Nickol’s culinary journey spans over twenty-seven years and includes training at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, and professional experience in renowned kitchens across California, New York, London, and Oregon. She has honed her craft under the mentorship of Michelin-starred chefs, James Beard award winners, and culinary pioneers who, like her, view food as both art and soul. In all that she creates, Nickol strives to capture the essence of beauty—both ephemeral and enduring—inviting others to discover joy in the everyday: the changing seasons, the abundance of the harvest, and the magic found in every bite. After gracefully passing on the torch of her acclaimed Foxtail Bakeshop & Kitchen in 2022, Nickol’s journey took on new dimensions. She has since served as a culinary consultant across the West Coast and, in Winter 2023, celebrated the release of her first cookbook, Foxtail Bakeshop Presents... Treats from the Den. Now, she is poised to bring her longtime dream to life. Nickol is currently seeking funding to bring The Den Teahouse and Dessert Bar to life. Her evolving vision is a refined yet whimsical retreat in Bend, OR where nature’s bounty meets artful indulgence and sweet alchemy. It is a space designed to invite guests to pause, to savor, and to experience the quiet wonder of life’s simplest pleasures.

Scott has spent the last 20 years expanding his deep knowledge of culinary arts with an emphasis on Japanese cuisine. Scott has spent time in Japan taking specialty courses on cutting fish, cooking, rice, making tofu, and many others. Scott started with a very popular food cart and when the demand outpaced the cart Scott decided to open a brick and morter restaurant in Bend, Oregon. It was pure delight for those lucky enough to have eaten at Ronin. Unfortunately, it closed during COVID, but sitting at his sushi bar and asking him to dream up whatever he wanted was special.

Rose trained in some of Los Angeles’s most iconic kitchens, including Spago’s, Campanile, and Les Deux Cafés, under legendary chefs like Wolfgang Puck, Nancy Silverton, and Suzanne Goin.

At 21, she moved to Paris and began working her way across Europe for over four years in restaurants, bars, hotels, and even a fashion house. Her experience culminated in the kitchen of Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, under Massimo Bottura—later ranked the world’s top restaurant.

Back in the U.S., Rose held roles as a pastry chef, catering company founder, and Culinary Director at a cooking school. In December 2022, she returned to hands-on food creation with the launch of the Luscious Supper Club—a sold-out monthly series of seven-course fine dining events. Leading a team of seven women, Rose brings her global culinary background to intimate, unforgettable meals that celebrate bold flavors, seasonal ingredients, and community around the table.

Thor Erickson was born into the restaurant industry, working since he could reach a stove, cooking alongside his Norwegian father, a restaurateur and culinary instructor. After earning a degree in Culinary Arts at Columbia Community College, Erickson established his reputation in fine dining, working at legendary restaurants Chez Panisse and Jeremiah Tower’s Stars restaurant in the Bay Area. Hungry for more, he traveled to Europe, where he honed his meat cutting and sausage making skills.

After 30 years in the industry, in 2009, Erickson began teaching the craft as a professor of culinary arts at Cascade Culinary Institute at Central Oregon Community College.

In 2013, Erickson was named “Best Cooking Teacher in the World” by the International Association of Culinary Professionals, and in 2015 was invited to teach butchery and meat curing at The White House in Washington D.C.

We will be adding chefs bios here as contracts are signed!

We will be adding chefs bios here as contracts are signed!

We will be adding chefs bios here as contracts are signed!

We will be adding chefs bios here as contracts are signed!

We will be adding chefs bios here as contracts are signed!

We will be adding chefs bios here as contracts are signed!