Residency · June 2026
Lamar Moore
Food Network Winner & Chef-Owner · Chicago, IL
June 1, 2026 – June 30, 2026
This residency
What to expect
- CuisineSouthern Soul & American Cuisine
- DatesJune 1, 2026 – June 30, 2026
- VenueRotation by Feast it Forward, Napa, CA — Oxbow Public Market.
Accolades
Recognition
- Food Network Vegas Chef Prizefight Winner, 2020 — Executive Chef, Bugsy and Meyer's Steakhouse, Flamingo Las Vegas
- Food Network Chopped Competitor — Award-Winning Burger Challenge
- Beat Bobby Flay Competitor, Food Network
- Le Cordon Bleu Graduate, 2003 — Chicago
- Food Network Vegas Chef Prizefight Winner, 2020 — Executive Chef, Bugsy and Meyer's Steakhouse, Flamingo Las Vegas
- Food Network Chopped Competitor — Award-Winning Burger Challenge
- Beat Bobby Flay Competitor, Food Network
- Le Cordon Bleu Graduate, 2003 — Chicago
- Keynote Speaker, National Restaurant Association Show — Chicago
- Featured in Chicago Tribune and Zagat News Weekly
- Illinois Restaurant Association ProStart Mentor — Chicago Public Schools
About
Lamar Moore
Chef Lamar Moore is a seasoned culinary professional with over 25 years of experience in the industry, blending the rich flavors of Southern American cuisine with a passion for creating unforgettable dining experiences. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Moore’s love for cooking began at a young age, inspired by his grandmother, who passed down a deep appreciation for Southern food and culture.
After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in 2003, Moore’s culinary journey took him from San Jose, CA, to Chicago, where he worked at various prestigious restaurants and became the sous chef for the Chicago Bears. He later made his mark as a chef and restaurateur, cooking for major events, including the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, as well as for notable figures like Barack and Michelle Obama. Along the way, he appeared on TV shows like Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay, and Vegas Chef Prizefight, where he emerged as the winner and earned the role of Head Chef at Bugsy & Meyer’s Steakhouse in Las Vegas.
In addition to his many achievements, Moore was named a James Beard Award semi-finalist, further solidifying his place as one of the most respected chefs in the industry.
Now, as the chef/owner of Etc Restaurant in Chicago, Moore continues to share his Southern roots, crafting a menu that celebrates the flavors of the South while offering a modern twist. With a philosophy rooted in cooking from the soul, Moore is dedicated to creating dishes that foster connection and community. His advice to aspiring chefs: “Don’t stop cooking, feel food from your soul, take care of your team, never stop learning, and humble your ego.”
Throughout his career, Moore has made it his mission to honor his family, his heritage, and the people he serves - showcasing the power of food to bring people together.
Questions
FAQ
Who is Lamar Moore?
Lamar Moore is a Chicago-born celebrity chef, restaurateur, and Food Network competition winner with over 25 years of experience in the culinary industry. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Moore trained at Le Cordon Bleu and built a career spanning professional sports venues, Las Vegas steakhouses, and his own restaurants. He is known for blending the rich traditions of Southern American cuisine with soulful, people-first cooking rooted in family and community.
Where did Lamar Moore train?
Moore graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in 2003, following the encouragement of his grandmother who recognized his talent early and pushed him toward formal culinary training. After graduating he headed west to San Jose, California, where he built his early professional foundation at McCormick and Schmick's Seafood Restaurants before returning to Chicago to continue his rise through high-profile culinary roles.
What is Lamar Moore known for on television?
Moore has appeared on multiple Food Network and Bravo competition series. He competed on Food Network's Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay, and appeared on Bravo TV's Welcome to Waverly. His most significant television achievement came when he won Food Network's Vegas Chef Prizefight, earning the position of Executive Chef of the brand new $10 million Bugsy and Meyer's Steakhouse at Flamingo Las Vegas — one of the most high-profile competition prizes in Food Network history.
What restaurants has Lamar Moore worked at and opened?
Moore's career includes a role as sous chef for the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, Executive Chef at Bronzeville Winery in Chicago, and Executive Chef of Bugsy and Meyer's Steakhouse at Flamingo Las Vegas following his Food Network win. He has also cooked at Super Bowls, NBA Finals, and on multiple occasions for Barack and Michelle Obama. Most recently he opened ETC. Restaurant in the Loop in downtown Chicago, his latest ownership venture.
What style of food does Lamar Moore cook?
Moore's cooking is rooted in Southern American traditions passed down from his Mississippi-born grandmother, layered with the global influence of a career that has taken him from California to Chicago to Las Vegas and beyond. His food is soulful and technically grounded, built on the belief that cooking is an opportunity to connect with people on a deeper level. Community, family, and cooking from the soul are the throughlines across everything he makes.
Is Lamar Moore involved in the community beyond cooking?
Community work is central to who Moore is as a chef. He is active with the Illinois Restaurant Association's ProStart program, a national initiative that prepares high school students for careers in the culinary industry. He conducts demonstrations and workshops for Chicago Public School students and has spoken widely as a mentor and advocate for young people entering the food industry. He has described wanting to provide opportunities he did not have access to growing up.
Where can I experience Lamar Moore's cooking at Rotation Napa?
Lamar Moore holds a chef residency at Rotation Napa during the month of June, 2026. Rotation is located at Oxbow Public Market in downtown Napa, California. Rotation Napa is Napa Valley's only monthly rotating chef residency, bringing nationally recognized culinary talent to an intimate open-hearth dining room for one month at a time. Reservations are available through the Rotation Napa website.
What makes Lamar Moore's residency at Rotation Napa distinctive?
Moore brings a culinary voice to Napa Valley that is genuinely rare in wine country — Southern soul food tradition elevated through fine dining technique, shaped by a career that has ranged from the Chicago Bears' locker room to Las Vegas mega-resort kitchens to cooking for a sitting president. His residency at Rotation Napa represents a meeting of two distinct American food cultures: the agricultural bounty of Northern California and the deep-rooted soul of the South Side of Chicago.
- Who is Lamar Moore?
- Lamar Moore is a Chicago-born celebrity chef, restaurateur, and Food Network competition winner with over 25 years of experience in the culinary industry. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Moore trained at Le Cordon Bleu and built a career spanning professional sports venues, Las Vegas steakhouses, and his own restaurants. He is known for blending the rich traditions of Southern American cuisine with soulful, people-first cooking rooted in family and community.
- Where did Lamar Moore train?
- Moore graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in 2003, following the encouragement of his grandmother who recognized his talent early and pushed him toward formal culinary training. After graduating he headed west to San Jose, California, where he built his early professional foundation at McCormick and Schmick's Seafood Restaurants before returning to Chicago to continue his rise through high-profile culinary roles.
- What is Lamar Moore known for on television?
- Moore has appeared on multiple Food Network and Bravo competition series. He competed on Food Network's Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay, and appeared on Bravo TV's Welcome to Waverly. His most significant television achievement came when he won Food Network's Vegas Chef Prizefight, earning the position of Executive Chef of the brand new $10 million Bugsy and Meyer's Steakhouse at Flamingo Las Vegas — one of the most high-profile competition prizes in Food Network history.
- What restaurants has Lamar Moore worked at and opened?
- Moore's career includes a role as sous chef for the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, Executive Chef at Bronzeville Winery in Chicago, and Executive Chef of Bugsy and Meyer's Steakhouse at Flamingo Las Vegas following his Food Network win. He has also cooked at Super Bowls, NBA Finals, and on multiple occasions for Barack and Michelle Obama. Most recently he opened ETC. Restaurant in the Loop in downtown Chicago, his latest ownership venture.
- What style of food does Lamar Moore cook?
- Moore's cooking is rooted in Southern American traditions passed down from his Mississippi-born grandmother, layered with the global influence of a career that has taken him from California to Chicago to Las Vegas and beyond. His food is soulful and technically grounded, built on the belief that cooking is an opportunity to connect with people on a deeper level. Community, family, and cooking from the soul are the throughlines across everything he makes.
- Is Lamar Moore involved in the community beyond cooking?
- Community work is central to who Moore is as a chef. He is active with the Illinois Restaurant Association's ProStart program, a national initiative that prepares high school students for careers in the culinary industry. He conducts demonstrations and workshops for Chicago Public School students and has spoken widely as a mentor and advocate for young people entering the food industry. He has described wanting to provide opportunities he did not have access to growing up.
- Where can I experience Lamar Moore's cooking at Rotation Napa?
- Lamar Moore holds a chef residency at Rotation Napa during the month of June, 2026. Rotation is located at Oxbow Public Market in downtown Napa, California. Rotation Napa is Napa Valley's only monthly rotating chef residency, bringing nationally recognized culinary talent to an intimate open-hearth dining room for one month at a time. Reservations are available through the Rotation Napa website.
- What makes Lamar Moore's residency at Rotation Napa distinctive?
- Moore brings a culinary voice to Napa Valley that is genuinely rare in wine country — Southern soul food tradition elevated through fine dining technique, shaped by a career that has ranged from the Chicago Bears' locker room to Las Vegas mega-resort kitchens to cooking for a sitting president. His residency at Rotation Napa represents a meeting of two distinct American food cultures: the agricultural bounty of Northern California and the deep-rooted soul of the South Side of Chicago.