!

Ken Chan

Here’s Looking at You
Los Angeles, CA

 

Robert Hartman

EMP Winter House
Aspen, CO 

 

TJ Lewis

Pineapple & Pearls
Washington, D.C.

 

Stuart Sandquist

Bellecour
Wayzata, MN

 

Kevin Torres

Bar Boulud Boston
Boston, MA

 

 

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2017-18 GRANT RECIPIENTS!

Travon Boykins

Cured – San Antonio,
TX

Grant location TBD

 

Zachary Close

Café Boulud – New York, NY

Grant Location:
Amass – Copenhagen, Denmark

 

David George

Blue Hill – New York, NY

Grant Location:
Central – Lima, Peru

 

Christopher Huang

Del Posto – New York, NY

Grant Locations:
Saison & PABU Izakaya – San Francisco, CA

Sophia Manatakis

Uncle Nick’s – New York, NY

Grant Location TBD

 

Ally Nguyen

The NoMad – New York, NY

Grant Location:
L’Astrance – Paris, France

Congratulations to the 2016-17 Grant Recipients!